Analyzing urban and industrial carbon monoxide sources from space
Carbon monox ide (CO) is an air pollutant that plays a significant role in the atm osphere. To combat climate change, it's important to map where and ho w much of many gases are emitted. Because satellites measure all over the Earth, they offer a unique opportunity for this.
Some gase s (such as carbon monoxide) are well-suited for this, while others (s uch as carbon dioxide (CO2)) are less so. This difference is primaril y due to the abundance of this gas in the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide is relatively low, making emissions from cities and factories highly visible, but CO2 is so abundant that emissions are difficult to dete ct. Because carbon monoxide and CO2 are emitted during the same proce sses, information about one helps with research into the other. Gijs Leguijt's research question was therefore twofold. First, he mapped c arbon monoxide emissions from large sources using satellite measureme nts. He then used this data to improve the determination of CO2 emiss ions.
Carbon monoxide emissions from large cities and f
actories mapped
Leguijt and his colleagues have demonstra
ted that using the TROPOMI satellite, they can quickly determine carb
on monoxide emissions from large cities and factories. The determined
emissions from these point sources sometimes deviate from large mode
ls that determine emissions based on statistics and reported national
values. This demonstrates that satellite data can contribute to impr
oving these models. Furthermore, the researchers combined the carbon
monoxide measurements from TROPOMI with satellite measurements of atm
ospheric CO2. By combining the two data products, they were able to u
se a larger portion of the CO2 measurements for research. By examinin
g both gases, the researchers can further indicate the efficiency of
combustion processes in these large point sources.
Climate chan ge is a major problem that affects us all. This research must therefo re be seen as part of a larger project, one in which a great deal of work is being done to improve the reporting of emissions (and their m onitoring). To combat climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must b e reduced. Therefore, it's crucial to have a clear picture of where a nd how much is emitted. The more complete the picture of harmful emis sions, the more targeted our emission reductions can be. In addition to direct emissions, researchers also investigated the efficiency of combustion processes. This method can therefore be used to identify " low-hanging fruit"—places where efficiency is currently low, and wh ere gains can therefore be made relatively easily.
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DESCRIPTION: Analyzing urban and industrial carbon monoxide sources fr om space Carbon monoxide (CO) is an air pollutant that plays a signif icant role in the atmosphere. To combat climate change, it's importan t to map where and how much of many gases are emitted. Because satell ites measure all over the Earth, they offer a unique opportunity for this.Some gases (such as carbon monoxide) are well-suited for this, w hile others (such as carbon dioxide (CO2)) are less so. This differen ce is primarily due to the abundance of this gas in the atmosphere. C arbon monoxide is relatively low, making emissions from cities and fa ctories highly visible, but CO2 is so abundant that emissions are dif ficult to detect. Because carbon monoxide and CO2 are emitted during the same processes, information about one helps with research into th e other. Gijs Leguijt's research question was therefore twofold. Firs t, he mapped carbon monoxide emissions from large sources using satel lite measurements. He then used this data to improve the determinatio n of CO2 emissions.Carbon monoxide emissions from large citie s and factories mapped