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Performance Simulations for a Spaceborne Methane Lidar MissionFuture spaceborne lidar measurements of key anthropogenic greenhouse gases are expected to close current observational gaps particularly over remote, polar, and aerosol-contaminated regions, where actual in situ and passive remote sensing observation techniques have difficulties. For methane, a "Methane Remote Lidar Mission" was proposed by Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt and Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in the frame of a German-French climate monitoring initiative. Simulations assess the performance of this mission with the help of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations of the earth's surface albedo and atmospheric optical depth. These are key environmental parameters for integrated path differential absorption lidar which uses the surface backscatter to measure the total atmospheric methane column. Results showthat a lidar with an average optical power of 0.45W at 1.6 μm wavelength and a telescope diameter of 0.55 m, installed on a low Earth orbit platform(506 km), will measure methane columns at precisions of 1.2%, 1.7%, and 2.1% over land, water, and snow or ice surfaces, respectively, for monthly aggregated measurement samples within areas of 50 × 50 km2. Globally, the mean precision for the simulated year 2007 is 1.6%, with a standard deviation of 0.7%. At high latitudes, a lower reflectance due to snow and ice is compensated by denser measurements, owing to the orbital pattern. Over key methane source regions such as densely populated areas, boreal and tropical wetlands, or permafrost, our simulations show that the measurement precision will be between 1 and 2%.
Document ID
20140013047
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
doi:10.1002/2013JD021253
Authors
Kiemle, C. (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany)
Kawa, Stephan Randolph (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Quatrevalet, Mathieu (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany)
Browell, Edward V. (STARSS II Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
October 15, 2014
Publication Date
April 16, 2014
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
Volume: 119
Issue: 7
Subject Category
Optics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN14282
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNL11AA00B
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
methane
lidar remote sensing
MERLIN

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