A new method for deriving trace gas emission inventories from satellite observations: The case of SO2 over China

Konstantinos Kourtidis; Aristeidis K Georgoulias; Bas Mijling; Ronald van der A; Qiang Zhang; Jieying Ding

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.313

A new method for deriving trace gas emission inventories from satellite observations: The case of SO₂ over China

Sci Total Environ. 2018 Jan 15:612:923-930. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.313. Epub 2017 Sep 5.

Authors

Konstantinos Kourtidis¹, Aristeidis K Georgoulias², Bas Mijling³, Ronald van der A³, Qiang Zhang⁴, Jieying Ding³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece. Electronic address: kourtidi@env.duth.gr.
² Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece.
³ Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), P.O. Box 201, 3730 AE De Bilt, The Netherlands.
⁴ Center for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.

PMID: 28886544
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.313

Abstract

A method is developed that allows the construction of spatial emission inventories. The method is applied for anthropogenic SO₂ over China (0.25°×0.25°). The Enhancement Ratio Method (ERM) allows for the calculation of SO₂ emissions using relationships between gridded satellite measurements of SO₂ and NO₂ at low wind speeds, and satellite-based NOx emission estimates. Here, we derive SO₂ emissions for five years (2007-2011). A large decrease of emissions during 2007-2009 and a modest increase between 2010 and 2011 is observed. The evolution of emissions over time calculated here is in general agreement with bottom-up inventories, although differences exist, not only between the current inventory and other inventories but also among the bottom up inventories themselves. The ERM-derived emissions are consistent, spatially and temporally, with existing inventories.

Keywords: China; Emissions; OMI/Aura; SO(2); Satellites; Trace gases.