Methane and carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing rapidly driving the Earth’s climate. Using remote sensing from space and the ground, we seek to quantify the underlying processes that drive these changes – both their emissions and sinks. We are working to evaluate whether atmospheric remote sensing of CO2and methane can be used to accurately estimate emissions from individual cites (e.g. Los Angeles) and broader regions (Eastern China). We study the processes that remove these gases, including atmospheric photochemistry (for methane) and biological uptake (for carbon dioxide). Recent studies, for example, have focused on how the northern forests remove carbon and how these sinks are changing as the climate warms.

TCCON, GOSAT, OCO-2/-3

Our laboratory has played a key role in the development of remote sensing of greenhouse gases from space. This effort involves the development of new instruments and retrieval methods. We helped create the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). We collaborate with the Japanese Space Agency and NASA.

More about these observational efforts can be found here:

TCCON tccondata.org
OCO-2 ocov2.jpl.nasa.gov
OCO-3 ocov3.jpl.nasa.gov