Objetives

INMENSE has developed and consolited new retrieval strategies for monitoring CH4 and N2O and has done a multi-platform quality assessment to fully characterise the new space-based IASI observations combining (i) ground-based FTS instruments, belonging to NDACC and TCCON global networks, (ii) aircraft CH4 and N2O records from the HIPPO project, (iii) operational IASI CH4 and N2O products disseminated by EUMETSAT, and (iv) global CH4 and N2O estimates from the chemistry transport model MOCAGE. In particular, the inclusion of model estimates provide a very valuable added value to the project INMENSE, helping us to understand to what extent the space-based observations are able to capture the CH4 and N2O concentration variations, their sinks/sources and their atmospheric transport. New insights in the importance of different IASI product error sources will be provided by IMMENSE, identifying the priority tasks to be addressed in the future IASI developments.

The project INMENSE has four specific objectives:
1. Creating the INMENSE database for the quality assessment of the IASI CH4 and N2O observations generated by INMENSE, using ground-based FTS instruments, distributed globally within the TCCON and NDACC international networks, as the reference technique. Optimising the ground-based FTS retrieval strategies for CH4 and N2O, focusing on the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory FTS experiment.
2. Developing and evaluating new retrieval strategies for monitoring CH4 and N2O from the remote sensor Metop/IASI, and performing a comprehensive theoretical and experimental quality assessment of new IASI CH4 and N2O products.
3. Generating IASI CH4 and N2O retrievals at global scale.
4. Evaluating the IASI’s potential for investigating sources and sinks of CH4 and N2O at a global scale and for assessing the mechanisms that transport the CH4 and N2O emissions from the surface to the upper troposphere as well as the long-range transport and continental-scale source patterns.