- 1Institute of Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (benedikt.loew@uni-heidelberg.de)
- 2Environmental Sensing and Modeling, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- 3Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
- 4Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- 5Heidelberg Center for the Environment, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- 6Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Top-down estimation of greenhouse gas emissions requires the combination of reliable measurements of their atmospheric concentrations with atmospheric inversions. The German Integrated Greenhouse Gas Monitoring System (ITMS) combines atmospheric in situ and satellite measurements, transport modelling and inverse estimation techniques aiming at an operational top-down monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions. We contribute to this effort by establishing highly consistent and accurate observations of column-average mole fractions of carbon dioxide (XCO2), methane (XCH4) and carbon monoxide (XCO) using eight FTIR instruments across Germany.
We operate spectrometers of the Collaborative Carbon Column Observing Network (COCCON, EM27/SUN) and Total Column Carbon Observing Network (TCCON) located such that the measurements cover spatial gradients on the urban, regional and national scale. Urban gradients are covered with five FTIR distributed across the Munich urban region (MCCnet). The regional scale is represented by two FTIR in Karlsruhe and Heidelberg (Rhein-Neckar region) and two FTIRs in the Bremen region in Northern Germany. All instruments together allow for measuring gradients on the national scale. These measurements provide the means to validate both satellite observations and modelling results on the spatial scales relevant for future emission inversions. To meet the stringent requirements for consistency among all stations, we operate an additional EM27/SUN as travel standard for side-by-side measurements with all instruments. As such, we tie all instruments to a common scale and, via TCCON, to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) scale. Here, we present the ITMS-FTIR network with a special focus on our calibration efforts during the first year of operation.
How to cite: Löw, B., Feld, L., Grosch, L., Klappenbach, F., Kleinschek, R., Li, J., Luther, A., Makowski, M., Neumann, N., Sindram, M., Stauber, J., Chen, J., Hase, F., Warneke, T., and Butz, A.: The ITMS-FTIR network for Germany: Providing consistent XCO2, XCH4 and XCO data for satellite and model validation on the urban, regional and national scale, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11005, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11005, 2025.
