Inverse modeling analysis of regional methane fluxes using GOSAT retrievals in 2010-2012

Abstract:

Our inverse modeling system estimated monthly regional CH₄ fluxes during the period 2010-2012, based on ground-based observations and GOSAT retrievals (called Inv.GG). With adding GOSAT retrievals to the flux estimation, we found enhanced fluxes in tropical Africa (17% from a priori and 10% from flux estimates using ground-based observations only, called Inv.GB), tropical and subtropical South America (12% and 9% respectively), and East Asia (21% and 6% respectively), but lowered fluxes in South and Southeast Asia (12% and 14% respectively). Overall, a larger year-to-year variation of estimated fluxes was found in Inv.GG. In 2010, raging fires occurred in Brazil and Bolivia under severe drought, and the highest biomass burning fluxes in central part of South America were estimated in 2010 during the simulation period 2010-2012. The intensity of the 2010 biomass burning flux was enhanced in Inv.GG compared with a priori of GFED v3.1 and Inv.GB. In Russia, two fire events occurred in 2010 and 2012 under very hot and relatively dry condition. The 2010 fires occurred over European Russia, and a large departure from the GFED estimates was not shown in both Inv.GB and Inv.GG. For the 2012 fires in eastern and central Russia, the severity was explained by the 2012 highest biomass burning fluxes over Siberia during the simulation period 2010-2012. The biomass burning fluxes in Inv.GG were similar to a priori, but lower than Inv.GB (particularly in the eastern part of Siberia). In Inv.GG, the Jun-Aug biomass burning fluxes account for ~14% of the annual mean Siberian total flux in 2010-2012.