Module B | Greenhouse gas observational data sets for ITMS

The main goal of Module B is to provide quality-controlled atmospheric data for ITMS, using ground-based, aircraft, and satellite observations. In Phase 1, Module B focuses on developing data flows and quality checks for greenhouse gas (GHG) observations (in-situ and column concentration data) to support emission estimates, data assimilation, and model verification. This work utilizes existing infrastructures (e.g., ICOS, IAGOS, TERENO, TCCON, COCCON) and satellite data from instruments like S5P, OCO-3, and Sentinel-3. Synthetic data for CO2M and MERLIN is generated for future ITMS use, and research on new observation methods addresses data gaps.

Module B’s work is split into two parts. Module B_I comprises the essential work packages required for ITMS operations. These include: provision of observational data for inverse modeling in Module M, which includes atmospheric concentration measurements of CO₂ and CH₄, but also measurements of co-emitted species like CO and NO₂, provision of observational data to refine a priori flux estimates in Module Q&S, establishing data flows for current and future satellite missions, and conducting independent analyses of observational data, complementing the work in Module M. Module B_II consists of additional projects investigating new observational approaches. They cover ground-based in-situ and remote sensing measurements as well as measurements from satellite and aircraft instruments.

ITMS-B_I WP1 | Observation Data Synthesis and Module B coordination

The main focus of this WP is to ensure that observational data from Module B are fit for purpose for the usage within ITMS in terms of interfaces and data quality. This includes the harmonization of interfaces, the identification of observational gaps and initiation of steps towards closing them by improving the observation system in the future. An important activity is the creation and maintenance of the Observation Data Synthesis Report, which summarizes all datasets from Module B, detailing their interfaces, access, and quality. This report provides a clear overview of each dataset and serves as a valuable entry point for ITMS users. This WP  also supports Module K (overall ITMS Coordination), organizes regular meetings of Module B partners, and performs the reporting on Module B milestones and deliverables in cooperation with the Module B WP leads.

Partners involved: University of  Bremen (Dr. Heinrich Bovensmann, Dr. Maximilian Reuter, Dr. Michael Weimer)

ITMS-B_I WP2 | Provision of In-situ Concentration Data from ICOS and IAGOS Tailored to ITMS Applications and Extension of ICOS Tall Tower Measurements

This WP is a contribution from members of ICOS via DWD and the IAGOS-AISBL via MPI-BGC, respectively. It supports the provision and quality assurance of in-situ concentration data from ICOS and IAGOS. This includes for IAGOS the greenhouse gases CO₂, CH₄, and partly N₂O as well as the reactive gases O₃, CO, NO_x, and NO_y along flight corridors. For ICOS it includes, beside the continuous monitoring of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations (CO₂, CH₄, CO, N₂O, ¹⁴C) at the atmospheric stations (mostly tall tower), the upgrade of selected atmospheric tall towers with NO_x measurement capabilities to provide an additional tracer sensitive to CO₂ anthropogenic emissions. ICOS data are provide for twelve ICOS stations operated by DWD and UBA and IAGOS data for all IAGOS starts and landings at German airports by MPI-BGC.

Partners involved: DWD (Dr. Dagmar Kubistin, Dr. Jennifer Müller-Williams, Dr. Matthias Lindauer, Tobias Kneuer), MPI-BGC (Dr. habil. Christoph Gerbig)

ITMS-B_I WP3 | Provision of Ground-based In-situ Data from ICOS and TERENO Ecosystem Sites

This WP supports the provision of in-situ concentration and flux data from ecosystem sites from ICOS and TERENO stations for process characterization and modelling within Module Q&S and is an in-kind contribution of ICOS and TERENO to ITMS. This includes fluxes of CO₂, H₂O and CH₄, N₂O where available from eddy covariance measurements as well as related ecosystem parameters. Ecosystem data (ICOS, TERENO) are provided for the existing stations and when available for new stations via the ICOS and TERENO data portals.

 

 

 

Partners involved: Thünen Institute (Dr. Christian Brümmer, Dr. John Akubia), KIT-IMK-IFU (Dr. Ralf Kiese, Dr. Hannes Imhof)

ITMS-B_I WP4 | XCH4 S5P Satellite Data Tailored for ITMS Applications

The objectives of this WP are to evaluate existing S5P XCH4 data products (operational and University of Bremen WFMD) with respect to ITMS needs and to optimize WFMD S5P XCH4 retrievals for ITMS applications to generate an appropriate data product (high yield, low bias, low scatter) for Germany and surrounding countries, where local emission signals are typically weaker compared to regions outside Europe (e.g., oil and gas fields in Turkmenistan and the US), where emission information has already been successfully derived from University of Bremen WFMD XCH4 data. It aims to generate an improved algorithm to generate a multi-year S5P XCH4 data set optimized for ITMS and to validate this data set by comparison with ground-based observations (TCCON, COCCON). Additionally, a mass balance approach is used in the WP to obtain emission information for selected emission hot spots.

Partners involved: University of Bremen (Dr. Oliver Schneising-Weigel, Jonas Hachmeister)

ITMS-B_I WP5 | XCO2 Satellite Data Tailored for ITMS Applications

Within this WP the existing University of Bremen XCO2 retrieval algorithm FOCAL is adapted for OCO-3 and used to generate XCO2 images for selected anthropogenic CO₂ emission targets such as power plants. The new data product is evaluated and optimized for ITMS applications, which includes detailed error analysis, validation (TCCON, COCCON) and comparisons with other satellite XCO2 products. A key aspect is the evaluation of the two OCO-3 XCO2 data products, the NASA product and the FOCAL product, with respect to the needs of Module M in particular for Germany and its surroundings. This also includes the investigation of the information content with respect to CO₂ emissions by studying aspects related to the identification of emission plumes and application of approaches such as mass balance methods to estimate emissions. In addition to these actually measured XCO2 data sets also simulated CO2M data sets are generated and provided to Module M to support preparation of usage of CO2M data within ITMS.

Partners involved: University of Bremen (Dr. Michael Weimer, Dr. Michael Buchwitz, Dr. Maximilian Reuter)

ITMS-B_I WP6 | Satellite Data on Fossil Fuel Tracer CO and NO₂ Tailored for ITMS Applications

CO₂ emission from fossil fuel combustion are accompanied by emissions of CO and NO, the latter quickly converting to NO_x (the sum of NO and NO₂). The ratio of CO and NO₂ to CO₂ depends on the fuel and the combustion efficiency and temperature. CO and NO₂ can therefore be used as tracers to identify different combustion processes and to distinguish between different combustion sources. Data assimilation of these tracers has the potential to help separating biogenic fluxes from fossil fuel CO₂ emissions. If emission factors are sufficiently well known, then derived emissions of these tracers (as obtained via inverse modelling) can also be used to obtain information on CO₂ emissions. However, such applications require appropriate information on atmospheric CO and NO₂ concentrations. Therefore, the focus of this WP is to generate NO₂ and CO data products from S5P focusing on Germany and surrounding countries.

 

Partners involved: University of Bremen (Dr. Andreas Richter, Dr. Oliver Schneising-Weigel)

ITMS-B_I WP7 | Land surface satellite data

Up-to-date a priori estimates of CO₂ fluxes between the ecosystems and the atmosphere at high spatial (< 10 km, goal 1 km) and temporal (hourly) resolution are an important input for the inverse modelling activities of Module M. They can be derived by a data-driven bottom-up approach based on machine learning using meteorological and satellite data to spatially upscale eddy covariance measurements of biospheric CO₂ fluxes. This work package establishes a flexible and operationalizable workflow for acquiring and processing the relevant satellite based land surface data for the use in Module Q&S to derive the needed a priori CO₂ flux estimates. This includes both satellite observations at eddy-covariance sites and gridded, spatially explicit products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partners involved: MPI-BGC (Dr. Sophia Walther, Zayd Hamdi, Dr. Martin Jung, Dr. Gregory Duveiller)

ITMS-B_I WP8 | Synthetic MERLIN XCH4 data

With the upcoming German-French CH₄ lidar satellite mission MERLIN (launch planned 2029), XCH₄ data will become available from a national space mission. This WP aims to prepare for MERLIN data usage within ITMS. This includes the development of retrieval algorithms for MERLIN XCH₄, perform error characterization of the data product according to the needs of Module M, define data product content and format, support preparation of an observation operator for MERLN XCH₄ data. Moreover, synthetic MERLIN-XCH₄ test data, based on real measurement data from MERLIN's aircraft-borne demonstrator CHARM-F, will be produced and provided. Furthermore, the information content of profiles using synthetic MERLIN data and CHARM-F campaign data will be investigated.

 

 

 

 

Partners involved: DLR-IPA (Dr. Andreas Fix, Sebastian Wolff, Dr. Christoph Kiemle)

ITMS-B_II FeaViTa | Feasibility study on using Ecosystem stations as Virtual Tall Towers

Virtual Tall Tower (VTT) data analysis techniques have the potential to use existing ecosystem eddy-covariance (EC) stations measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes near the surface (2-50 m height), to densify the network of existing atmospheric GHG concentration measurements which is typically done on more expensive tall towers (TT, >100 m height). The FeaViTa project tests an existing and new VTT approach on CO2 measurements by low EC stations near TT sites, where the latter serve as a reference to assess the uncertainty of the method.

Partners involved: Forschungszentrum Jülich (Dr. Alexander Graf, Dr. Lediane Marcon, Marius Schmidt, Dr. Patrizia Ney, Dr. Youri Rothfuss, Prof. Dr. N. Brüggemann), Thünen-Institut (Dr. Christian Brümmer), DWD (Dr. Matthias Lindauer, Dr. Jennifer Williams, Dr. Dagmar Kubistin), Swedish University of Agricultural Science (Prof. Dr. Matthias Peichl), Wageningen University (Prof. Dr. Jordi Vila-Guerau de Arellano), Universität Köln (Prof. Dr. Ulrich Löhnert)

ITMS-B_II ISOMONEAE | Long-term high-frequency ISOtope-specific MONitoring of H2O, CO2, CH4 and N2O Exchange between Atmosphere and Ecosystems

The central aim of this project is to establish a long-term isotope-specific monitoring of H₂O, CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere with high temporal resolution at two different field sites (arable land and deciduous forest). The ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of H₂O and CO₂ is determined online with fast isotope-specific laser analysers using the eddy covariance (EC) method. In addition, a mobile, automated sampling system will be developed for the isotope-specific recording of CH₄ and N₂O ecosystem exchange using the profile method with offline isotope analysis by means of isotope ratio mass spectrometry to ensure the highest possible precision of the isotope measurements. The ultimate aim of these measurements is the source or sink partitioning, i.e., evaporation and transpiration in the case of water vapour, photosynthetic uptake and ecosystem respiration in the case of CO₂, CH₄ production (methanogenesis, if relevant) and CH₄ uptake (methane oxidation), and partitioning the N₂O flux into nitrification and denitrification as sources and N₂O reduction as sink of N₂O .

Partners involved: Forschungszentrum Jülich (Prof. Dr. Nicolas Brüggemann, Prof. Dr. Youri Rothfuss, Dr. Alexander Graf, Marius Schmidt, Matthias Class), University of Göttingen (Prof. Dr. Alexander Knohl, Dr. Christian Markwitz, Oisin Jelle Boersma)

ITMS-B_II FTIR | Ground-based FTIR measurements of XCO2, XCH4, and XCO in support of ITMS

The FTIR project conducts, provides and uses quality-assured Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements of the total column concentrations of CO2 (XCO2) and CH4 (XCH4) and the tracer CO (XCO). The collaborative project focuses on three focus regions with the goal of using the unique FTIR infrastructures there to provide measurements for satellite and model validation and to support emission estimates at local, regional, and national scales for ITMS. The focus regions are Munich with 5 COCCON spectrometers, the Heidelberg-Karlsruhe region (Rhine-Neckar) with one TCCON, one stationary and one mobile COCCON spectrometer, and the region around Bremen (North-West) with one TCCON and one COCCON spectrometer.

Partners involved: Universität Heidelberg (Prof. Dr. André Butz, Dr. Benedikt Löw), Technische Universität München (Prof. Dr. Jia Chen), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung (PD Dr. Frank Hase), University of Bremen (Prof. Dr. Thorsten Warneke, Lukas Grosch)

ITMS-B_II HISAT | High-resolution satellite images of XCO2 and XCH4 in support of ITMS Modul B

The attribution and quantification of large CO2 and CH4 emission hotspots and their separation from distributed but cumulatively significant emissions is a key challenge for emissions accounting and sectoral separation of fluxes at the local and regional scale. The project HISAT explores the capabilities of satellite missions with high spatial resolution such as PRISMA, EnMAP, GHGSat, TANGO, CarbonMapper, and CHIME for quantifying emission rates of CO2 and CH4 from large, localized emission hotspots and the application of these measurements within ITMS’ monitoring task. Among others, the project evaluates the accuracy of emission rate estimates and examines whether hotspot plume images can be used for sectoral separation of emissions.
 

 

 

 

 

Partners involved: Universität Heidelberg (Prof. Dr. André Butz, Dr. Harikrishnan Charuvil Asokan), Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (Dr. Julia Marshall, Dr. Anke Roiger)

ITMS-B_II PeatSens | Peatland methane emissions measurement approach through remote sensing

The aim of the PeatSens project is to estimate GHG emissions from rewetted peat soils using remote sensing. For this purpose, the Remote Sensing and Image Analysis group of the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Landscape Ecology group of the University of Rostock are working in close cooperation. The two main components of the project are the process understanding of GHG emissions, particularly methane, from rewetted peatlands, supported by field measurements of emissions, and the derivation of influencing factors and indicators from remote sensing data and field measurements, with a focus on hyperspectral and radar data. In the future, the collected knowledge will be used to be able to improve the GHG reduction potential of rewetting agricultural peatlands to advance the use of remote sensing data for this problem.

 

 

 

Partners involved: Technical University of Darmstadt (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dorota Iwaszczuk, M. Sc. Katrin Krzepek), University of Rostock (Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Florian Jansen, M. Sc. Daniel Köhn)

ITMS-B_II TEGAD | Top-Down CH4 emission estimates of localized emitters using in-situ and remote sensing Ground based and Aircraft Data

To independently quantify CH4 emissions from localized sources, a combined mobile ground-based and airborne measurement strategy will be developed, implemented, applied and evaluated. Among others, CH4 sources of the categories landfill, waste water, and oil/gas infrastructure in Germany will be investigated also based on requirements from UBA and in consultation with the ARTEMIS project. Measurements with ground-based in-situ (CH4, Ethane, H2O, wind) and remote sensing of CH4 (and CO2) sensors as well as airborne sensors will be systematically performed. Observational data collected by both systems (airborne and ground-based) are used for independent top-down emission determinations through mass balance approaches.

Partners involved: University of Bremen (Dr. H. Bovensmann, Dipl. Phys. K. Gerilowski, Prof. H. Bösch), Jade Hochschule Wilhelmshaven (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Wellhausen)

 

Acronyms and Abbreviations

CarbonMapper	CarbonMapper
CHIME	Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission
CO2M	Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring
COCCON	COllaborative Carbon Column Observing Network
DLR	German Aerospace Center
DWD	German Weather Service
EnMAP	Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program
FOCAL	Fast atmOspheric traCe gAs retrievaL
GHG	Greenhouse Gas
GHGSat	Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring Service
IAGOS	In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System
ICOS	Integrated Carbon Observation System
ITMS	Integrated Greenhouse Gas Monitoring System for Germany
KIT	Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
MERLIN	Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission
MODIS	Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
MPI-BGC	Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
NASA	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
OCO-3	Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3
PRISMA	Hyperspectral Precursor of the Application Mission
Sentinel-3	Copernicus Sentinel-3
S5P	Copernicus Sentinel-5P
TANGO	Twin Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Observers
TCCON	Total Carbon Column Observing Network
TERENO	Terrestrial Environmental Observatories
UBA	German Environment Agency
WFMD	Weighting Function Modified DOAS
WP	Work Package
XCH4	Column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of methane
XCO2	Column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of carbon dioxide