Measuring Atmospheric Composition Change
Journal article, 2009
Scientific findings from the last decades have clearly highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach to atmospheric change processes. In fact, observation of atmospheric composition variables has been an important activity of atmospheric research that has developed instrumental tools (advanced analytical techniques) and platforms (instrumented passenger aircrafts, ground-based in-situ and remote sensing stations, earth observation satellite instruments) providing essential information on the composition of the atmosphere. The variability of the atmospheric system and the extreme complexity of the atmospheric cycles for short-lived gaseous and aerosol species have led to the development of complex models to interpret observations, test our theoretical understanding of atmospheric chemistry and predict future atmospheric composition. The validation of numerical models requires accurate information concerning the variability of atmospheric composition for targeted species via comparison with observations and measurements. In this paper, we provide an overview of recent advances in instrumentation and methodologies for measuring atmospheric composition changes from space, aircraft and the surface as well as recent improvements in laboratory techniques that permitted scientific advance in the field of atmospheric chemistry. Emphasis is given to the most promising and innovative technologies that will become operational in the near future to improve knowledge of atmospheric composition. Our current observation capacity, however, is not satisfactory to understand and predict future atmospheric composition changes, in relation to predicted climate warming. Based on the limitation of the current European observing system, we address the major gaps in a second part of the paper to explain why further developments in current observation strategies are still needed to strengthen and optimise an observing system not only capable of responding to the requirements of atmospheric services but also to newly open scientific questions.
Observation
Instrumentation
Atmosphere
Air quality
Climate
Author
P. Laj
Grenoble Alpes University
Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)
J. Klausen
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
M. Bilde
University of Copenhagen
C. Pla[beta]-Duelmer
Deutscher Wetterdienst
G. Pappalardo
Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche
C. Clerbaux
Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC)
Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
U. Baltensperger
Paul Scherrer Institut
J. Hjorth
Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission
David Simpson
Chalmers, Department of Radio and Space Science, Global Environmental Measurements and Modelling
S. Reimann
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
P.-F. Coheur
Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
A. Richter
Universität Bremen
M. De Maziere
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Y. Rudich
Weizmann Institute of Science
G. McFiggans
University of Manchester
K. Torseth
Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)
A. Wiedensohler
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
S. Morin
Grenoble Alpes University
M. Schulz
Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)
J. Allan
University of Manchester
J.-L. Attie
University of Toulouse
I. Barnes
Bergische Universität Wuppertal
W. Birmilli
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
Jean-Pierre Cammas
University of Toulouse
J. Dommen
Paul Scherrer Institut
H.-P. Dorn
Forschungszentrum Jülich
D. Fowler
UK Centre For Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)
J.-S. Fuzzi
Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche
M. Glasius
University of Copenhagen
C. Granier
Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC)
NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory
University of Colorado at Boulder
M. Hermann
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
I. Isaksen
Cicero Senter for klimaforskning
University of Oslo
S. Kinne
Max Planck Society
I. Koren
Weizmann Institute of Science
F. Madonna
Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche
M. Maione
University of Urbino
A. Massling
Danmarks Miljoundersogelser
O. Moehler
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
L. Mona
Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche
P. Monks
University Of Leicester
D. M. Müller
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
T. M. Müller
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
J. Orphal
Paris Diderot University
V.-H. Peuch
CNRM Centre National de Recherches Meteorologiques
F. Stratmann
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
D. Tanré
Lille 1 University of Science and Technology
G. Tyndall
National Center for Atmospheric Research
A.A. Riziq
University of California
M. Van Roozendael
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
P. Villani
Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)
Grenoble Alpes University
B. Wehner
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
H. Wex
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
A.A. Zardini
University of Copenhagen
Atmospheric Environment
1352-2310 (ISSN) 1873-2844 (eISSN)
Vol. 43 33 5351-5414Subject Categories
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
Environmental Sciences
DOI
10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.08.020