Remote Sensing of Greenhouse Gases and the Atmosphere

Satellites provide unprecedented amounts of atmospheric composition measurements every day, with a near-global coverage. These are evaluated with high-quality ground-based retrievals.

FTIR retrievals of the total column CO2 at Sodankylä, Finland. Data are available through the TCCON.

FTIR retrievals of the total column CH4 at Sodankylä, Finland. Data are available through the TCCON.

We at FMI-SPACE have a strong role in production of satellite data and long observational time series through European collaboration, including the leadership of EUMETSAT’s AC SAF project. We create applications from satellite observations for environmental monitoring and decision making. In addition, we develop data-driven methods for interpretation, validation and uncertainty quantification of remote sensing measurements.

FMI-SPACE hosts extensive ground-based greenhouse gas measurements at Sodankylä in Northern Finland, including continuous high-resolution FTIR retrievals in the Total Carbon Column Observing Network since 2009, and regular AirCore flights. These measurements are vital for validation of increasing volumes of satellite observations at high latitudes, and currently support all key GHG satellite missions: Sentinel 5P TROPOMI, TanSat, Orbiting Carbon Observatory -2, and the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite.

Data services

Pandora and OMI NO2 and O3 measurements at Helsinki.

OMI and OMPS Direct Readout service SAMPO.

AC SAF data and information

Map of NO2 over Helsinki area with higher values over city of Helsinki

Tropospheric NO2 maps over Finland