GOSAT CH₄ and CO₂, MODIS Evapotranspiration on the Northern Hemisphere June and July 2009, 2010 and 2011

Reginald R. Muskett

Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/acs.2013.32019                

Abstract

The Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) affords an ability to assess and monitor CH₄ and CO₂ near-surface atmospheric concentrations globally on monthly scales pertaining to biogeochemical cycles and anthropogenic emissions. In addition to GOSAT our investigation incorporates global-monthly estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) from the Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and fire/wildfire locations for correspondence and comparison. We restrict the investigation to the months of June and July in years 2009, 2010 and 2011. After processing and assessment on the northern hemisphere we focus on two regions in Eurasia for interrogation: 40? to 80?E by 50? to 58?N and 100? to 140?E by 50? to 58?N. The regions allow for contrasting regional settings, an agricultural-industrial-urban west-region to a boreal-steppe discontinuous permafrost zone palsa and thaw lake east-region. Joint probability density functions allow us to identify significant modes, the highest probable values of background levels of CH₄ and CO₂ to ET and develop regressions for correlated relationships. We found that background levels of CH₄, CO₂ and ET were not affected by the wildfires of 2010. Regressions indicate significant inverse relationships of CH₄ and CO₂ to ET in the west-region and no significant relationships in the east-region. The east-region shows significantly higher background levels of CH₄, CO₂ and ET owing to the heterogeneity of ecosystems, hydrology, physical processes and terrain in the discontinuous permafrost zone of the central Siberian Plateau.

Keywords

GOSAT; CH₄ ; CO₂; MODIS; Evapotranspiration; Wildfire

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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