Nine years of global hydrocarbon emissions based on source inversion of OMI formaldehyde observations

Abstract

As formaldehyde (HCHO) is a high-yield product in the oxidation of most volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by fires, vegetation, and anthropogenic activities, satellite observations of HCHO are well-suited to inform us on the spatial and temporal variability of the underlying VOC sources. Tannual global fire and isoprene emissions, from 2028 Tg C in the a priori to 1653 Tg C for burned biomass, and from 343 to 272 Tg for isoprene fluxes.

Those estimates are acknowledged to depend on the accuracy of formaldehyde data, as well as on the assumed fire emission factors and the oxidation mechanisms leading to HCHO production.

Keywords

• ozone monitoring instrument
• biomass burning emissions
• biogenic voc emissions
• amazonian rain-forest
• isoprene emissions
• satellite-observations
• temporal variability
• high-resolution
• trace gases
• nonmethane hydrocarbons