Assessment of Retrieved N2O, NO2, and HF Profiles from the Atmospheric Infrared Ultraspectral Sounder Based on Simulated Spectra.

The Atmospheric Infrared Ultraspectral Sounder (AIUS), the first high-resolution (0.02 cm−1) solar occultation sounder, aboard GF5, was launched in May 2018 from China. However, relevant studies about vertical profiles of atmospheric constituents based on its operational data were not conducted until half a year later. Due to an urgent need for Hin-orbit tests, the real spectra (called reference spectra hereafter) were substituted with simulated spectra calculated from the reference forward model (RFM) plus different random noises at different altitudes. In the generation process of the reference spectra for N2O, NO2, and HF species, ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment⁻Fourier Transform Spectrometer instrument on the SCISAT satellite) level 2 products replace corresponding profiles included in the atmospheric background profiles. The optimal estimation method is employed to extract N2O, NO2, and HF profiles in this study. Comparing the retrieved results with ACE-FTS level 2 products, the relative deviations for these three species are calculated. For N2O, the average relative deviation is less than 6% at altitudes below 25 km, while larger deviations are observed in the range of 25⁻45 km, with the maximum being at ~25%. Additionally, the difference for NO2 is less than 5% in the 20⁻45 km range, with a larger discrepancy found below 20 km and above 45 km; the maximum deviation reaches ±40%. For HF, the relative deviation is less than 6% for all tangent heights, implying satisfactory retrieval. The vertical resolution, averaging kernel, and number of degrees of freedom are used to assess the retrieval algorithm, which indicate that the retrieved information content is much more attributable to the reference spectra contribution than to the a priori profile. Finally, a large number of retrieval tests are performed for N2O, NO2, and HF in selected areas covering the Arctic region, northern middle latitude, tropics, southern middle latitude, and Antarctic region, and reliable results are obtained. Thus, to a great extent, the algorithm adopted in the AIUS system can process retrievals reliably and precisely.

[Study on exploring for gas based on analysis of spectral absorption features].

Reflectance spectra in the visible and near-infrared wavelength region provide a rapid and inexpensive means for determining the mineralogy of samples and obtaining information on chemical composition. Hydrocarbon microseepage theory establishes a cause-and-effect relation between oil and gas reservoirs and some special surface anomalies. Therefore the authors can explore for oil and gas by determining the reflectance spectra of surface anomalies. This determination can be fulfilled by means of field work and hyperspectral remote sensing. In the present paper, based on the analysis of reflectance spectra determined in the field of Qinghai X X area, firstly, a macroscopic feature of the reflectance spectra of typical observation points in the gas fields is presented. Secondly, absorption-band parameters of spectra such as the position, depth, width, and asymmetry are extracted. Based on the spectral absorption features of the spectra of 144 samples collected from the field, a spectral library for the Qinghai X X area is built to make the detection of the mineral alterations more rapid and reliable. Thirdly, two methods are improved and proposed to detect hydrocarbon microseepage using hydrocarbon absorption bands of reflectance spectra determined from the field. Finally, a linear unmixing model is studied based on the spectra of 144 samples so as to semi-quantitatively determine the abundance fractions of main minerals in the authors' studied area.