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Long-term satellite observations of carbon monoxide and other reactive trace gases in the atmosphere help us to understand the role of these gases in a changing climate and the change in these gases over time.

Carbon monoxide is released from any material that is burned. There number of anthropogenic and natural sources, notably forest fires, transport, and domestic coal, gas, oil or wood burning for heat. Carbon monoxide is an indirect greenhouse gas although it plays a major role in atmospheric chemistry, notably it reacts with the OH radical which is an important removal mechanism for potent greenhouse gases such as methane. Where carbon monoxide is combined with other pollutants and sunshine, it plays a role in ozone production near the Earth’s surface, a key component of urban smog.

At NCEO Leicester we specialise in the retrieval, validation and exploitation of carbon monoxide and other reactive trace gases which are linked to wildfire emissions. Data are produced from satellite records such IASI, which span over the last 15 years, making these data suitable for trend analysis. These data also feed in to the NCEO long-term Single Science and Earth Observation Climate Information Service (EOCIS) programs.  and tThe algorithms are also used with the NCEO International Science program to investigate plant health.

Carbon monoxide acts an indirect greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, meaning increasing levels of CO can lead to increases in other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere such as methane (CH4). 

Carbon monoxide and reactive trace gas data are used across NCEO by modellers, keen to incorporate these data to help better understand sources of these gases and to make predictions about the future emissions.