Temporal and spatial analysis of global GOSAT XCO2 variations characteristics

CO 2 is one of the most important greenhouse gases due to its selective absorption of long wave radiation from the Earth’s surface. In this paper, we use the column average dry air mole fraction of CO 2 (XCO 2 ) data from the Japanese GOSAT satellite to conduct a comprehensive and systematic analysis of temporal and spatial distribution of XCO 2 . This includes: (1) analysis of seasonal change characteristics of XCO 2 data; and (2) comparative analysis of the northern and southern hemispheres carbon dioxide concentration at different latitudes. The results show that (1) from 2010 to 2013, atmospheric XCO 2 significantly increased each year. The southern hemisphere's annual averages of XCO 2 from 2010 to 2012 were 385.2 ppm, 387.3 ppm, and 389.1 ppm, while the average annual values for the northern hemisphere from 2010 to 2012 were 387.8 ppm, 390.0 ppm, and 391.7 ppm. The annual XCO 2 in northern and southern hemispheres exhibited growth rates of 1-2 ppm per year. (2) The results show seasonal change trends: winter months displayed higher XCO 2 . Regarding the global spatial distribution of XCO 2 , the results show that the total XCO 2 in the northern hemisphere is higher than that in the southern hemisphere. (3) The growth of global XCO 2 in 2011 and 2012 was 1.9 ppm/yr and 2.1 ppm/yr. These values are in accordance with the growth rates of 1.9 ppm/yr and 2.2 ppm/yr reported in the World Meteorological Organization's greenhouse gas bulletin.