Long-range correlations in 20 transform infrared, satellite, and modeled CO in the Southern Hemisphere

Abstract

We use Fourier transform infrared ground-based measurements and satellite and model data to assess long-range correlations in tropospheric carbon monoxide. We find that CO columns measured in New Zealand correlate well with those measured in Antarctica, if a transport-related lag is taken into account. The model suggests that this long-range correlation is part of a mode of anomalous CO comprising almost the whole southern extratropics, which is linked to biomass burning in the southern continents. No such mode is modeled for the Northern Hemisphere. The area of long-range correlations maximizes for the southern subtropical Pacific, which is identified as an advantageous location for a hypothetical new measurement station. The satellite data (produced by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument) partially confirm these findings but with generally reduced correlations. In particular, the satellite data suggest no long-range correlation at high latitudes. This is partially explained in terms of retrieval limitations and partially reflects a model deficiency. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.