Total Carbon Column Observing Network Philippines: Toward Quantifying Atmospheric Carbon in Southeast Asia

Abstract

TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) is dedicated to the precise measurements of greenhouse gases such as CO₄. TCCON measurements are used extensively for satellite validation, for atmospheric chemistry modeling, and for carbon cycle studies. With the global effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions, TCCON has taken on a vital role in validating past, current, and future satellite missions such as Japan’s Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT & GOSAT-2), National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2 & future OCO-3), and others. However, the lack of reliable validation data for satellite-based greenhouse gas observations in the tropics is a common limitation in global carbon-cycle studies that have a tropical component. The international CO₂ observation network within the tropics in order to reduce uncertainties in regional estimates of CO₂ sources and sinks. A TCCON site in the tropical western Pacific is a logical next step in obtaining additional knowledge that would greatly contribute to the understanding of the Earth’s atmosphere and the carbon cycle. In this study, we present an assessment of a planned site in the Philippines where a new TCCON station, the first in Southeast Asia, will be installed.