A concept for a gas-filter correlation radiometer to remotely sense the atmospheric carbon dioxide column from space

Concern about the climatic effects of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) has resulted in a growing need, both scientifically and politically, to monitor atmospheric CO₂. The development of a satellite instrument which could measure the global distribution of atmospheric CO₂ would greatly improve our understanding of the global carbon cycle and provide a means of monitoring regional sources and sinks. In this paper, we propose and analyse the potential of a nadir-viewing, satellite-based remote sensing instrument consisting of a Gas-Filter Correlation Radiometer (GFCR) tuned to the 6300 cm^-1 (1.6 μm) region to globally measure the atmospheric CO₂ column.