At SRON, I am responsible for developing and maintaining the RemoTeC retrieval algorithm and it’s use in various Earth Observation missions such as Sentinel-5, TROPOMI, GOSAT-1/2, CO2M and TANGO, to determine concentrations of greenhouse gases in the Earth atmosphere on global scales.
In particular, I oversee the activities of SRON in the European Space Agency mission Sentinel-5, where we provide the operational algorithm for CO and CH4. I am also involved in developing a CO2 data product combining the retrieval of aerosol information from the multi-angle polarimeter with the retrieval of CO2 from the spectrometer.
Further, I carry out for the operational processing of data from GOSAT-2, measuring concentrations of CO2 and CH4 in the Earth’s atmosphere on continental scales. We provide level 2 data products for several EU run programmes. In the context of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), we provide these products in quasi-near-real time, and we also provide these products yearly for the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Finally I will undertake preparations to exploit measurements from the upcoming mission GOSAT-GW to develop a data product and explore synergies with TANGO.
I obtained my PhD at Leiden Observatory, studying the chemical composition of cloud atmospheres in star forming regions. Through high resolution spectroscopy at infrared wavelengths, using NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) combined with remote sensing from ground based telescopes, I researched the absorption of stellar radiation by simple molecules such as H2O, CO and SO2. I now apply these techniques in the context of atmospheric studies of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, with the aim of improving the Earth’s climate.
