Infrared remote sensing of atmospheric composition and air quality: Towards operational applications

Atmospheric remote sensing from satellites is an essential component of the observational strategy deployed to monitor atmospheric pollution and changing composition. During this decade, remote sensors using the thermal infrared (TIR) spectral range have demonstrated their ability to sound the troposphere and provide global distribution for some of the key atmospheric species. This article illustrates three operational applications made possible with the IASI instrument onboard the European satellite MetOp, which opens new perspectives for routine observation of the evolution of atmospheric composition from space.