Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ACP
Articles | Volume 26, issue 6
Articles | Volume 26, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4405-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4405-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 26, issue 6
Research article
 | 
31 Mar 2026
Research article |  | 31 Mar 2026

Temporal variability of NOx emissions from power plants: a comparison of satellite- and inventory-based estimates

Gerrit Kuhlmann, Erik Franciscus Maria Koene, Chloe Natasha Schooling, Paul Ian Palmer, Òscar Collado López, and Marc Guevara

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4405-2026-supplement

Data sets

D1.2 Improved global point source emissions dataset M. Guevara et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17206511

CAMS global emission inventories Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service https://doi.org/10.24381/1d158bec

TROPOMI Level 2 90 Nitrogen Dioxide total column products. Version 02 Copernicus Sentinel-5P (processed by ESA) https://doi.org/10.5270/S5P-9bnp8q8

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present Copernicus Climate Change Service https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present Copernicus Climate Change Service https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

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Short summary
We used satellite measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to estimate top-down nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from power plants in Europe and the United States. Our study shows that these observations can track seasonal and short-term changes in emissions and agree well with bottom-up estimates. This approach offers a promising way to monitor NOx and indirectly carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, supporting anthropogenic emissions monitoring systems.
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