Geostationary observations of atmospheric ammonia over East Asia: spatio-temporal variations revealed by three years of FY-4B/GIIRS measurements

Abstract. Satellite observations play a crucial role in quantifying ammonia sources by capturing large-scale variations of atmospheric NH3 concentrations. As the world's first geostationary hyperspectral infrared sounder, the Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder (GIIRS) on board China's FengYun-4 satellite series provides a unique opportunity to monitor the diurnal cycle of NH3. Using NH3 retrievals between July 2022 and June 2025, this study investigates the spatio-temporal variability of NH3 columns over East Asia, with a focus on daytime variations (07:00–19:00 local time) in major agricultural regions. Inter-comparison with polar-orbiting IASI and CrIS data shows that GIIRS NH3 retrievals are consistent in capturing the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics. The NH3 peaks occur between March and July, with the timing shifting from north to south, reflecting regional differences primarily driven by agriculture activities. Validation with ground-based FTIR measurements at Hefei in eastern China demonstrates the accuracy of GIIRS NH3, with a correlation coefficient of 0.77 and an RMSE of 9.67 × 1015 molec/cm2, while reproducing daytime variations observed by FTIR. For major agricultural areas, the NH3 columns generally increase from early morning to late afternoon, reaching 1.10–1.56 times morning levels in summer and spring. Compared with GEOS-CF model simulations, the results reveal pronounced discrepancies in spatial distributions over the Sichuan Basin in southwestern China. These findings highlight the valuable capability of FY-4B/GIIRS in identifying and tracking daytime dynamics of NH3 sources over East Asia, offering new insights beyond current low-Earth orbit (LEO) instruments.