Articles | Volume 17, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10753-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10753-2017
Research article
 | 
13 Sep 2017
Research article |  | 13 Sep 2017

Estimation of the fossil fuel component in atmospheric CO2 based on radiocarbon measurements at the Beromünster tall tower, Switzerland

Tesfaye A. Berhanu, Sönke Szidat, Dominik Brunner, Ece Satar, Rüdiger Schanda, Peter Nyfeler, Michael Battaglia, Martin Steinbacher, Samuel Hammer, and Markus Leuenberger

Related authors

High-precision atmospheric oxygen measurement comparisons between a newly built CRDS analyzer and existing measurement techniques
Tesfaye A. Berhanu, John Hoffnagle, Chris Rella, David Kimhak, Peter Nyfeler, and Markus Leuenberger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6803–6826, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6803-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6803-2019, 2019
Short summary
Measurements of greenhouse gases at Beromünster tall-tower station in Switzerland
Tesfaye Ayalneh Berhanu, Ece Satar, Rudiger Schanda, Peter Nyfeler, Hanspeter Moret, Dominik Brunner, Brian Oney, and Markus Leuenberger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 2603–2614, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2603-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2603-2016, 2016
Short summary
Continuous CO2/CH4/CO measurements (2012–2014) at Beromünster tall tower station in Switzerland
Ece Satar, Tesfaye A. Berhanu, Dominik Brunner, Stephan Henne, and Markus Leuenberger
Biogeosciences, 13, 2623–2635, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2623-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2623-2016, 2016
Short summary
Isotopic effects of nitrate photochemistry in snow: a field study at Dome C, Antarctica
T. A. Berhanu, J. Savarino, J. Erbland, W. C. Vicars, S. Preunkert, J. F. Martins, and M. S. Johnson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 11243–11256, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11243-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11243-2015, 2015
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Isotopes | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
A seasonal analysis of aerosol NO3 sources and NOx oxidation pathways in the Southern Ocean marine boundary layer
Jessica M. Burger, Emily Joyce, Meredith G. Hastings, Kurt A. M. Spence, and Katye E. Altieri
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 5605–5622, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5605-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5605-2023, 2023
Short summary
Nitrate chemistry in the northeast US – Part 1: Nitrogen isotope seasonality tracks nitrate formation chemistry
Claire Bekker, Wendell W. Walters, Lee T. Murray, and Meredith G. Hastings
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4185–4201, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4185-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4185-2023, 2023
Short summary
Nitrate chemistry in the northeast US – Part 2: Oxygen isotopes reveal differences in particulate and gas-phase formation
Heejeong Kim, Wendell W. Walters, Claire Bekker, Lee T. Murray, and Meredith G. Hastings
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4203–4219, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4203-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4203-2023, 2023
Short summary
Photolytic modification of seasonal nitrate isotope cycles in East Antarctica
Pete D. Akers, Joël Savarino, Nicolas Caillon, Olivier Magand, and Emmanuel Le Meur
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 15637–15657, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15637-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15637-2022, 2022
Short summary
Atmospheric methane isotopes identify inventory knowledge gaps in the Surat Basin, Australia, coal seam gas and agricultural regions
Bryce F. J. Kelly, Xinyi Lu, Stephen J. Harris, Bruno G. Neininger, Jorg M. Hacker, Stefan Schwietzke, Rebecca E. Fisher, James L. France, Euan G. Nisbet, David Lowry, Carina van der Veen, Malika Menoud, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 15527–15558, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15527-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15527-2022, 2022
Short summary

Cited articles

Ballantyne, A. P., Andres, R., Houghton, R., Stocker, B. D., Wanninkhof, R., Anderegg, W., Cooper, L. A., DeGrandpre, M., Tans, P. P., Miller, J. B., Alden, C., and White, J. W. C.: Audit of the global carbon budget: estimate errors and their impact on uptake uncertainty, Biogeosciences, 12, 2565–2584, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2565-2015, 2015.
Basu, S., Miller, J. B., and Lehman, S.: Separation of biospheric and fossil fuel fluxes of CO2 by atmospheric inversion of CO2 and 14CO2 measurements: Observation System Simulations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 5665–5683, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5665-2016, 2016.
Berhanu, T. A., Satar, E., Schanda, R., Nyfeler, P., Moret, H., Brunner, D., Oney, B., and Leuenberger, M.: Measurements of greenhouse gases at Beromünster tall-tower station in Switzerland, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 2603–2614, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2603-2016, 2016.
Ciais, P., Paris, J. D., Marland, G., Peylin, P., Piao, S. L., Levin, I., Pregger, T., Scholz, Y., Friedrich, R., Rivier, L., Houwelling, S., Schulze, E. D., and Team, C. S.: The European carbon balance. Part 1: fossil fuel emissions, Glob. Change Biol., 16, 1395–1408, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02098.x, 2010.
Currie, L. A.: The remarkable metrological history of radiocarbon dating [II], J. Res. Natl. Inst. Stan., 109, 185–217, https://doi.org/10.6028/jres.109.013, 2004.
Download
Short summary
Fossil fuel CO2 is the major contributor of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere, and accurate quantification is essential to better understand the carbon cycle. Such accurate quantification can be conducted based on radiocarbon measurements. In this study, we present radiocarbon measurements from a tall tower site in Switzerland. From these measurements, we have observed seasonally varying fossil fuel CO2 contributions and a biospheric CO2 component that varies diurnally and seasonally.
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint