Articles | Volume 21, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17907-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17907-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
07 Dec 2021
Research article |
| 07 Dec 2021
Limitations of the radon tracer method (RTM) to estimate regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – a case study for methane in Heidelberg
Ingeborg Levin
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institut für Umweltphysik, Heidelberg University, INF 229, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
Ute Karstens
ICOS ERIC Carbon Portal, Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science,
Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 22362 Lund, Sweden
Samuel Hammer
Institut für Umweltphysik, Heidelberg University, INF 229, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
ICOS Central Radiocarbon Laboratory, Heidelberg University, Berliner
Straße 53, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Julian DellaColetta
Institut für Umweltphysik, Heidelberg University, INF 229, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
ICOS Central Radiocarbon Laboratory, Heidelberg University, Berliner
Straße 53, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Fabian Maier
Institut für Umweltphysik, Heidelberg University, INF 229, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
ICOS Central Radiocarbon Laboratory, Heidelberg University, Berliner
Straße 53, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Maksym Gachkivskyi
Institut für Umweltphysik, Heidelberg University, INF 229, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
ICOS Central Radiocarbon Laboratory, Heidelberg University, Berliner
Straße 53, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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The carbon dioxide content of the Earth atmosphere is increasing due to human emissions from burning of fossil fuels, causing global climate change. The strength of the fossil-fuel emissions is estimated by inventories based on energy data, but independent validation of these inventories has been recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Here we investigate the potential to validate inventories based on measurements of small changes in the atmospheric oxygen content.
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We investigate the usage of discrete radiocarbon (14C)-based fossil fuel carbon dioxide (ffCO2) concentration estimates versus continuous carbon monoxide (CO)-based ffCO2 estimates to evaluate the seasonal cycle of the ffCO2 emissions in an urban region with an inverse modelling framework. We find that the CO-based ffCO2 estimates allow to reconstruct robust seasonal cycles, which show the distinct Covid-19 drawdown in 2020 and can be used to validate emission inventories.
Fabian Manuel Maier, Ingeborg Levin, Sébastien Conil, Maksym Gachkivskyi, Hugo Denier van der Gon, and Samuel Hammer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1237, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1237, 2023
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We assess the uncertainty of continuous fossil fuel carbon dioxide (ffCO2) estimates derived from carbon monoxide (CO) observations and radiocarbon (14CO2) flask measurements from an urban and a rural site. This study provides the basis for using continuous CO-based ffCO2 observations in atmospheric transport inversion frameworks to derive ffCO2 emissions estimates. We also compare the flask-based CO / ffCO2 ratios with modelled ratios to validate an emission inventory for Central Europe.
Douglas E. J. Worthy, Michele K. Rauh, Lin Huang, Felix R. Vogel, Alina Chivulescu, Kenneth A. Masarie, Ray L. Langenfelds, Paul B. Krummel, Colin E. Allison, Andrew M. Crotwell, Monica Madronich, Gabrielle Pétron, Ingeborg Levin, Samuel Hammer, Sylvia Michel, Michel Ramonet, Martina Schmidt, Armin Jordan, Heiko Moossen, Michael Rothe, Ralph Keeling, and Eric J. Morgan
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2023-99, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2023-99, 2023
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Network compatibility is important for inferring greenhouse gas fluxes at global or regional scales. This study is the first assessment of the measurement agreement among seven individual programs within the World Meteorological Organization community. It compares co-located flask air measurements at the Alert observatory in Canada over a 17-year period. The results provide stronger confidence in the uncertainty estimation while using those datasets in various data interpretation applications.
Fabian Maier, Christoph Gerbig, Ingeborg Levin, Ingrid Super, Julia Marshall, and Samuel Hammer
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 5391–5406, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5391-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5391-2022, 2022
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We show that the default representation of point source emissions in WRF–STILT leads to large overestimations when modelling fossil fuel CO2 concentrations for a 30 m high observation site during stable atmospheric conditions. We therefore introduce a novel point source modelling approach in WRF-STILT that takes into account their effective emission heights and results in a much better agreement with observations.
Ingeborg Levin, Ute Karstens, Markus Eritt, Fabian Maier, Sabrina Arnold, Daniel Rzesanke, Samuel Hammer, Michel Ramonet, Gabriela Vítková, Sebastien Conil, Michal Heliasz, Dagmar Kubistin, and Matthias Lindauer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 11161–11180, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11161-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11161-2020, 2020
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Based on observations and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) footprint modelling, a sampling strategy has been developed for tall tower stations of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) research infrastructure atmospheric station network. This strategy allows independent quality control of in situ measurements, provides representative coverage of the influence area of the sites, and is capable of automated targeted sampling of fossil fuel CO2 emission hotspots.
Claudia Grossi, Scott D. Chambers, Olivier Llido, Felix R. Vogel, Victor Kazan, Alessandro Capuana, Sylvester Werczynski, Roger Curcoll, Marc Delmotte, Arturo Vargas, Josep-Anton Morguí, Ingeborg Levin, and Michel Ramonet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2241–2255, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2241-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2241-2020, 2020
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The sustainable support of radon metrology at the environmental level offers new scientific possibilities for the quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the determination of their source terms as well as for the identification of radioactive sources for the assessment of radiation exposure. This study helps to harmonize the techniques commonly used for atmospheric radon and radon progeny activity concentration measurements.
Matthias Kuderer, Samuel Hammer, and Ingeborg Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7951–7959, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7951-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7951-2018, 2018
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Atmospheric 14CO2 measurements allow for estimating the regional fossil fuel CO2 component. However, results potentially need to be corrected for 14CO2 contamination from near-by nuclear facilities (NF). Our dispersion estimates of corresponding contaminations for Heidelberg, based on differently resolved wind fields, show differences of up to a factor of 2. Estimates from highly resolved models coupled with temporally resolved 14CO2 emissions from NFs are required for more accurate results.
Taku Umezawa, Carl A. M. Brenninkmeijer, Thomas Röckmann, Carina van der Veen, Stanley C. Tyler, Ryo Fujita, Shinji Morimoto, Shuji Aoki, Todd Sowers, Jochen Schmitt, Michael Bock, Jonas Beck, Hubertus Fischer, Sylvia E. Michel, Bruce H. Vaughn, John B. Miller, James W. C. White, Gordon Brailsford, Hinrich Schaefer, Peter Sperlich, Willi A. Brand, Michael Rothe, Thomas Blunier, David Lowry, Rebecca E. Fisher, Euan G. Nisbet, Andrew L. Rice, Peter Bergamaschi, Cordelia Veidt, and Ingeborg Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1207–1231, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018, 2018
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Isotope measurements are useful for separating different methane sources. However, the lack of widely accepted standards and calibration methods for stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratios of methane in air has caused significant measurement offsets among laboratories. We conducted worldwide interlaboratory comparisons, surveyed the literature and assessed them systematically. This study may be of help in future attempts to harmonize data sets of isotopic composition of atmospheric methane.
Peter Bergamaschi, Ute Karstens, Alistair J. Manning, Marielle Saunois, Aki Tsuruta, Antoine Berchet, Alexander T. Vermeulen, Tim Arnold, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Samuel Hammer, Ingeborg Levin, Martina Schmidt, Michel Ramonet, Morgan Lopez, Jost Lavric, Tuula Aalto, Huilin Chen, Dietrich G. Feist, Christoph Gerbig, László Haszpra, Ove Hermansen, Giovanni Manca, John Moncrieff, Frank Meinhardt, Jaroslaw Necki, Michal Galkowski, Simon O'Doherty, Nina Paramonova, Hubertus A. Scheeren, Martin Steinbacher, and Ed Dlugokencky
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 901–920, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-901-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-901-2018, 2018
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European methane (CH4) emissions are estimated for 2006–2012 using atmospheric in situ measurements from 18 European monitoring stations and 7 different inverse models. Our analysis highlights the potential significant contribution of natural emissions from wetlands (including peatlands and wet soils) to the total European emissions. The top-down estimates of total EU-28 CH4 emissions are broadly consistent with the sum of reported anthropogenic CH4 emissions and the estimated natural emissions.
Heather Graven, Colin E. Allison, David M. Etheridge, Samuel Hammer, Ralph F. Keeling, Ingeborg Levin, Harro A. J. Meijer, Mauro Rubino, Pieter P. Tans, Cathy M. Trudinger, Bruce H. Vaughn, and James W. C. White
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James C. Orr, Raymond G. Najjar, Olivier Aumont, Laurent Bopp, John L. Bullister, Gokhan Danabasoglu, Scott C. Doney, John P. Dunne, Jean-Claude Dutay, Heather Graven, Stephen M. Griffies, Jasmin G. John, Fortunat Joos, Ingeborg Levin, Keith Lindsay, Richard J. Matear, Galen A. McKinley, Anne Mouchet, Andreas Oschlies, Anastasia Romanou, Reiner Schlitzer, Alessandro Tagliabue, Toste Tanhua, and Andrew Yool
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 2169–2199, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2169-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2169-2017, 2017
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The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP) is a model comparison effort under Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). Its physical component is described elsewhere in this special issue. Here we describe its ocean biogeochemical component (OMIP-BGC), detailing simulation protocols and analysis diagnostics. Simulations focus on ocean carbon, other biogeochemical tracers, air-sea exchange of CO2 and related gases, and chemical tracers used to evaluate modeled circulation.
Markella Prokopiou, Patricia Martinerie, Célia J. Sapart, Emmanuel Witrant, Guillaume Monteil, Kentaro Ishijima, Sophie Bernard, Jan Kaiser, Ingeborg Levin, Thomas Blunier, David Etheridge, Ed Dlugokencky, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4539–4564, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4539-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4539-2017, 2017
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Nitrous oxide is the third most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas with an increasing mole fraction. To understand its natural and anthropogenic sources
we employ isotope measurements. Results show that while the N2O mole fraction increases, its heavy isotope content decreases. The isotopic changes observed underline the dominance of agricultural emissions especially at the early part of the record, whereas in the later decades the contribution from other anthropogenic sources increases.
Dominik Schmithüsen, Scott Chambers, Bernd Fischer, Stefan Gilge, Juha Hatakka, Victor Kazan, Rolf Neubert, Jussi Paatero, Michel Ramonet, Clemens Schlosser, Sabine Schmid, Alex Vermeulen, and Ingeborg Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1299–1312, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1299-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1299-2017, 2017
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A European-wide 222radon/222radon progeny comparison study has been conducted at nine measurement stations in order to determine differences between existing 222radon instrumentation and atmospheric data sets, respectively. Mean differences up to 45 % were found between monitors. These differences need to be taken into account if the data shall serve for quantitative regional atmospheric transport model validation.
Ingeborg Levin, Dominik Schmithüsen, and Alex Vermeulen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1313–1321, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1313-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1313-2017, 2017
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222Radon is often used to parameterise atmospheric transport in the lower troposphere. It can be measured via its decay products, which are bound to aerosol. Air sampling through long tubing, which sometimes cannot be avoided at tall tower sites, may then cause severe aerosol and corresponding radon daughter activity loss. We have quantified this loss for 8.2 mm ID Decabon tubing used at European stations and provide a length-dependent correction function for this experimental setting.
E. N. Koffi, P. Bergamaschi, U. Karstens, M. Krol, A. Segers, M. Schmidt, I. Levin, A. T. Vermeulen, R. E. Fisher, V. Kazan, H. Klein Baltink, D. Lowry, G. Manca, H. A. J. Meijer, J. Moncrieff, S. Pal, M. Ramonet, H. A. Scheeren, and A. G. Williams
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 3137–3160, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3137-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3137-2016, 2016
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We evaluate the capability of the TM5 model to reproduce observations of the boundary layer dynamics and the associated variability of trace gases close to the surface, using 222Rn. Focusing on the European scale, we compare the TM5 boundary layer heights with observations from radiosondes, lidar, and ceilometer. Furthermore, we compare TM5 simulations of 222Rn activity concentrations, using a novel, process-based 222Rn flux map over Europe, with 222Rn harmonized measurements from 10 stations.
Sanam Noreen Vardag, Samuel Hammer, and Ingeborg Levin
Biogeosciences, 13, 4237–4251, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4237-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4237-2016, 2016
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Using a synthetic dataset, we show how to best determine the mean source signature, δS, at high temporal resolution using continuous CO2 and δ13C(CO2) data. We apply this method to measured data from Heidelberg and find a distinct seasonal cycle of δS. Disentangling this record into its source components requires the isotopic end members of CO2 from the biosphere and those from the fuel mix. They can be estimated from the δS record, but only when their relative share is close to 100 %.
A. Laeng, J. Plieninger, T. von Clarmann, U. Grabowski, G. Stiller, E. Eckert, N. Glatthor, F. Haenel, S. Kellmann, M. Kiefer, A. Linden, S. Lossow, L. Deaver, A. Engel, M. Hervig, I. Levin, M. McHugh, S. Noël, G. Toon, and K. Walker
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 5251–5261, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-5251-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-5251-2015, 2015
U. Karstens, C. Schwingshackl, D. Schmithüsen, and I. Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 12845–12865, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12845-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12845-2015, 2015
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Detailed 222Rn flux maps are a prerequisite for the use of radon in atmospheric transport studies. We present a high-resolution 222Rn flux map for Europe, based on a parameterization of 222Rn production and transport in the soil. Spatial variations in 222Rn exhalation rates are determined by soil uranium content, water table depth and soil texture. Temporal variations are related to soil moisture variations as the diffusion in the soil depends on available air-filled pore space.
S. N. Vardag, C. Gerbig, G. Janssens-Maenhout, and I. Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 12705–12729, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12705-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12705-2015, 2015
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In this model sensitivity study we compare and evaluate the surrogate tracers CO2, CO, δ13C-CO2 and Δ14C-CO2 for estimating continuous anthropogenic CO2. The results can be used to optimize the measurement network design with respect to the partitioning of total CO2 into biospheric and anthropogenic CO2 contributions. This enables improvement and validation of highly resolved emission inventories using atmospheric observation and regional modeling.
S. N. Vardag, S. Hammer, M. Sabasch, D. W. T. Griffith, and I. Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 579–592, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-579-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-579-2015, 2015
C. Elsässer, D. Wagenbach, I. Levin, A. Stanzick, M. Christl, A. Wallner, S. Kipfstuhl, I. K. Seierstad, H. Wershofen, and J. Dibb
Clim. Past, 11, 115–133, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-115-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-115-2015, 2015
S. N. Vardag, S. Hammer, S. O'Doherty, T. G. Spain, B. Wastine, A. Jordan, and I. Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 8403–8418, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8403-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8403-2014, 2014
R. Weller, I. Levin, D. Schmithüsen, M. Nachbar, J. Asseng, and D. Wagenbach
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3843–3853, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3843-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3843-2014, 2014
B. D. Hall, A. Engel, J. Mühle, J. W. Elkins, F. Artuso, E. Atlas, M. Aydin, D. Blake, E.-G. Brunke, S. Chiavarini, P. J. Fraser, J. Happell, P. B. Krummel, I. Levin, M. Loewenstein, M. Maione, S. A. Montzka, S. O'Doherty, S. Reimann, G. Rhoderick, E. S. Saltzman, H. E. Scheel, L. P. Steele, M. K. Vollmer, R. F. Weiss, D. Worthy, and Y. Yokouchi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 469–490, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-469-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-469-2014, 2014
V. V. Petrenko, P. Martinerie, P. Novelli, D. M. Etheridge, I. Levin, Z. Wang, T. Blunier, J. Chappellaz, J. Kaiser, P. Lang, L. P. Steele, S. Hammer, J. Mak, R. L. Langenfelds, J. Schwander, J. P. Severinghaus, E. Witrant, G. Petron, M. O. Battle, G. Forster, W. T. Sturges, J.-F. Lamarque, K. Steffen, and J. W. C. White
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 7567–7585, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7567-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7567-2013, 2013
S. Hammer, G. Konrad, A. T. Vermeulen, O. Laurent, M. Delmotte, A. Jordan, L. Hazan, S. Conil, and I. Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 1201–1216, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1201-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1201-2013, 2013
Christian Rödenbeck, Karina E. Adcock, Markus Eritt, Maksym Gachkivsky, Christoph Gerbig, Samuel Hammer, Armin Jordan, Ralph F. Keeling, Ingeborg Levin, Fabian Maier, Andrew C. Manning, Heiko Moossen, Saqr Munassar, Penelope A. Pickers, Michael Rothe, Yasunori Tohjima, and Sönke Zaehle
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-767, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-767, 2023
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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The carbon dioxide content of the Earth atmosphere is increasing due to human emissions from burning of fossil fuels, causing global climate change. The strength of the fossil-fuel emissions is estimated by inventories based on energy data, but independent validation of these inventories has been recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Here we investigate the potential to validate inventories based on measurements of small changes in the atmospheric oxygen content.
Alessandro Zanchetta, Linda M. J. Kooijmans, Steven van Heuven, Andrea Scifo, Hubertus A. Scheeren, Ivan Mammarella, Ute Karstens, Jin Ma, Maarten Krol, and Huilin Chen
Biogeosciences, 20, 3539–3553, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3539-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3539-2023, 2023
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Carbonyl sulfide (COS) has been suggested as a tool to estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake by plants during photosynthesis. However, understanding its sources and sinks is critical to preventing biases in this estimate. Combining observations and models, this study proves that regional sources occasionally influence the measurements at the 60 m tall Lutjewad tower (1 m a.s.l.; 53°24′ N, 6°21′ E) in the Netherlands. Moreover, it estimates nighttime COS fluxes to be −3.0 ± 2.6 pmol m−2 s−1.
Fabian Manuel Maier, Christian Rödenbeck, Ingeborg Levin, Christoph Gerbig, Maksym Gachkivskyi, and Samuel Hammer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1239, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1239, 2023
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We investigate the usage of discrete radiocarbon (14C)-based fossil fuel carbon dioxide (ffCO2) concentration estimates versus continuous carbon monoxide (CO)-based ffCO2 estimates to evaluate the seasonal cycle of the ffCO2 emissions in an urban region with an inverse modelling framework. We find that the CO-based ffCO2 estimates allow to reconstruct robust seasonal cycles, which show the distinct Covid-19 drawdown in 2020 and can be used to validate emission inventories.
Zhendong Wu, Alex Vermeulen, Yousuke Sawa, Ute Karstens, Wouter Peters, Remco de Kok, Xin Lan, Yasuyuki Nagai, Akinori Ogi, and Oksana Tarasova
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1173, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1173, 2023
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This study focuses on exploring the differences in calculating global surface CO2 and its growth rate, considering the impact of analysis methodologies and site selection. Our study reveals that the current global CO2 network has a good capacity to represent global surface CO2 and its growth rate and trends in atmospheric CO2 mass changes, although small differences exist in different analyses due to the impact of methodology and site selection.
Fabian Manuel Maier, Ingeborg Levin, Sébastien Conil, Maksym Gachkivskyi, Hugo Denier van der Gon, and Samuel Hammer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1237, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1237, 2023
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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We assess the uncertainty of continuous fossil fuel carbon dioxide (ffCO2) estimates derived from carbon monoxide (CO) observations and radiocarbon (14CO2) flask measurements from an urban and a rural site. This study provides the basis for using continuous CO-based ffCO2 observations in atmospheric transport inversion frameworks to derive ffCO2 emissions estimates. We also compare the flask-based CO / ffCO2 ratios with modelled ratios to validate an emission inventory for Central Europe.
Douglas E. J. Worthy, Michele K. Rauh, Lin Huang, Felix R. Vogel, Alina Chivulescu, Kenneth A. Masarie, Ray L. Langenfelds, Paul B. Krummel, Colin E. Allison, Andrew M. Crotwell, Monica Madronich, Gabrielle Pétron, Ingeborg Levin, Samuel Hammer, Sylvia Michel, Michel Ramonet, Martina Schmidt, Armin Jordan, Heiko Moossen, Michael Rothe, Ralph Keeling, and Eric J. Morgan
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2023-99, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2023-99, 2023
Revised manuscript under review for AMT
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Network compatibility is important for inferring greenhouse gas fluxes at global or regional scales. This study is the first assessment of the measurement agreement among seven individual programs within the World Meteorological Organization community. It compares co-located flask air measurements at the Alert observatory in Canada over a 17-year period. The results provide stronger confidence in the uncertainty estimation while using those datasets in various data interpretation applications.
Michael Steiner, Wouter Peters, Ingrid Luijkx, Stephan Henne, Huilin Chen, Samuel Hammer, and Dominik Brunner
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-853, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-853, 2023
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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The Paris Agreement increased the interest in estimating GHG emissions of individual countries, but top-down emission estimation is not yet considered policy-relevant. It is therefore paramount to reduce the large errors and to build systems that are based on the newest atmospheric transport models (e.g., ICON-ART). In this study, we present the first application of ICON-ART in inverse modelling of GHG fluxes with an Ensemble Kalman Filter and present our results for European CH4 emissions.
Ida Storm, Ute Karstens, Claudio D'Onofrio, Alex Vermeulen, and Wouter Peters
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4993–5008, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4993-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4993-2023, 2023
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In this study, we evaluate what is in the influence regions of the ICOS atmospheric measurement stations to gain insight into what land cover types and land-cover-associated fluxes the network represents. Subsequently, insights about strengths, weaknesses, and potential gaps can assist in future network expansion decisions. The network is concentrated in central Europe, which leads to a general overrepresentation of coniferous forest and cropland and underrepresentation of grass and shrubland.
Saqr Munassar, Guillaume Monteil, Marko Scholze, Ute Karstens, Christian Rödenbeck, Frank-Thomas Koch, Kai U. Totsche, and Christoph Gerbig
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2813–2828, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2813-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2813-2023, 2023
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Using different transport models results in large errors in optimized fluxes in the atmospheric inversions. Boundary conditions and inversion system configurations lead to a smaller but non-negligible impact. The findings highlight the importance to validate transport models for further developments but also to properly account for such errors in inverse modelling. This will help narrow the convergence of gas estimates reported in the scientific literature from different inversion frameworks.
Auke M. van der Woude, Remco de Kok, Naomi Smith, Ingrid T. Luijkx, Santiago Botía, Ute Karstens, Linda M. J. Kooijmans, Gerbrand Koren, Harro A. J. Meijer, Gert-Jan Steeneveld, Ida Storm, Ingrid Super, Hubertus A. Scheeren, Alex Vermeulen, and Wouter Peters
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 579–605, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-579-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-579-2023, 2023
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To monitor the progress towards the CO2 emission goals set out in the Paris Agreement, the European Union requires an independent validation of emitted CO2. For this validation, atmospheric measurements of CO2 can be used, together with first-guess estimates of CO2 emissions and uptake. To quickly inform end users, it is imperative that this happens in near real-time. To aid these efforts, we create estimates of European CO2 exchange at high resolution in near real time.
Simone M. Pieber, Béla Tuzson, Stephan Henne, Ute Karstens, Christoph Gerbig, Frank-Thomas Koch, Dominik Brunner, Martin Steinbacher, and Lukas Emmenegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10721–10749, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10721-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10721-2022, 2022
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Understanding regional greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere is a prerequisite to mitigate climate change. In this study, we investigated the regional contributions of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the location of the high Alpine observatory Jungfraujoch (JFJ, Switzerland, 3580 m a.s.l.). To this purpose, we combined receptor-oriented atmospheric transport simulations for CO2 concentration in the period 2009–2017 with stable carbon isotope (δ13C–CO2) information.
Fabian Maier, Christoph Gerbig, Ingeborg Levin, Ingrid Super, Julia Marshall, and Samuel Hammer
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 5391–5406, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5391-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5391-2022, 2022
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We show that the default representation of point source emissions in WRF–STILT leads to large overestimations when modelling fossil fuel CO2 concentrations for a 30 m high observation site during stable atmospheric conditions. We therefore introduce a novel point source modelling approach in WRF-STILT that takes into account their effective emission heights and results in a much better agreement with observations.
Stefan Röttger, Annette Röttger, Claudia Grossi, Arturo Vargas, Ute Karstens, Giorgia Cinelli, Edward Chung, Dafina Kikaj, Chris Rennick, Florian Mertes, and Ileana Radulescu
Adv. Geosci., 57, 37–47, https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-57-37-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-57-37-2022, 2022
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Radon gas is the largest source of public exposure to naturally occurring radioactivity. Radon can also be used, as a tracer to improve indirectly the estimates of greenhouse gases important for supporting successful GHG mitigation strategies.
Both climate and radiation protection research communities need improved traceable low-level atmospheric radon measurements. The EMPIR project 19ENV01 traceRadon started to provide the necessary measurement infrastructure and transfer standards.
Antoine Berchet, Espen Sollum, Rona L. Thompson, Isabelle Pison, Joël Thanwerdas, Grégoire Broquet, Frédéric Chevallier, Tuula Aalto, Adrien Berchet, Peter Bergamaschi, Dominik Brunner, Richard Engelen, Audrey Fortems-Cheiney, Christoph Gerbig, Christine D. Groot Zwaaftink, Jean-Matthieu Haussaire, Stephan Henne, Sander Houweling, Ute Karstens, Werner L. Kutsch, Ingrid T. Luijkx, Guillaume Monteil, Paul I. Palmer, Jacob C. A. van Peet, Wouter Peters, Philippe Peylin, Elise Potier, Christian Rödenbeck, Marielle Saunois, Marko Scholze, Aki Tsuruta, and Yuanhong Zhao
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 5331–5354, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5331-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5331-2021, 2021
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We present here the Community Inversion Framework (CIF) to help rationalize development efforts and leverage the strengths of individual inversion systems into a comprehensive framework. The CIF is a programming protocol to allow various inversion bricks to be exchanged among researchers.
The ensemble of bricks makes a flexible, transparent and open-source Python-based tool. We describe the main structure and functionalities and demonstrate it in a simple academic case.
Ana Maria Roxana Petrescu, Matthew J. McGrath, Robbie M. Andrew, Philippe Peylin, Glen P. Peters, Philippe Ciais, Gregoire Broquet, Francesco N. Tubiello, Christoph Gerbig, Julia Pongratz, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Giacomo Grassi, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Pierre Regnier, Ronny Lauerwald, Matthias Kuhnert, Juraj Balkovič, Mart-Jan Schelhaas, Hugo A. C. Denier van der
Gon, Efisio Solazzo, Chunjing Qiu, Roberto Pilli, Igor B. Konovalov, Richard A. Houghton, Dirk Günther, Lucia Perugini, Monica Crippa, Raphael Ganzenmüller, Ingrid T. Luijkx, Pete Smith, Saqr Munassar, Rona L. Thompson, Giulia Conchedda, Guillaume Monteil, Marko Scholze, Ute Karstens, Patrick Brockmann, and Albertus Johannes Dolman
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2363–2406, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2363-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2363-2021, 2021
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This study is topical and provides a state-of-the-art scientific overview of data availability from bottom-up and top-down CO2 fossil emissions and CO2 land fluxes in the EU27+UK. The data integrate recent emission inventories with ecosystem data, land carbon models and regional/global inversions for the European domain, aiming at reconciling CO2 estimates with official country-level UNFCCC national GHG inventories in support to policy and facilitating real-time verification procedures.
Guillaume Monteil, Grégoire Broquet, Marko Scholze, Matthew Lang, Ute Karstens, Christoph Gerbig, Frank-Thomas Koch, Naomi E. Smith, Rona L. Thompson, Ingrid T. Luijkx, Emily White, Antoon Meesters, Philippe Ciais, Anita L. Ganesan, Alistair Manning, Michael Mischurow, Wouter Peters, Philippe Peylin, Jerôme Tarniewicz, Matt Rigby, Christian Rödenbeck, Alex Vermeulen, and Evie M. Walton
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12063–12091, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12063-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12063-2020, 2020
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The paper presents the first results from the EUROCOM project, a regional atmospheric inversion intercomparison exercise involving six European research groups. It aims to produce an estimate of the net carbon flux between the European terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere for the period 2006–2015, based on constraints provided by observed CO2 concentrations and using inverse modelling techniques. The use of six different models enables us to investigate the robustness of the results.
Ingeborg Levin, Ute Karstens, Markus Eritt, Fabian Maier, Sabrina Arnold, Daniel Rzesanke, Samuel Hammer, Michel Ramonet, Gabriela Vítková, Sebastien Conil, Michal Heliasz, Dagmar Kubistin, and Matthias Lindauer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 11161–11180, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11161-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11161-2020, 2020
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Based on observations and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) footprint modelling, a sampling strategy has been developed for tall tower stations of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) research infrastructure atmospheric station network. This strategy allows independent quality control of in situ measurements, provides representative coverage of the influence area of the sites, and is capable of automated targeted sampling of fossil fuel CO2 emission hotspots.
Claudia Grossi, Scott D. Chambers, Olivier Llido, Felix R. Vogel, Victor Kazan, Alessandro Capuana, Sylvester Werczynski, Roger Curcoll, Marc Delmotte, Arturo Vargas, Josep-Anton Morguí, Ingeborg Levin, and Michel Ramonet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2241–2255, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2241-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2241-2020, 2020
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The sustainable support of radon metrology at the environmental level offers new scientific possibilities for the quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the determination of their source terms as well as for the identification of radioactive sources for the assessment of radiation exposure. This study helps to harmonize the techniques commonly used for atmospheric radon and radon progeny activity concentration measurements.
Matthias Kuderer, Samuel Hammer, and Ingeborg Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7951–7959, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7951-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7951-2018, 2018
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Atmospheric 14CO2 measurements allow for estimating the regional fossil fuel CO2 component. However, results potentially need to be corrected for 14CO2 contamination from near-by nuclear facilities (NF). Our dispersion estimates of corresponding contaminations for Heidelberg, based on differently resolved wind fields, show differences of up to a factor of 2. Estimates from highly resolved models coupled with temporally resolved 14CO2 emissions from NFs are required for more accurate results.
Panagiotis Kountouris, Christoph Gerbig, Christian Rödenbeck, Ute Karstens, Thomas Frank Koch, and Martin Heimann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 3027–3045, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3027-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3027-2018, 2018
Panagiotis Kountouris, Christoph Gerbig, Christian Rödenbeck, Ute Karstens, Thomas F. Koch, and Martin Heimann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 3047–3064, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3047-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3047-2018, 2018
Taku Umezawa, Carl A. M. Brenninkmeijer, Thomas Röckmann, Carina van der Veen, Stanley C. Tyler, Ryo Fujita, Shinji Morimoto, Shuji Aoki, Todd Sowers, Jochen Schmitt, Michael Bock, Jonas Beck, Hubertus Fischer, Sylvia E. Michel, Bruce H. Vaughn, John B. Miller, James W. C. White, Gordon Brailsford, Hinrich Schaefer, Peter Sperlich, Willi A. Brand, Michael Rothe, Thomas Blunier, David Lowry, Rebecca E. Fisher, Euan G. Nisbet, Andrew L. Rice, Peter Bergamaschi, Cordelia Veidt, and Ingeborg Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1207–1231, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018, 2018
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Isotope measurements are useful for separating different methane sources. However, the lack of widely accepted standards and calibration methods for stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratios of methane in air has caused significant measurement offsets among laboratories. We conducted worldwide interlaboratory comparisons, surveyed the literature and assessed them systematically. This study may be of help in future attempts to harmonize data sets of isotopic composition of atmospheric methane.
Peter Bergamaschi, Ute Karstens, Alistair J. Manning, Marielle Saunois, Aki Tsuruta, Antoine Berchet, Alexander T. Vermeulen, Tim Arnold, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Samuel Hammer, Ingeborg Levin, Martina Schmidt, Michel Ramonet, Morgan Lopez, Jost Lavric, Tuula Aalto, Huilin Chen, Dietrich G. Feist, Christoph Gerbig, László Haszpra, Ove Hermansen, Giovanni Manca, John Moncrieff, Frank Meinhardt, Jaroslaw Necki, Michal Galkowski, Simon O'Doherty, Nina Paramonova, Hubertus A. Scheeren, Martin Steinbacher, and Ed Dlugokencky
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 901–920, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-901-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-901-2018, 2018
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European methane (CH4) emissions are estimated for 2006–2012 using atmospheric in situ measurements from 18 European monitoring stations and 7 different inverse models. Our analysis highlights the potential significant contribution of natural emissions from wetlands (including peatlands and wet soils) to the total European emissions. The top-down estimates of total EU-28 CH4 emissions are broadly consistent with the sum of reported anthropogenic CH4 emissions and the estimated natural emissions.
Heather Graven, Colin E. Allison, David M. Etheridge, Samuel Hammer, Ralph F. Keeling, Ingeborg Levin, Harro A. J. Meijer, Mauro Rubino, Pieter P. Tans, Cathy M. Trudinger, Bruce H. Vaughn, and James W. C. White
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 4405–4417, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-4405-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-4405-2017, 2017
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Modelling of carbon isotopes 13C and 14C in land and ocean components of Earth system models provides opportunities for new insights and improved understanding of global carbon cycling, and for model evaluation. We compiled existing historical datasets to define the annual mean carbon isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 for 1850–2015 that can be used in CMIP6 and other modelling activities.
James C. Orr, Raymond G. Najjar, Olivier Aumont, Laurent Bopp, John L. Bullister, Gokhan Danabasoglu, Scott C. Doney, John P. Dunne, Jean-Claude Dutay, Heather Graven, Stephen M. Griffies, Jasmin G. John, Fortunat Joos, Ingeborg Levin, Keith Lindsay, Richard J. Matear, Galen A. McKinley, Anne Mouchet, Andreas Oschlies, Anastasia Romanou, Reiner Schlitzer, Alessandro Tagliabue, Toste Tanhua, and Andrew Yool
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 2169–2199, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2169-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2169-2017, 2017
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The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP) is a model comparison effort under Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). Its physical component is described elsewhere in this special issue. Here we describe its ocean biogeochemical component (OMIP-BGC), detailing simulation protocols and analysis diagnostics. Simulations focus on ocean carbon, other biogeochemical tracers, air-sea exchange of CO2 and related gases, and chemical tracers used to evaluate modeled circulation.
Markella Prokopiou, Patricia Martinerie, Célia J. Sapart, Emmanuel Witrant, Guillaume Monteil, Kentaro Ishijima, Sophie Bernard, Jan Kaiser, Ingeborg Levin, Thomas Blunier, David Etheridge, Ed Dlugokencky, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4539–4564, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4539-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4539-2017, 2017
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Nitrous oxide is the third most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas with an increasing mole fraction. To understand its natural and anthropogenic sources
we employ isotope measurements. Results show that while the N2O mole fraction increases, its heavy isotope content decreases. The isotopic changes observed underline the dominance of agricultural emissions especially at the early part of the record, whereas in the later decades the contribution from other anthropogenic sources increases.
Dominik Schmithüsen, Scott Chambers, Bernd Fischer, Stefan Gilge, Juha Hatakka, Victor Kazan, Rolf Neubert, Jussi Paatero, Michel Ramonet, Clemens Schlosser, Sabine Schmid, Alex Vermeulen, and Ingeborg Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1299–1312, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1299-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1299-2017, 2017
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A European-wide 222radon/222radon progeny comparison study has been conducted at nine measurement stations in order to determine differences between existing 222radon instrumentation and atmospheric data sets, respectively. Mean differences up to 45 % were found between monitors. These differences need to be taken into account if the data shall serve for quantitative regional atmospheric transport model validation.
Ingeborg Levin, Dominik Schmithüsen, and Alex Vermeulen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1313–1321, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1313-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1313-2017, 2017
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222Radon is often used to parameterise atmospheric transport in the lower troposphere. It can be measured via its decay products, which are bound to aerosol. Air sampling through long tubing, which sometimes cannot be avoided at tall tower sites, may then cause severe aerosol and corresponding radon daughter activity loss. We have quantified this loss for 8.2 mm ID Decabon tubing used at European stations and provide a length-dependent correction function for this experimental setting.
E. N. Koffi, P. Bergamaschi, U. Karstens, M. Krol, A. Segers, M. Schmidt, I. Levin, A. T. Vermeulen, R. E. Fisher, V. Kazan, H. Klein Baltink, D. Lowry, G. Manca, H. A. J. Meijer, J. Moncrieff, S. Pal, M. Ramonet, H. A. Scheeren, and A. G. Williams
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 3137–3160, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3137-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3137-2016, 2016
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We evaluate the capability of the TM5 model to reproduce observations of the boundary layer dynamics and the associated variability of trace gases close to the surface, using 222Rn. Focusing on the European scale, we compare the TM5 boundary layer heights with observations from radiosondes, lidar, and ceilometer. Furthermore, we compare TM5 simulations of 222Rn activity concentrations, using a novel, process-based 222Rn flux map over Europe, with 222Rn harmonized measurements from 10 stations.
Sanam Noreen Vardag, Samuel Hammer, and Ingeborg Levin
Biogeosciences, 13, 4237–4251, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4237-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4237-2016, 2016
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Using a synthetic dataset, we show how to best determine the mean source signature, δS, at high temporal resolution using continuous CO2 and δ13C(CO2) data. We apply this method to measured data from Heidelberg and find a distinct seasonal cycle of δS. Disentangling this record into its source components requires the isotopic end members of CO2 from the biosphere and those from the fuel mix. They can be estimated from the δS record, but only when their relative share is close to 100 %.
A. Laeng, J. Plieninger, T. von Clarmann, U. Grabowski, G. Stiller, E. Eckert, N. Glatthor, F. Haenel, S. Kellmann, M. Kiefer, A. Linden, S. Lossow, L. Deaver, A. Engel, M. Hervig, I. Levin, M. McHugh, S. Noël, G. Toon, and K. Walker
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 5251–5261, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-5251-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-5251-2015, 2015
U. Karstens, C. Schwingshackl, D. Schmithüsen, and I. Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 12845–12865, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12845-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12845-2015, 2015
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Detailed 222Rn flux maps are a prerequisite for the use of radon in atmospheric transport studies. We present a high-resolution 222Rn flux map for Europe, based on a parameterization of 222Rn production and transport in the soil. Spatial variations in 222Rn exhalation rates are determined by soil uranium content, water table depth and soil texture. Temporal variations are related to soil moisture variations as the diffusion in the soil depends on available air-filled pore space.
S. N. Vardag, C. Gerbig, G. Janssens-Maenhout, and I. Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 12705–12729, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12705-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12705-2015, 2015
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In this model sensitivity study we compare and evaluate the surrogate tracers CO2, CO, δ13C-CO2 and Δ14C-CO2 for estimating continuous anthropogenic CO2. The results can be used to optimize the measurement network design with respect to the partitioning of total CO2 into biospheric and anthropogenic CO2 contributions. This enables improvement and validation of highly resolved emission inventories using atmospheric observation and regional modeling.
S. N. Vardag, S. Hammer, M. Sabasch, D. W. T. Griffith, and I. Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 579–592, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-579-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-579-2015, 2015
C. Elsässer, D. Wagenbach, I. Levin, A. Stanzick, M. Christl, A. Wallner, S. Kipfstuhl, I. K. Seierstad, H. Wershofen, and J. Dibb
Clim. Past, 11, 115–133, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-115-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-115-2015, 2015
R. Locatelli, P. Bousquet, F. Hourdin, M. Saunois, A. Cozic, F. Couvreux, J.-Y. Grandpeix, M.-P. Lefebvre, C. Rio, P. Bergamaschi, S. D. Chambers, U. Karstens, V. Kazan, S. van der Laan, H. A. J. Meijer, J. Moncrieff, M. Ramonet, H. A. Scheeren, C. Schlosser, M. Schmidt, A. Vermeulen, and A. G. Williams
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 129–150, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-129-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-129-2015, 2015
S. N. Vardag, S. Hammer, S. O'Doherty, T. G. Spain, B. Wastine, A. Jordan, and I. Levin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 8403–8418, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8403-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8403-2014, 2014
R. Weller, I. Levin, D. Schmithüsen, M. Nachbar, J. Asseng, and D. Wagenbach
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3843–3853, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3843-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3843-2014, 2014
B. D. Hall, A. Engel, J. Mühle, J. W. Elkins, F. Artuso, E. Atlas, M. Aydin, D. Blake, E.-G. Brunke, S. Chiavarini, P. J. Fraser, J. Happell, P. B. Krummel, I. Levin, M. Loewenstein, M. Maione, S. A. Montzka, S. O'Doherty, S. Reimann, G. Rhoderick, E. S. Saltzman, H. E. Scheel, L. P. Steele, M. K. Vollmer, R. F. Weiss, D. Worthy, and Y. Yokouchi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 469–490, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-469-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-469-2014, 2014
V. V. Petrenko, P. Martinerie, P. Novelli, D. M. Etheridge, I. Levin, Z. Wang, T. Blunier, J. Chappellaz, J. Kaiser, P. Lang, L. P. Steele, S. Hammer, J. Mak, R. L. Langenfelds, J. Schwander, J. P. Severinghaus, E. Witrant, G. Petron, M. O. Battle, G. Forster, W. T. Sturges, J.-F. Lamarque, K. Steffen, and J. W. C. White
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 7567–7585, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7567-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7567-2013, 2013
S. Hammer, G. Konrad, A. T. Vermeulen, O. Laurent, M. Delmotte, A. Jordan, L. Hazan, S. Conil, and I. Levin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 1201–1216, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1201-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1201-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Gases | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
Zugspitze ozone 1970–2020: the role of stratosphere–troposphere transport
High sulfur dioxide deposition velocities measured with the flux–gradient technique in a boreal forest in the Alberta Oil Sands Region
Quantification of methane emissions in Hamburg using a network of FTIR spectrometers and an inverse modeling approach
Local-to-regional methane emissions from the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) quantified using UAV-based atmospheric measurements
Transport pathways of carbon monoxide from Indonesian fire pollution to a subtropical high-altitude mountain site in the western North Pacific
Global warming will largely increase waste treatment CH4 emissions in Chinese megacities: insight from the first city-scale CH4 concentration observation network in Hangzhou, China
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Factors influencing the temporal variability of atmospheric methane emissions from Upper Silesia coal mines: a case study from the CoMet mission
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Retrieving CH4-emission rates from coal mine ventilation shafts using UAV-based AirCore observations and the genetic algorithm–interior point penalty function (GA-IPPF) model
Measurement report: Atmospheric mercury in a coastal city of Southeast China – inter-annual variations and influencing factors
Tropospheric and stratospheric ozone profiles during the 2019 TROpomi vaLIdation eXperiment (TROLIX-19)
Evaluation of correlated Pandora column NO2 and in situ surface NO2 measurements during GMAP campaign
Transport of substantial stratospheric ozone to the surface by a dying typhoon and shallow convection
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Continuous CH4 and δ13CH4 measurements in London demonstrate under-reported natural gas leakage
Long-term fluxes of carbonyl sulfide and their seasonality and interannual variability in a boreal forest
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Measurement report: Characterization of uncertainties in fluxes and fuel sulfur content from ship emissions in the Baltic Sea
Positive and negative influences of typhoons on tropospheric ozone over southern China
Spatial and temporal variations of CO2 mole fractions observed at Beijing, Xianghe, and Xinglong in North China
The CO2 integral emission by the megacity of St Petersburg as quantified from ground-based FTIR measurements combined with dispersion modelling
Anthropogenic and natural controls on atmospheric δ13C-CO2 variations in the Yangtze River delta: insights from a carbon isotope modeling framework
Quantifying variability, source, and transport of CO in the urban areas over the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau
New methodology shows short atmospheric lifetimes of oxidized sulfur and nitrogen due to dry deposition
Uncertainties in eddy covariance air–sea CO2 flux measurements and implications for gas transfer velocity parameterisations
Convergent evidence for the pervasive but limited contribution of biomass burning to atmospheric ammonia in peninsular Southeast Asia
Concurrent variation in oil and gas methane emissions and oil price during the COVID-19 pandemic
Ozone variability induced by synoptic weather patterns in warm seasons of 2014–2018 over the Yangtze River Delta region, China
Seasonal patterns of atmospheric mercury in tropical South America as inferred by a continuous total gaseous mercury record at Chacaltaya station (5240 m) in Bolivia
A mass-weighted isentropic coordinate for mapping chemical tracers and computing atmospheric inventories
Methane mapping, emission quantification, and attribution in two European cities: Utrecht (NL) and Hamburg (DE)
Ozone affected by a succession of four landfall typhoons in the Yangtze River Delta, China: major processes and health impacts
4D dispersion of total gaseous mercury derived from a mining source: identification of criteria to assess risks related to high concentrations of atmospheric mercury
Estimating CH4, CO2 and CO emissions from coal mining and industrial activities in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin using an aircraft-based mass balance approach
Profiling of formaldehyde, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and CO over the Amazon: normalized excess mixing ratios and related emission factors in biomass burning plumes
Measurement report: Leaf-scale gas exchange of atmospheric reactive trace species (NO2, NO, O3) at a northern hardwood forest in Michigan
A dedicated flask sampling strategy developed for Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) stations based on CO2 and CO measurements and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) footprint modelling
The increasing atmospheric burden of the greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
Understanding nighttime methane signals at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO)
Background heterogeneity and other uncertainties in estimating urban methane flux: results from the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX)
Methane emissions from the Munich Oktoberfest
A study of the influence of tropospheric subsidence on spring and summer surface ozone concentrations at the JRC Ispra station in northern Italy
Thomas Trickl, Cédric Couret, Ludwig Ries, and Hannes Vogelmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 8403–8427, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8403-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8403-2023, 2023
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Downward atmospheric transport from the stratosphere (STT) is the most important natural source of tropospheric ozone. We analyse the stratospheric influence on the long-term series of ozone and carbon monoxide measured on the Zugspitze in the Bavarian Alps (2962 m a.s.l.). Since the 1970s, there has been a pronounced ozone rise that has been ascribed to an increase in STT. We determine the stratospheric influence from the observational data alone (humidity and 7Be).
Mark Gordon, Dane Blanchard, Timothy Jiang, Paul A. Makar, Ralf M. Staebler, Julian Aherne, Cris Mihele, and Xuanyi Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 7241–7255, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7241-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7241-2023, 2023
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Measurements of the gas sulfur dioxide (SO2) were made in a forest downwind of oil sands mining and production facilities in northern Alberta. These measurements tell us the rate at which SO2 is absorbed by the forest. The measured rate is much higher than what is currently used by air quality models, which is supported by a previous study in this region. This suggests that SO2 may have a much shorter lifetime in the atmosphere at this location than currently predicted by models.
Andreas Forstmaier, Jia Chen, Florian Dietrich, Juan Bettinelli, Hossein Maazallahi, Carsten Schneider, Dominik Winkler, Xinxu Zhao, Taylor Jones, Carina van der Veen, Norman Wildmann, Moritz Makowski, Aydin Uzun, Friedrich Klappenbach, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Stefan Schwietzke, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6897–6922, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6897-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6897-2023, 2023
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Large cities emit greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. In this study, we measured the release of one important green house gas, methane, in Hamburg. Multiple sources that contribute to methane emissions were located and quantified. Methane sources were found to be mainly caused by human activity (e.g., by release from oil and gas refineries). Moreover, potential natural sources have been located, such as the Elbe River and lakes.
Truls Andersen, Zhao Zhao, Marcel de Vries, Jaroslaw Necki, Justyna Swolkien, Malika Menoud, Thomas Röckmann, Anke Roiger, Andreas Fix, Wouter Peters, and Huilin Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 5191–5216, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5191-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5191-2023, 2023
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The Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland, is one of the hot spots of methane emissions in Europe. Using an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), we performed atmospheric measurements of methane concentrations downwind of five ventilation shafts in this region and determined the emission rates from the individual shafts. We found a strong correlation between quantified shaft-averaged emission rates and hourly inventory data, which also allows us to estimate the methane emissions from the entire region.
Saginela Ravindra Babu, Chang-Feng Ou-Yang, Stephen M. Griffith, Shantanu Kumar Pani, Steven Soon-Kai Kong, and Neng-Huei Lin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4727–4740, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4727-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4727-2023, 2023
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In October 2006 and 2015, extensive fire episodes occurred in Indonesia, releasing an enormous amount of CO emissions. By combining in situ and satellite CO measurements and reanalysis products, we reported plausible transport pathways of CO from Indonesia to the Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS; 23.47° N, 120.87° E; 2862 m a.s.l.) in Taiwan. We identified (i) horizontal transport in the free troposphere and (ii) vertical transport through the Hadley circulation.
Cheng Hu, Junqing Zhang, Bing Qi, Rongguang Du, Xiaofei Xu, Haoyu Xiong, Huili Liu, Xinyue Ai, Yiyi Peng, and Wei Xiao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4501–4520, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4501-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4501-2023, 2023
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We build the first city-scale tower-based atmospheric CH4 concentration observation network in China. The a priori total annual anthropogenic CH4 emissions and emissions from waste treatment were overestimated by 36.0 % and 47.1 %, respectively, in Hangzhou. Global warming will largely enhance the CH4 emission factor of waste treatment, which will increase by 17.6 %, 9.6 %, 5.6 % and 4.0 % for Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, RCP6.0, RCP4.5 and RCP2.6, respectively, by 2100.
Clément Narbaud, Jean-Daniel Paris, Sophie Wittig, Antoine Berchet, Marielle Saunois, Philippe Nédélec, Boris D. Belan, Mikhail Y. Arshinov, Sergei B. Belan, Denis Davydov, Alexander Fofonov, and Artem Kozlov
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2293–2314, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2293-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2293-2023, 2023
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We measured CH4 and CO2 from aircraft over the Russian Arctic. Analyzing our data with the Lagrangian model FLEXPART, we find a sharp east–west gradient in atmospheric composition. Western Siberia is influenced by strong wetland CH4 emissions, deep CO2 gradient from biospheric uptake, and long-range transport from Europe and North America. Eastern flights document less variability. Over the Arctic Ocean, we find a small influence from marine CH4 emissions compatible with reasonable inventories.
Xuanyi Zhang, Mark Gordon, Paul A Makar, Timothy Jiang, Jonathan Davies, and David Tarasick
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2023-26, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2023-26, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for ACP
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Measurements of ozone in the atmosphere were made in a forest downwind of oil sands mining and production facilities in northern Alberta. These measurements show that the emissions of other pollutants from oil sands production and processing reduces the amount of ozone in the forest. By using an atmospheric model combined with measurements, we find that the rate that ozone is absorbed by the forest is lower that typical rates from similar measurements in other forests.
Flora Kluge, Tilman Hüneke, Christophe Lerot, Simon Rosanka, Meike K. Rotermund, Domenico Taraborrelli, Benjamin Weyland, and Klaus Pfeilsticker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 1369–1401, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1369-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1369-2023, 2023
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Using airborne glyoxal concentration and vertical column density measurements, vertical profiles are inferred for eight global regions in aged biomass burning plumes and the tropical marine boundary layer. Using TROPOMI observations, an analysis of space- and airborne measurements is performed. A comparison to EMAC simulations shows a general glyoxal underprediction, which points to various missing sources and precursors from anthropogenic activities, biomass burning, and the sea surface.
Alkuin M. Koenig, Olivier Magand, Bert Verreyken, Jerome Brioude, Crist Amelynck, Niels Schoon, Aurélie Colomb, Beatriz Ferreira Araujo, Michel Ramonet, Mahesh K. Sha, Jean-Pierre Cammas, Jeroen E. Sonke, and Aurélien Dommergue
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 1309–1328, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1309-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1309-2023, 2023
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The global distribution of mercury, a potent neurotoxin, depends on atmospheric transport, chemistry, and interactions between the Earth’s surface and the air. Our understanding of these processes is still hampered by insufficient observations. Here, we present new data from a mountain observatory in the Southern Hemisphere. We give insights into mercury concentrations in air masses coming from aloft, and we show that tropical mountain vegetation may be a daytime source of mercury to the air.
Kim A. P. Faassen, Linh N. T. Nguyen, Eadin R. Broekema, Bert A. M. Kers, Ivan Mammarella, Timo Vesala, Penelope A. Pickers, Andrew C. Manning, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Harro A. J. Meijer, Wouter Peters, and Ingrid T. Luijkx
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 851–876, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-851-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-851-2023, 2023
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The exchange ratio (ER) between atmospheric O2 and CO2 provides a useful tracer for separately estimating photosynthesis and respiration processes in the forest carbon balance. This is highly relevant to better understand the expected biosphere sink, which determines future atmospheric CO2 levels. We therefore measured O2, CO2, and their ER above a boreal forest in Finland and investigated their diurnal behaviour for a representative day, and we show the most suitable way to determine the ER.
Marc Prange, Stefan A. Buehler, and Manfred Brath
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 725–741, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-725-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-725-2023, 2023
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We investigate the representation of elevated moist layers (EMLs) in two satellite retrieval products and ERA5 reanalysis. EMLs occur in the vicinity of tropical convective storms and are thought to have an impact on their evolution through radiative heating. We provide a first dedicated assessment of EMLs in long-term data products in terms of moist layer strength, vertical thickness and altitude by comparing to collocated radiosondes over the western Pacific, a region where EMLs often occur.
Yongkang Wu, Weihua Chen, Yingchang You, Qianqian Xie, Shiguo Jia, and Xuemei Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 453–469, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-453-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-453-2023, 2023
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Relying on observed and simulated data, we determine the spatiotemporal characteristics of nocturnal O3 increase (NOI) events in the Pearl River Delta region during 2006–2019. Low-level jets and convective storms are the main meteorological processes causing NOI. Daytime O3 is another essential influencing factor. More importantly, a more prominent role of meteorological processes in NOI has been demonstrated. Our study highlights the important role of meteorology in nocturnal O3 pollution.
Justyna Swolkień, Andreas Fix, and Michał Gałkowski
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 16031–16052, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-16031-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-16031-2022, 2022
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Determination of emissions from coal mines on a local scale requires instantaneous data. We analysed temporal emission data for ventilation shafts and factors influencing their variability. They were saturation of the seams with methane, the permeability of the rock mass, and coal output. The data for the verification should reflect the actual values of emissions from point sources. It is recommended to achieve this by using a standardised emission measurement system for all coal mines.
Xiaofei Qin, Shengqian Zhou, Hao Li, Guochen Wang, Cheng Chen, Chengfeng Liu, Xiaohao Wang, Juntao Huo, Yanfen Lin, Jia Chen, Qingyan Fu, Yusen Duan, Kan Huang, and Congrui Deng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 15851–15865, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15851-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15851-2022, 2022
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Using artificial neural network modeling and an explainable analysis approach, natural surface emissions (NSEs) were identified as a main driver of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) variations during the COVID-19 lockdown. A sharp drop in GEM concentrations due to a significant reduction in anthropogenic emissions may disrupt the surface–air exchange balance of Hg, leading to increases in NSEs. This implies that NSEs may pose challenges to the future control of Hg pollution.
Juseon Bak, Eun-Ji Song, Hyo-Jung Lee, Xiong Liu, Ja-Ho Koo, Joowan Kim, Wonbae Jeon, Jae-Hwan Kim, and Cheol-Hee Kim
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14177–14187, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14177-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14177-2022, 2022
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Our study investigates the temporal variations of ozone profiles at Pohang in the Korean Peninsula from multiple ozone products. We discuss the quantitative relationships between daily surface measurements and key meteorological variables, different seasonality of ozone between the troposphere and stratosphere, and interannual changes in the lower tropospheric ozone, linked by the weather pattern driven by the East Asian summer monsoon.
Tianqi Shi, Zeyu Han, Ge Han, Xin Ma, Huilin Chen, Truls Andersen, Huiqin Mao, Cuihong Chen, Haowei Zhang, and Wei Gong
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 13881–13896, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13881-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13881-2022, 2022
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CH4 works as the second-most important greenhouse gas, its reported emission inventories being far less than CO2. In this study, we developed a self-adjusted model to estimate the CH4 emission rate from strong point sources by the UAV-based AirCore system. This model would reduce the uncertainty in CH4 emission rate quantification accrued by errors in measurements of wind and concentration. Actual measurements on Pniówek coal demonstrate the high accuracy and stability of our developed model.
Jiayan Shi, Yuping Chen, Lingling Xu, Youwei Hong, Mengren Li, Xiaolong Fan, Liqian Yin, Yanting Chen, Chen Yang, Gaojie Chen, Taotao Liu, Xiaoting Ji, and Jinsheng Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11187–11202, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11187-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11187-2022, 2022
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Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) was observed in Southeast China over the period 2012–2020. The observed GEM concentrations showed no distinct inter-annual variation trends. The interpretation rate of transportation and meteorology on GEM variations displayed an increasing trend. In contrast, anthropogenic emissions have shown a decreasing interpretation rate since 2012, indicating the effectiveness of emission mitigation measures in reducing GEM concentrations in the study region.
John T. Sullivan, Arnoud Apituley, Nora Mettig, Karin Kreher, K. Emma Knowland, Marc Allaart, Ankie Piters, Michel Van Roozendael, Pepijn Veefkind, Jerry R. Ziemke, Natalya Kramarova, Mark Weber, Alexei Rozanov, Laurence Twigg, Grant Sumnicht, and Thomas J. McGee
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11137–11153, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11137-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11137-2022, 2022
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A TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) validation campaign (TROLIX-19) was held in the Netherlands in September 2019. The research presented here focuses on using ozone lidars from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to better evaluate the characterization of ozone throughout TROLIX-19 as compared to balloon-borne, space-borne and ground-based passive measurements, as well as a global coupled chemistry meteorology model.
Lim-Seok Chang, Donghee Kim, Hyunkee Hong, Deok-Rae Kim, Jeong-Ah Yu, Kwangyul Lee, Hanlim Lee, Daewon Kim, Jinkyu Hong, Hyun-Young Jo, and Cheol-Hee Kim
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10703–10720, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10703-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10703-2022, 2022
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Our study explored the synergy of combined column and surface measurements during GMAP (GEMS Map of Air Pollution) campaign. It has several points to note for vertical distribution analysis. Particularly under prevailing local wind meteorological conditions, Pandora-based vertical structures sometimes showed negative correlations between column and surface measurements. Vertical analysis should be done carefully in some local meteorological conditions when employing either surface or columns.
Zhixiong Chen, Jane Liu, Xiushu Qie, Xugeng Cheng, Yukun Shen, Mengmiao Yang, Rubin Jiang, and Xiangke Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8221–8240, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8221-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8221-2022, 2022
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A vigorous surface ozone surge event of stratospheric origin occurred in the North China Plain at night. Surface ozone concentrations were 40–50 ppbv higher than the corresponding monthly mean, whereas surface carbon monoxide concentrations declined abruptly, which confirmed the direct stratospheric intrusions to the surface. We further addressed the notion that a combined effect of the dying typhoon and mesoscale convective systems was responsible for this vigorous ozone surge.
Andreas Luther, Julian Kostinek, Ralph Kleinschek, Sara Defratyka, Mila Stanisavljević, Andreas Forstmaier, Alexandru Dandocsi, Leon Scheidweiler, Darko Dubravica, Norman Wildmann, Frank Hase, Matthias M. Frey, Jia Chen, Florian Dietrich, Jarosław Nȩcki, Justyna Swolkień, Christoph Knote, Sanam N. Vardag, Anke Roiger, and André Butz
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5859–5876, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5859-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5859-2022, 2022
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Coal mining is an extensive source of anthropogenic methane emissions. In order to reduce and mitigate methane emissions, it is important to know how much and where the methane is emitted. We estimated coal mining methane emissions in Poland based on atmospheric methane measurements and particle dispersion modeling. In general, our emission estimates suggest higher emissions than expected by previous annual emission reports.
Eric Saboya, Giulia Zazzeri, Heather Graven, Alistair J. Manning, and Sylvia Englund Michel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 3595–3613, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3595-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3595-2022, 2022
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Continuous measurements of atmospheric methane concentrations and its carbon-13 isotope have been made in central London since early 2018. These measurements were used to evaluate methane emissions reported in global and UK-specific emission inventories for the London area. Compared to atmospheric methane measurements from March 2018 to October 2020, both inventories are under-reporting natural gas leakage for the London area.
Timo Vesala, Kukka-Maaria Kohonen, Linda M. J. Kooijmans, Arnaud P. Praplan, Lenka Foltýnová, Pasi Kolari, Markku Kulmala, Jaana Bäck, David Nelson, Dan Yakir, Mark Zahniser, and Ivan Mammarella
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2569–2584, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2569-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2569-2022, 2022
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Carbonyl sulfide (COS) provides new insights into carbon cycle research. We present an easy-to-use flux parameterization and the longest existing time series of forest–atmosphere COS exchange measurements, which allow us to study both seasonal and interannual variability. We observed only uptake of COS by the forest on an annual basis, with 37 % variability between years. Upscaling the boreal COS uptake using a biosphere model indicates a significant missing COS sink at high latitudes.
Maria Tzortziou, Charlotte F. Kwong, Daniel Goldberg, Luke Schiferl, Róisín Commane, Nader Abuhassan, James J. Szykman, and Lukas C. Valin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2399–2417, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2399-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2399-2022, 2022
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The COVID-19 pandemic created an extreme natural experiment in which sudden changes in human behavior significantly impacted urban air quality. Using a combination of model, satellite, and ground-based data, we examine the impact of multiple waves and phases of the pandemic on atmospheric nitrogen pollution in the New York metropolitan area, and address the role of weather as a key driver of high pollution episodes observed even during – and despite – the stringent early lockdowns.
Jari Walden, Liisa Pirjola, Tuomas Laurila, Juha Hatakka, Heidi Pettersson, Tuomas Walden, Jukka-Pekka Jalkanen, Harri Nordlund, Toivo Truuts, Miika Meretoja, and Kimmo K. Kahma
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 18175–18194, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-18175-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-18175-2021, 2021
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Ship emissions play an important role in the deposition of gaseous compounds and nanoparticles (Ntot), affecting climate, human health (especially in coastal areas), and eutrophication. Micrometeorological methods showed that ship emissions were mainly responsible for the deposition of Ntot, whereas they only accounted for a minor proportion of CO2 deposition. An uncertainty analysis applied to the fluxes and fuel sulfur content results demonstrated the reliability of the results.
Zhixiong Chen, Jane Liu, Xugeng Cheng, Mengmiao Yang, and Hong Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16911–16923, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16911-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16911-2021, 2021
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Using a large ensemble of typhoons, we investigate the impacts of evolving typhoons on tropospheric ozone and address the linkages between typhoon-affected meteorological conditions and ozone variations. The influences of typhoon-induced stratospheric intrusions on lower-troposphere ozone are also quantified. Thus, the results obtained in this study have important implications for a full understanding of the multifaced roles of typhoons in modulating tropospheric ozone variation.
Yang Yang, Minqiang Zhou, Ting Wang, Bo Yao, Pengfei Han, Denghui Ji, Wei Zhou, Yele Sun, Gengchen Wang, and Pucai Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11741–11757, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11741-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11741-2021, 2021
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This study introduces the in situ CO2 measurement system installed in Beijing (urban), Xianghe (suburban), and Xinglong (rural) in North China for the first time. The spatial and temporal variations in CO2 mole fractions at the three sites between June 2018 and April 2020 are discussed on both seasonal and diurnal scales.
Dmitry V. Ionov, Maria V. Makarova, Frank Hase, Stefani C. Foka, Vladimir S. Kostsov, Carlos Alberti, Thomas Blumenstock, Thorsten Warneke, and Yana A. Virolainen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10939–10963, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10939-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10939-2021, 2021
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Megacities are a significant source of emissions of various substances in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, which is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas. In 2019–2020, the Emission Monitoring Mobile Experiment was carried out in St Petersburg, which is the second-largest industrial city in Russia. The results of this experiment, coupled with numerical modelling, helped to estimate the amount of CO2 emitted by the city. This value was twice as high as predicted.
Cheng Hu, Jiaping Xu, Cheng Liu, Yan Chen, Dong Yang, Wenjing Huang, Lichen Deng, Shoudong Liu, Timothy J. Griffis, and Xuhui Lee
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10015–10037, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10015-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10015-2021, 2021
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Seventy percent of global CO2 emissions were emitted from urban landscapes. The Yangtze River delta (YRD) ranks as one of the most densely populated regions in the world and is an anthropogenic CO2 hotspot. Besides anthropogenic factors, natural ecosystems and croplands act as significant CO2 sinks and sources. Independent quantification of the fossil and cement CO2 emission and assessment of their impact on atmospheric δ13C-CO2 have potential to improve our understanding of urban CO2 cycling.
Youwen Sun, Hao Yin, Yuan Cheng, Qianggong Zhang, Bo Zheng, Justus Notholt, Xiao Lu, Cheng Liu, Yuan Tian, and Jianguo Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9201–9222, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9201-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9201-2021, 2021
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We quantified the variability, source, and transport of urban CO over the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau (HTP) by using measurement, model simulation, and the analysis of meteorological fields. Urban CO over the HTP is dominated by anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions from local, South Asia and East Asia, and oxidation sources. The decreasing trends in surface CO since 2015 in most cities over the HTP are attributed to the reduction in local and transported CO emissions in recent years.
Katherine Hayden, Shao-Meng Li, Paul Makar, John Liggio, Samar G. Moussa, Ayodeji Akingunola, Robert McLaren, Ralf M. Staebler, Andrea Darlington, Jason O'Brien, Junhua Zhang, Mengistu Wolde, and Leiming Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 8377–8392, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8377-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8377-2021, 2021
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We developed a method using aircraft measurements to determine lifetimes with respect to dry deposition for oxidized sulfur and nitrogen compounds over the boreal forest in Alberta, Canada. Atmospheric lifetimes were significantly shorter than derived from chemical transport models with differences related to modelled dry deposition velocities. The shorter lifetimes suggest models need to reassess dry deposition treatment and predictions of sulfur and nitrogen in the atmosphere and ecosystems.
Yuanxu Dong, Mingxi Yang, Dorothee C. E. Bakker, Vassilis Kitidis, and Thomas G. Bell
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 8089–8110, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8089-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8089-2021, 2021
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Eddy covariance (EC) is the most direct method for measuring air–sea CO2 flux from ships. However, uncertainty in EC air–sea CO2 fluxes has not been well quantified. Here we show that with the state-of-the-art gas analysers, instrumental noise no longer contributes significantly to the CO2 flux uncertainty. Applying an appropriate averaging timescale (1–3 h) and suitable air–sea CO2 fugacity threshold (at least 20 µatm) to EC flux data enables an optimal analysis of the gas transfer velocity.
Yunhua Chang, Yan-Lin Zhang, Sawaeng Kawichai, Qian Wang, Martin Van Damme, Lieven Clarisse, Tippawan Prapamontol, and Moritz F. Lehmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7187–7198, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7187-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7187-2021, 2021
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In this study, we integrated satellite constraints on atmospheric NH3 levels and fire intensity, discrete NH3 concentration measurement, and N isotopic analysis of NH3 in order to assess the regional-scale contribution of biomass burning to ambient atmospheric NH3 in the heartland of Southeast Asia. The combined approach provides a valuable cross-validation framework for source apportioning of NH3 in the lower atmosphere and will thus help to ameliorate predictions of biomass burning emissions.
David R. Lyon, Benjamin Hmiel, Ritesh Gautam, Mark Omara, Katherine A. Roberts, Zachary R. Barkley, Kenneth J. Davis, Natasha L. Miles, Vanessa C. Monteiro, Scott J. Richardson, Stephen Conley, Mackenzie L. Smith, Daniel J. Jacob, Lu Shen, Daniel J. Varon, Aijun Deng, Xander Rudelis, Nikhil Sharma, Kyle T. Story, Adam R. Brandt, Mary Kang, Eric A. Kort, Anthony J. Marchese, and Steven P. Hamburg
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 6605–6626, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6605-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6605-2021, 2021
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The Permian Basin (USA) is the world’s largest oil field. We use tower- and aircraft-based approaches to measure how methane emissions in the Permian Basin changed throughout 2020. In early 2020, 3.3 % of the region’s gas was emitted; then in spring 2020, the loss rate temporarily dropped to 1.9 % as oil price crashed. We find this short-term reduction to be a result of reduced well development, less gas flaring, and fewer abnormal events despite minimal reductions in oil and gas production.
Da Gao, Min Xie, Jane Liu, Tijian Wang, Chaoqun Ma, Haokun Bai, Xing Chen, Mengmeng Li, Bingliang Zhuang, and Shu Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 5847–5864, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-5847-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-5847-2021, 2021
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O3 has been increasing in recent years over the Yangtze River Delta region of China and is closely associated with dominant weather systems. Still, the study on the impact of changes in synoptic weather patterns (SWPs) on O3 variation is quite limited. This work aims to reveal the unique features of changes in each SWP under O3 variation and quantifies the effects of meteorological conditions on O3 variation. Our findings could be helpful in strategy planning for O3 pollution control.
Alkuin Maximilian Koenig, Olivier Magand, Paolo Laj, Marcos Andrade, Isabel Moreno, Fernando Velarde, Grover Salvatierra, René Gutierrez, Luis Blacutt, Diego Aliaga, Thomas Reichler, Karine Sellegri, Olivier Laurent, Michel Ramonet, and Aurélien Dommergue
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 3447–3472, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3447-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3447-2021, 2021
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The environmental cycling of atmospheric mercury, a harmful global contaminant, is still not sufficiently constrained, partly due to missing data in remote regions. Here, we address this issue by presenting 20 months of atmospheric mercury measurements, sampled in the Bolivian Andes. We observe a significant seasonal pattern, whose key features we explore. Moreover, we deduce ratios to constrain South American biomass burning mercury emissions and the mercury uptake by the Amazon rainforest.
Yuming Jin, Ralph F. Keeling, Eric J. Morgan, Eric Ray, Nicholas C. Parazoo, and Britton B. Stephens
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 217–238, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-217-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-217-2021, 2021
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We propose a new atmospheric coordinate (Mθe) based on equivalent potential temperature (θe) but with mass as the unit. This coordinate is useful in studying the spatial and temporal distribution of long-lived chemical tracers (CO2, CH4, O2 / N2, etc.) from sparse data, like airborne observation. Using this coordinate and sparse airborne observation (HIPPO and ATom), we resolve the Northern Hemisphere mass-weighted average CO2 seasonal cycle with high accuracy.
Hossein Maazallahi, Julianne M. Fernandez, Malika Menoud, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Zachary D. Weller, Stefan Schwietzke, Joseph C. von Fischer, Hugo Denier van der Gon, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 14717–14740, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14717-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14717-2020, 2020
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Methane accounts for ∼ 25 % of current climate warming. The current lack of methane measurements is a barrier for tracking major sources, which are key for near-term climate mitigation. We use mobile measurements to identify and quantify methane emission sources in Utrecht (NL) and Hamburg (DE) with a focus on natural gas pipeline leaks. The measurements resulted in fixing the major leaks by the local utility, but coordinated efforts are needed at national levels for further emission reductions.
Chenchao Zhan, Min Xie, Chongwu Huang, Jane Liu, Tijian Wang, Meng Xu, Chaoqun Ma, Jianwei Yu, Yumeng Jiao, Mengmeng Li, Shu Li, Bingliang Zhuang, Ming Zhao, and Dongyang Nie
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 13781–13799, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13781-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13781-2020, 2020
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The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region has been suffering from severe ozone (O3) pollution in recent years. Synoptic systems, like typhoons, can have a significant effect on O3 episodes. However, research on landfall typhoons affecting O3 in the YRD is limited. This work aims to reveal the main processes of landfall typhoons affecting surface O3 and estimate health impacts of O3 during the study period in the YRD, which can be useful for taking reasonable pollution control measures in this area.
José M. Esbrí, Pablo L. Higueras, Alba Martínez-Coronado, and Rocío Naharro
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12995–13010, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12995-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12995-2020, 2020
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The aim of this work was to identify criteria to obtain the minimum amount of data with the maximum meaning and representativeness in order to delimit risk areas, both in a spatial and temporal respect. We have constructed a model of vertical mercury movements which could be used to predict the location and timing of mercury inhalation risk. Also, we have designed a monitoring strategy to identify the relevant criteria, which involved the measurement of gaseous mercury in a vertical section.
Alina Fiehn, Julian Kostinek, Maximilian Eckl, Theresa Klausner, Michał Gałkowski, Jinxuan Chen, Christoph Gerbig, Thomas Röckmann, Hossein Maazallahi, Martina Schmidt, Piotr Korbeń, Jarosław Neçki, Pawel Jagoda, Norman Wildmann, Christian Mallaun, Rostyslav Bun, Anna-Leah Nickl, Patrick Jöckel, Andreas Fix, and Anke Roiger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12675–12695, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12675-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12675-2020, 2020
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A severe reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to fulfill the Paris Agreement. We use aircraft- and ground-based in situ observations of trace gases and wind speed from two flights over the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland, for independent emission estimation. The derived methane emission estimates are within the range of emission inventories, carbon dioxide estimates are in the lower range and carbon monoxide emission estimates are slightly higher than emission inventory values.
Flora Kluge, Tilman Hüneke, Matthias Knecht, Michael Lichtenstern, Meike Rotermund, Hans Schlager, Benjamin Schreiner, and Klaus Pfeilsticker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12363–12389, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12363-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12363-2020, 2020
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The presented study reports on airborne measurements of formaldehyde, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and CO over the Amazon basin and lays a special focus on the influence of biomass burning emissions on the atmospheric profiles of these carbonyl compounds within the planetary boundary layer as well as in the free and upper troposphere.
Wei Wang, Laurens Ganzeveld, Samuel Rossabi, Jacques Hueber, and Detlev Helmig
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 11287–11304, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11287-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11287-2020, 2020
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Trees exchange with the atmosphere nitrogen oxides and ozone, affecting the tropospheric composition and consequently air quality and ecosystem health. We examined the leaf-level gas exchanges for four typical tree species (pine, maple, oak, aspen) found in northern Michigan, US. The leaves largely absorb the gases, showing little evidence of emission. We measured the uptake rates that can be used to improve model studies of the source and sink processes controlling these gases in forests.
Ingeborg Levin, Ute Karstens, Markus Eritt, Fabian Maier, Sabrina Arnold, Daniel Rzesanke, Samuel Hammer, Michel Ramonet, Gabriela Vítková, Sebastien Conil, Michal Heliasz, Dagmar Kubistin, and Matthias Lindauer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 11161–11180, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11161-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11161-2020, 2020
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Based on observations and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) footprint modelling, a sampling strategy has been developed for tall tower stations of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) research infrastructure atmospheric station network. This strategy allows independent quality control of in situ measurements, provides representative coverage of the influence area of the sites, and is capable of automated targeted sampling of fossil fuel CO2 emission hotspots.
Peter G. Simmonds, Matthew Rigby, Alistair J. Manning, Sunyoung Park, Kieran M. Stanley, Archie McCulloch, Stephan Henne, Francesco Graziosi, Michela Maione, Jgor Arduini, Stefan Reimann, Martin K. Vollmer, Jens Mühle, Simon O'Doherty, Dickon Young, Paul B. Krummel, Paul J. Fraser, Ray F. Weiss, Peter K. Salameh, Christina M. Harth, Mi-Kyung Park, Hyeri Park, Tim Arnold, Chris Rennick, L. Paul Steele, Blagoj Mitrevski, Ray H. J. Wang, and Ronald G. Prinn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 7271–7290, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7271-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7271-2020, 2020
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Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a potent greenhouse gas which is regulated under the Kyoto Protocol. From a 40-year record of measurements, collected at five global monitoring sites and archived air samples, we show that its concentration in the atmosphere has steadily increased. Using modelling techniques, we estimate that global emissions have increased by about 24 % over the past decade. We find that this increase is driven by the demand for SF6-insulated switchgear in developing countries.
Santiago Botía, Christoph Gerbig, Julia Marshall, Jost V. Lavric, David Walter, Christopher Pöhlker, Bruna Holanda, Gilberto Fisch, Alessandro Carioca de Araújo, Marta O. Sá, Paulo R. Teixeira, Angélica F. Resende, Cleo Q. Dias-Junior, Hella van Asperen, Pablo S. Oliveira, Michel Stefanello, and Otávio C. Acevedo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 6583–6606, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6583-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6583-2020, 2020
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A long record of atmospheric methane concentrations in central Amazonia was analyzed. We describe events in which concentrations at 79 m are higher than at 4 m. These events are more frequent during the nighttime of dry season, but we found no association with fire signals. Instead, we suggest that a combination of nighttime transport and a nearby source could explain such events. Our research gives insights into how methane is transported in the complex nocturnal atmosphere in Amazonia.
Nikolay V. Balashov, Kenneth J. Davis, Natasha L. Miles, Thomas Lauvaux, Scott J. Richardson, Zachary R. Barkley, and Timothy A. Bonin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 4545–4559, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4545-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4545-2020, 2020
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An accurate independent verification methodology to estimate methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) emissions is essential for the effective implementation of policies that aim to reduce the impacts of climate change. In this paper, four uncertainties that complicate the independent estimation of urban methane emissions are identified: the definition of urban domain, background heterogeneity, emissions temporal variability, and missing sources. Ways to improve emission estimates are suggested.
Jia Chen, Florian Dietrich, Hossein Maazallahi, Andreas Forstmaier, Dominik Winkler, Magdalena E. G. Hofmann, Hugo Denier van der Gon, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3683–3696, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3683-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3683-2020, 2020
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We demonstrate for the first time that large festivals can be significant methane sources, though they are not included in emission inventories. We combined in situ measurements with a Gaussian plume model to determine the Oktoberfest emissions and show that they are not due solely to human biogenic emissions, but are instead primarily fossil fuel related. Our study provides the foundation to develop reduction policies for such events and new pathways to mitigate fossil fuel methane emissions.
Pavlos Kalabokas, Niels Roland Jensen, Mauro Roveri, Jens Hjorth, Maxim Eremenko, Juan Cuesta, Gaëlle Dufour, Gilles Foret, and Matthias Beekmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1861–1885, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1861-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1861-2020, 2020
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The influence of tropospheric ozone on the surface measurements at a regional air pollution station in the pre-Alpine area of northern Italy is investigated. During such episodes the local air pollution parameters show generally very low values, while the ozone levels reach high values, occasionally exceeding the ozone air quality standards. Better understanding of ozone variability over the examined region will help in the formulation of more effective policies for the environment and climate.
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Short summary
The radon tracer method is applied to atmospheric methane and radon observations from the upper Rhine valley to independently estimate methane emissions from the region. Comparison of our top-down results with bottom-up inventory data requires high-resolution footprint modelling and representative radon flux data. In agreement with inventories, observed emissions decreased, but only until 2005. A limitation of this method is that point-source emissions are not captured or not fully captured.
The radon tracer method is applied to atmospheric methane and radon observations from the upper...
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