Direct estimates of emissions from the megacity of Lagos

Hopkins, J. R.; Evans, M. J.; Lee, J. D.; Lewis, A. C.; H Marsham, J.; McQuaid, J. B.; Parker, D. J.; Stewart, D. J.; Reeves, C. E.; Purvis, R. M.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8471-2009

Articles | Volume 9, issue 21

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8471-2009

© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

AMMA Tropospheric Chemistry and Aerosols

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8471-2009

© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 9, issue 21

06 Nov 2009

| 06 Nov 2009

Direct estimates of emissions from the megacity of Lagos

J. R. Hopkins, M. J. Evans, J. D. Lee, A. C. Lewis, J. H Marsham, J. B. McQuaid, D. J. Parker, D. J. Stewart, C. E. Reeves, and R. M. Purvis

Abstract. We report here top-down emissions estimates for an African megacity. A boundary layer circumnavigation of Lagos, Nigeria was completed using the FAAM BAe146 aircraft as part of the AMMA project. These observations together with an inferred boundary layer height allow the flux of pollutants to be calculated. Extrapolation gives annual emissions for CO, NO_x, and VOCs of 1.44 Tg yr⁻¹, 0.03 Tg yr⁻¹ and 0.37 Tg yr⁻¹ respectively with uncertainties of ⁺²⁵⁰/₋₆₀%. These inferred emissions are consistent with bottom-up estimates for other developing megacities and are attributed to the evaporation of fuels, mobile combustion and natural gas emissions.

Received: 18 Jan 2009 – Discussion started: 01 Apr 2009 – Revised: 13 Sep 2009 – Accepted: 16 Oct 2009 – Published: 06 Nov 2009