Three years of trace gas observations over the EuroSiberian domain
                        derived from aircraft sampling — a concerted action

Levin, Ingeborg; Ciais, Philippe; Langenfelds, Ray L.; Schmidt, Martina; Ramonet, M.; Sidorov, K.; Tchebakova, N.; Gloor, M.; Heimann, Martin; Schulze, Ernst Detlef; Vygodskaya, N. N.; Shibistova, Olga

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v54i5.16717

Cited by 27 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Besides the variability in CO 2 signals, instrument precision also puts a limit on the signal detectability. Assuming 0.5 ppm as an upper limit of the precision of atmospheric CO 2 measurements (inferred from comparisons of simultaneous measurements [e.g., Levin et al , 2002]), we can estimate the limit of a detectable monthly mean difference in the CO 2 concentration to be 0.5 ppm/. From Figure 10a it appears that in the free troposphere, where the signals are strongly diluted, instrument precision limits the detectability if only few measurements are available.…”

Section: Detectability Of Co2 Signalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights from simulations with high‐resolution transport and process models on sampling of the atmosphere for constraining midlatitude land carbon sinks

et al. 2006

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[1] We analyze the requirements for detecting changes in midlatitude land carbon sources or sinks from sampling the atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Programs to sample the continental lower troposphere have only recently started, and it is not yet clear which atmospheric sampling strategy is most adequate. To shed some light on this question, we use simulations of atmospheric CO 2 over Eurasia with two regional-scale atmospheric transport models. Our analysis focuses on the detection of the monthly mean CO 2 signal caused by a perturbation of Eurasian summer biospheric fluxes by 20% (0.06 PgC/month). The main results are (1) that several measurements per day, preferably during the afternoon, are necessary to permit the detection of the additional land sink and (2) that the ratio between signal and background variation, corrected for autocorrelation in time, suggests no preferred level in the vertical for sampling. However, (3) the signals in the free troposphere are very small (0.2 ppm per 0.06 PgC/month) given the precision of atmospheric measurements. In contrast, signals in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are on the order of 1 ppm per 0.06 PgC/month. This suggests that optimal sampling on continents should concentrate on the mixed portion of the PBL during afternoon. (4) Finally, the spatial correlation structure of the atmospheric CO 2 concentrations suggests that a horizontal sampling density on the order of a few 100 km is needed.Citation: Karstens, U., M. Gloor, M. Heimann, and C. Rödenbeck (2006), Insights from simulations with high-resolution transport and process models on sampling of the atmosphere for constraining midlatitude land carbon sinks,

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Section: Detectability Of Co2 Signalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights from simulations with high‐resolution transport and process models on sampling of the atmosphere for constraining midlatitude land carbon sinks

et al. 2006

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“…The measurement precision for N 2 O has been improving gradually because of developments in gas chromatography (GC) components, such as the detector, oven and column, since the early measurements of the atmospheric N 2 O concentration [ Weiss , 1981]. Improvements in measurement techniques and an increase in the observation network density have allowed the derivation of long‐term trends, seasonal cycle and interannual variation of the atmospheric N 2 O concentration [ Prinn et al , 1990, 2000; Ishijima et al , 2001, 2009; Levin et al , 2002; Liao et al , 2004; Jiang et al , 2007; Nevison et al , 2007]. The seasonal amplitude is at most only 0.3% (∼1 ppb) of the absolute N 2 O concentration at surface sites in the troposphere [ Jiang et al , 2007].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stratospheric influence on the seasonal cycle of nitrous oxide in the troposphere as deduced from aircraft observations and model simulations

et al. 2010

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[1] The atmospheric N 2 O variations between the Earth's surface and the lower stratosphere, simulated by an atmospheric general circulation model-based chemistry transport model (ACTM), are compared with aircraft and satellite observations. We validate the newly developed ACTM simulations of N 2 O for loss rate and transport in the stratosphere using satellite observations from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (Aura-MLS), with optimized surface fluxes for reproducing N 2 O trends observed at the surface stations. Observations in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) obtained by the Japan AirLines commercial flights commuting between Narita (36°N), Japan, and Sydney (34°S), Australia, have been used to study the role of stratospheretroposphere exchange (STE) on N 2 O variability near the tropopause. Low N 2 O concentration events in the UT region are shown to be captured statistically significantly by the ACTM simulation. This is attributed to successful reproduction of stratospheric air intrusion events and N 2 O vertical/horizontal gradients in the lower stratosphere. The meteorological fields and N 2 O concentrations reproduced in the ACTM are used to illustrate the mechanisms of STE and subsequent downward propagation of N 2 O-depleted stratospheric air in the troposphere. Aircraft observations of N 2 O vertical profile over Surgut (West Siberia, Russia; 61°N), Sendai-Fukuoka (Japan; 34°N-38°N), and Cape Grim (Tasmania, Australia; 41°S) have been used to estimate the relative contribution of surface fluxes, transport seasonality in the troposphere, and STE to N 2 O seasonal cycles at different altitude levels. Stratospheric N 2 O tracers are incorporated in the ACTM for quantitative estimation of the stratospheric influence on tropospheric N 2 O. The results suggest strong latitude dependency of the stratospheric contribution to the tropospheric N 2 O seasonal cycle. The periods of seasonal minimum in the upper troposphere, which are spring over Japan and summer over Surgut, are in good agreement between the ACTM and observation and indicate a different propagation path of the stratospheric signal between the two sites in the Northern Hemisphere. The stratospheric tracer simulations, when utilized with the observed seasonal cycle, also provide qualitative information on the seasonal variation in surface fluxes of N 2 O.Citation: Ishijima, K., et al. (2010), Stratospheric influence on the seasonal cycle of nitrous oxide in the troposphere as deduced from aircraft observations and model simulations,

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“…Vertical profiles have a lower spatial variance than surface measurements and provide integrated measures of the atmospheric CO 2 column that give insight into net surface fluxes over large areas [ Crevoisier et al , 2006]. CO 2 mixing ratios aircraft measurement programs are implemented in Eurasia such as in Poland [ Katrynski et al , 2005], in Scotland [ Sturm et al , 2005] and in Siberia [ Ramonet et al , 2002; Lloyd et al , 2002; Sidorov et al , 2002; Levin et al , 2002], and in North America [ Tans et al , 1996]. Most of the vertical profiles are carried out close to continuous tall tower measurement sites [ Bakwin et al , 2003].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric CO₂ in situ measurements: Two examples of Crown Design flights in NE Spain

Font¹,

Morguí²,

Rodó³

2008

J. Geophys. Res.

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The new “Crown” aircraft sampling (CAS) approach integrates CO2 data obtained through horizontal transects and vertical profiles, sampling a specific volume of air at different atmospheric sections: 600 m, 1200 m, and 2500 m above the sea level (masl). This approach provides new tools to model fluxes in relation with meteorological conditions. It has been applied over a plain in the basin of the river called Ebre in the North East of Spain, with a triangular section defined by Linyola, Mequinensa's dam and Binèfar, taking up 1500 km2. The main human activity is agriculture, either irrigated or dry land. Horizontal transects at 600 and 1200 masl were sampled for CO2, with vertical profiles at the vertexes from 600 to 2500 masl (ground level is around 400 masl). The three‐dimensional configuration of the CAS Design enables the study of the CO2 fluxes between sections. Data have been obtained on a monthly basis since February 2006 until nowadays. In order to study the influence of forced turbulence in the atmospheric CO2 spatial distribution, two data sets are examined: the flight of 7 February 2006, performed under stable anticyclonic weather conditions; and the 6 March 2006 flight, characterized by strong northerly winds. The presence of stable/unstable layers in the February flight resulted in a stepwise vertical distribution of CO2 (with an increase from the free troposphere, 383 ppmv, to 400 ppmv close to the ground) whereas the unstable low troposphere sampled in March 2006 provided flat CO2 vertical profiles (concentrations ranging from 385 to 387 ppmv). In regard to the variability in the horizontal sections, the calculation of the Hurst exponents (H) provides a way to measure the persistence of vertical transport along the horizontal transects. In the February flight, CO2 concentration in transects shows the imprint of a spreading vertical transport from land (H > 0.90) but it is partially wiped away by high turbulence levels in the March flight (H = 0.79). From these results we expect CAS Design to provide better estimates of CO2 fluxes in the future.

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Three years of trace gas observations over the EuroSiberian domain derived from aircraft sampling — a concerted action

Abstract: A three-year trace gas climatology of CO 2 and its stable isotopic ratios, as well as CH 4 , N 2 O and SF 6

Cited by 27 publications

References 32 publications

Insights from simulations with high‐resolution transport and process models on sampling of the atmosphere for constraining midlatitude land carbon sinks

Insights from simulations with high‐resolution transport and process models on sampling of the atmosphere for constraining midlatitude land carbon sinks

Stratospheric influence on the seasonal cycle of nitrous oxide in the troposphere as deduced from aircraft observations and model simulations

Atmospheric CO₂ in situ measurements: Two examples of Crown Design flights in NE Spain

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Three years of trace gas observations over the EuroSiberian domain derived from aircraft sampling — a concerted action

Abstract: A three-year trace gas climatology of CO 2 and its stable isotopic ratios, as well as CH 4 , N 2 O and SF 6

Cited by 27 publications

References 32 publications

Insights from simulations with high‐resolution transport and process models on sampling of the atmosphere for constraining midlatitude land carbon sinks

Insights from simulations with high‐resolution transport and process models on sampling of the atmosphere for constraining midlatitude land carbon sinks

Stratospheric influence on the seasonal cycle of nitrous oxide in the troposphere as deduced from aircraft observations and model simulations

Atmospheric CO2 in situ measurements: Two examples of Crown Design flights in NE Spain

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Atmospheric CO₂ in situ measurements: Two examples of Crown Design flights in NE Spain