High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sources
We use observations of boundary layer methane from the SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft campaign over the Southeast US in August–September 2013 to estimate methane emissions in that region through an inverse analysis with up to 0.25° × 0.3125° (25×25 km<sup>2</sup>) resolution...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-05-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/6483/2018/acp-18-6483-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818503802288865280 |
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| author | J.-X. Sheng D. J. Jacob A. J. Turner A. J. Turner J. D. Maasakkers M. P. Sulprizio A. A. Bloom A. E. Andrews D. Wunch |
| author_facet | J.-X. Sheng D. J. Jacob A. J. Turner A. J. Turner J. D. Maasakkers M. P. Sulprizio A. A. Bloom A. E. Andrews D. Wunch |
| author_sort | J.-X. Sheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We use observations of boundary layer methane from the SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS
aircraft campaign over the Southeast US in August–September 2013 to
estimate methane emissions in that region through an inverse
analysis with up to 0.25° × 0.3125°
(25×25 km<sup>2</sup>) resolution and with full error
characterization. The Southeast US is a major source region for
methane including large contributions from oil and gas production and
wetlands. Our inversion uses state-of-the-art emission inventories
as prior estimates, including a gridded version of the anthropogenic
EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory and the mean of the WetCHARTs ensemble
for wetlands. Inversion results are independently verified by
comparison with surface (NOAA∕ESRL) and column
(TCCON) methane observations. Our posterior estimates for the
Southeast US are 12.8 ± 0.9 Tg a<sup>−1</sup> for anthropogenic
sources (no significant change from the gridded EPA inventory) and
9.4 ± 0.8 Tg a<sup>−1</sup> for wetlands (27 % decrease from
the mean in the WetCHARTs ensemble). The largest source of error in
the WetCHARTs wetlands ensemble is the land cover map specification
of wetland areal extent. Our results support the accuracy of the EPA
anthropogenic inventory on a regional scale but there are
significant local discrepancies for oil and gas production fields,
suggesting that emission factors are more variable than assumed in
the EPA inventory. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T21:28:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3d1bc394a90346a1ad7f9b79093e7a53 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T21:28:44Z |
| publishDate | 2018-05-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-3d1bc394a90346a1ad7f9b79093e7a532022-12-22T01:32:54ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242018-05-01186483649110.5194/acp-18-6483-2018High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sourcesJ.-X. Sheng0D. J. Jacob1A. J. Turner2A. J. Turner3J. D. Maasakkers4M. P. Sulprizio5A. A. Bloom6A. E. Andrews7D. Wunch8School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USASchool of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USASchool of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USAnow at: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, CA, USASchool of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USASchool of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USANOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USADepartment of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, CanadaWe use observations of boundary layer methane from the SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft campaign over the Southeast US in August–September 2013 to estimate methane emissions in that region through an inverse analysis with up to 0.25° × 0.3125° (25×25 km<sup>2</sup>) resolution and with full error characterization. The Southeast US is a major source region for methane including large contributions from oil and gas production and wetlands. Our inversion uses state-of-the-art emission inventories as prior estimates, including a gridded version of the anthropogenic EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory and the mean of the WetCHARTs ensemble for wetlands. Inversion results are independently verified by comparison with surface (NOAA∕ESRL) and column (TCCON) methane observations. Our posterior estimates for the Southeast US are 12.8 ± 0.9 Tg a<sup>−1</sup> for anthropogenic sources (no significant change from the gridded EPA inventory) and 9.4 ± 0.8 Tg a<sup>−1</sup> for wetlands (27 % decrease from the mean in the WetCHARTs ensemble). The largest source of error in the WetCHARTs wetlands ensemble is the land cover map specification of wetland areal extent. Our results support the accuracy of the EPA anthropogenic inventory on a regional scale but there are significant local discrepancies for oil and gas production fields, suggesting that emission factors are more variable than assumed in the EPA inventory.https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/6483/2018/acp-18-6483-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J.-X. Sheng D. J. Jacob A. J. Turner A. J. Turner J. D. Maasakkers M. P. Sulprizio A. A. Bloom A. E. Andrews D. Wunch High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sources Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sources |
| title_full | High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sources |
| title_fullStr | High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sources |
| title_full_unstemmed | High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sources |
| title_short | High-resolution inversion of methane emissions in the Southeast US using SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations of atmospheric methane: anthropogenic and wetland sources |
| title_sort | high resolution inversion of methane emissions in the southeast us using seac sup 4 sup rs aircraft observations of atmospheric methane anthropogenic and wetland sources |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/6483/2018/acp-18-6483-2018.pdf |
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