On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxes
Because of its ubiquitous release on land and well-characterized atmospheric loss, radon-222 has been very useful for deducing fluxes of greenhouse gases such as CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, and N<sub>2</sub>O. It is shown here that the radon-tracer method, use...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2007-07-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/3737/2007/acp-7-3737-2007.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818157616740696064 |
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| author | A. I. Hirsch |
| author_facet | A. I. Hirsch |
| author_sort | A. I. Hirsch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Because of its ubiquitous release on land and well-characterized atmospheric loss, radon-222 has been very useful for deducing fluxes of greenhouse gases such as CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, and N<sub>2</sub>O. It is shown here that the radon-tracer method, used in previous studies to calculate regional-scale greenhouse gas fluxes, returns a weighted-average flux (the flux field <i>F</i> weighted by the sensitivity of the measurements to that flux field, <i>f</i>) rather than an evenly-weighted spatial average flux. A synthetic data study using a Lagrangian particle dispersion model and modeled CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes suggests that the discrepancy between the sensitivity-weighted average flux and evenly-weighted spatial average flux can be significant in the case of CO<sub>2</sub>, due to covariance between <i>F</i> and <i>f</i> for biospheric CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes during the growing season and also for anthropogenic CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes in general. A technique is presented to correct the radon-tracer derived fluxes to yield an estimate of evenly-weighted spatial average CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes. A new method is also introduced for correcting the CO<sub>2</sub> flux estimates for the effects of radon-222 radioactive decay in the radon-tracer method. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T15:17:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9d6d8918fb5947099ecab64c02005462 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T15:17:02Z |
| publishDate | 2007-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-9d6d8918fb5947099ecab64c020054622022-12-22T01:00:32ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242007-07-0171437373747On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxesA. I. HirschBecause of its ubiquitous release on land and well-characterized atmospheric loss, radon-222 has been very useful for deducing fluxes of greenhouse gases such as CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, and N<sub>2</sub>O. It is shown here that the radon-tracer method, used in previous studies to calculate regional-scale greenhouse gas fluxes, returns a weighted-average flux (the flux field <i>F</i> weighted by the sensitivity of the measurements to that flux field, <i>f</i>) rather than an evenly-weighted spatial average flux. A synthetic data study using a Lagrangian particle dispersion model and modeled CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes suggests that the discrepancy between the sensitivity-weighted average flux and evenly-weighted spatial average flux can be significant in the case of CO<sub>2</sub>, due to covariance between <i>F</i> and <i>f</i> for biospheric CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes during the growing season and also for anthropogenic CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes in general. A technique is presented to correct the radon-tracer derived fluxes to yield an estimate of evenly-weighted spatial average CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes. A new method is also introduced for correcting the CO<sub>2</sub> flux estimates for the effects of radon-222 radioactive decay in the radon-tracer method.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/3737/2007/acp-7-3737-2007.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. I. Hirsch On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxes Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxes |
| title_full | On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxes |
| title_fullStr | On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxes |
| title_full_unstemmed | On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxes |
| title_short | On using radon-222 and CO2 to calculate regional-scale CO2 fluxes |
| title_sort | on using radon 222 and co2 to calculate regional scale co2 fluxes |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/3737/2007/acp-7-3737-2007.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aihirsch onusingradon222andco2tocalculateregionalscaleco2fluxes |