Articles | Volume 11, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
02 Mar 2018
Research article |
| 02 Mar 2018
| 02 Mar 2018
Interlaboratory comparison of δ13C and δD measurements of atmospheric CH4 for combined use of data sets from different laboratories
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry Department, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Center for Environmental Measurement and Analysis, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
Carl A. M. Brenninkmeijer
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry Department, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Thomas Röckmann
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, Utrecht
University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Carina van der Veen
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, Utrecht
University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Stanley C. Tyler
Earth System Science Department, University of California, Irvine, USA
Chemistry Department, Norco College, Norco, CA 92860, USA
Ryo Fujita
Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of
Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Shinji Morimoto
Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of
Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
National Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo, Japan
Shuji Aoki
Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of
Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Todd Sowers
The Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
Jochen Schmitt
Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger
Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern,
Switzerland
Michael Bock
Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger
Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern,
Switzerland
Jonas Beck
Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger
Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern,
Switzerland
Hubertus Fischer
Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger
Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern,
Switzerland
Sylvia E. Michel
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Bruce H. Vaughn
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
John B. Miller
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
James W. C. White
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado
Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Gordon Brailsford
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington
6021, New Zealand
Hinrich Schaefer
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington
6021, New Zealand
Peter Sperlich
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington
6021, New Zealand
Willi A. Brand
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
Michael Rothe
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
Thomas Blunier
Centre for Ice and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,
Denmark
David Lowry
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London,
Egham, UK
Rebecca E. Fisher
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London,
Egham, UK
Euan G. Nisbet
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London,
Egham, UK
Andrew L. Rice
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207,
USA
Peter Bergamaschi
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Ispra (Va), Italy
Cordelia Veidt
Institute for Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
Ingeborg Levin
Institute for Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
Abstract. We report results from a worldwide interlaboratory comparison of samples among laboratories that measure (or measured) stable carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of atmospheric CH4 (δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4). The offsets among the laboratories are larger than the measurement reproducibility of individual laboratories. To disentangle plausible measurement offsets, we evaluated and critically assessed a large number of intercomparison results, some of which have been documented previously in the literature. The results indicate significant offsets of δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 measurements among data sets reported from different laboratories; the differences among laboratories at modern atmospheric CH4 level spread over ranges of 0.5 ‰ for δ13C-CH4 and 13 ‰ for δD-CH4. The intercomparison results summarized in this study may be of help in future attempts to harmonize δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 data sets from different laboratories in order to jointly incorporate them into modelling studies. However, establishing a merged data set, which includes δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 data from multiple laboratories with desirable compatibility, is still challenging due to differences among laboratories in instrument settings, correction methods, traceability to reference materials and long-term data management. Further efforts are needed to identify causes of the interlaboratory measurement offsets and to decrease those to move towards the best use of available δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 data sets.
Download & links
Download & links
- Article
(969 KB) - Full-text XML
- BibTeX
- EndNote
How to cite. Umezawa, T., Brenninkmeijer, C. A. M., Röckmann, T., van der Veen, C., Tyler, S. C., Fujita, R., Morimoto, S., Aoki, S., Sowers, T., Schmitt, J., Bock, M., Beck, J., Fischer, H., Michel, S. E., Vaughn, B. H., Miller, J. B., White, J. W. C., Brailsford, G., Schaefer, H., Sperlich, P., Brand, W. A., Rothe, M., Blunier, T., Lowry, D., Fisher, R. E., Nisbet, E. G., Rice, A. L., Bergamaschi, P., Veidt, C., and Levin, I.: Interlaboratory comparison of δ13C and δD measurements of atmospheric CH4 for combined use of data sets from different laboratories, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1207–1231, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018, 2018.
Short summary
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.
Isotope measurements are useful for separating different methane sources. However, the lack of...