Articles | Volume 15, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2177-2022
© Author(s) 2022. 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-15-2177-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Apr 2022
Research article |
| 11 Apr 2022
| 11 Apr 2022
Controlled-release experiment to investigate uncertainties in UAV-based emission quantification for methane point sources
Randulph Morales
Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, Dübendorf, Switzerland
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Jonas Ravelid
Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, Dübendorf, Switzerland
Katarina Vinkovic
Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Piotr Korbeń
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Béla Tuzson
Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, Dübendorf, Switzerland
Lukas Emmenegger
Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, Dübendorf, Switzerland
Huilin Chen
Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Joint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Martina Schmidt
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Sebastian Humbel
Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, Dübendorf, Switzerland
Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, Dübendorf, Switzerland
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4762, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4762, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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Accurate measurements of the concentration of water vapor in the upper atmosphere are essential for reliable climate predictions. We investigated the performance of a new lightweight (less than 4 kg) hygrometer, based on laser absorption spectroscopy, in a series of atmospheric test flights using weather balloons, reaching up to 35 km altitude. The results demonstrate the high accuracy and suitability of this technique for applications in long-term climate monitoring and atmospheric research.
Thomas Laemmel, Dylan Geissbühler, Stephan Henne, Ryo Fujita, Heather Graven, Christophe Espic, Matthias Bantle, Negar Haghipour, Franz Conen, Dominik Brunner, Martin Steinbacher, Giulia Zazzeri, Samuel Hammer, Markus Leuenberger, and Sönke Szidat
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 12019–12036, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-12019-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-12019-2026, 2026
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Carbon dioxide and methane are the two main anthropogenic greenhouse gases responsible for current climate change. Beside the measurement of their atmospheric concentration, the analysis of the abundance of their isotope carbon-14 (14C) gives hints about their origin, either biogenic or fossil. Here we present six years of atmospheric 14CH4 and 14CO2 measurements at a high-elevation alpine site in Switzerland (Jungfraujoch) and discuss the observed trends in both local and global views.
Paul M. Magyar, Nico Kueter, Simone Brunamonti, Naizhong Zhang, Ivan Prokhorov, Noémy Chénier, Lukas Emmenegger, Béla Tuzson, and Joachim Mohn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 5267–5280, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-5267-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-5267-2026, 2026
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Mengrong Lu, Huilin Chen, Xun Zhang, Xuguang Chi, Chong Wei, Shuangxi Fang, Fenjuan Wang, Eleftherios Ioannidis, Friedemann Reum, Xinlu Wang, Prajal Pradhan, Wouter Peters, Klaus Hubacek, and Sander Houweling
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3879, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3879, 2026
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Effective methane mitigation requires accurate knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of sources and sinks. Using high-resolution atmospheric modeling and ground-based observations, we estimated methane emissions in East Asia, focusing on the Yangtze River Delta. Emissions are lower than most inventories suggest, but show a clear seasonal cycle, with summer peaks driven by rice cultivation and natural sources. This seasonality is critical for emission tracking and mitigation design.
Joël Thanwerdas, Paolo Cristofanelli, Angela Fiore, Rianne Dröge, Sophie Van Mil, Yohanna Villalobos, Zhendong Wu, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 10477–10507, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10477-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10477-2026, 2026
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Martina Schmidt, Ingeborg Bussmann, Sarah J. E. Reith, Annika Palzer, Cedric Couret, Frank Keppler, Daniela Polag, Lasse Sander, Moritz Schroll, and Julia B. Wietzel
Biogeosciences, 23, 5095–5115, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5095-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5095-2026, 2026
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Methane (CH4) measurements near a sand dredging site off Sylt (North Sea) revealed elevated concentrations in both air and water, particularly during summer. CH4 fluxes were significantly higher at the dredging site compared to surrounding areas. Isotopic signatures suggest a microbial origin. These findings indicate that coastal sand extraction may represent a previously unaccounted source of atmospheric CH4.
Audrey McManemin, Catherine Juéry, Vincent Blandin, Matthew Baker, Stéphane Bauguitte, Dominik Brunner, Philippine Burdeau, James Lawrence France, Anders M. Fredenslund, Andreas Hueni, Gerrit Kuhlmann, Patryk Łakomiec, Sando Meier, Roberto Paglini, Roubina Papaconstantinou, Jean-Daniel Paris, Pierre-Yves Quehe, Thomas Röckmann, Charlotte Scheutz, Martina Schmidt, Marius Vögtli, Julia B. Wietzel, and Adam R. Brandt
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1744, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1744, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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Researchers tested five university-led systems to measure methane leaks at a facility in France. By releasing known amounts of gas, researchers checked if mobile tools on vehicles and planes could accurately detect and quantify emissions. Most sensors were excellent at finding leaks, but their accuracy in measuring the exact emission rate varied. Weather, especially low wind, significantly impacted results. These findings help improve how we track greenhouse gases to meet climate goals.
Erik Franciscus Maria Koene, Gerrit Kuhlmann, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 3999–4012, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3999-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3999-2026, 2026
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We developed methods to reduce noise in satellite images that track air pollution. By using clearer measurements of a related gas, our techniques improve image quality by up to 80 percent, allowing more accurate identification of pollution sources. Tested with simulated and real satellite data, this approach could enhance monitoring of emissions and support better environmental decisions.
Shuai Sun, Yuzhong Zhang, Wei Chen, Shaomin Pan, Dongchuan Pu, Xin Tong, Huilin Chen, and Sander Houweling
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2165, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2165, 2026
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Alessandro Zanchetta, Steven van Heuven, Rigel Kivi, Michel Ramonet, Andreas Engel, Maarten Krol, and Huilin Chen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2799, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2799, 2026
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In this study, we calculate the mean lifetime of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and methane (CH4) in the stratosphere from continuous vertical profiles sampled with balloon-borne instruments. We used two methods based on the stratospheric relationship of these gas species with N2O. The estimated stratospheric lifetime range is 69–90 years for COS and 146–172 years for CH4. These results are consistent with other studies and suggest no long-term trends in the stratospheric lifetime of these gas species.
Noni van Ettinger, Steven M. A. C. van Heuven, and Huilin Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 3333–3362, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3333-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3333-2026, 2026
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Johannes Degen, Nicole Bobrowski, Mélisende M. Bossard, Lucie Boucher, Huilin Chen, Andreas Engel, Bastien H. Geil, Giovanni B. Giuffrida, Steven van Heuven, Thorsten Hoffmann, Niklas Karbach, Gianluigi Ortenzi, and Tanja J. Schuck
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1865, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1865, 2026
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Observations in volcanic plumes often rely on Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). In July 2024, we used the active AirCore technique with UAS to probe the plumes of Mount Etna (Italy). This was the first time to use this technique inside volcanic plumes. AirCore samples are stored in long coils for laboratory analyses delivering high-quality trace gas measurements. We observed enhanced mole fractions of CO2 and often also of CO. allowing conclusions on oxidation processes inside the crater.
Ann-Kristin Kunz, Samuel Hammer, Patrick Aigner, Laura Bignotti, Lars Borchardt, Jia Chen, Julian Della Coletta, Lukas Emmenegger, Markus Eritt, Xochilt Gutiérrez, Josh Hashemi, Rainer Hilland, Christopher Holst, Armin Jordan, Natascha Kljun, Richard Kneißl, Changxing Lan, Virgile Legendre, Ingeborg Levin, Benjamin Loubet, Matthias Mauder, Betty Molinier, Susanne Preunkert, Michel Ramonet, Stavros Stagakis, and Andreas Christen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 4967–5003, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4967-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4967-2026, 2026
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Shengxi Bai, Huilin Chen, Zhen Zhang, Shushi Peng, Fei Jiang, Fei Li, Shuzhuang Feng, Yingqi Yan, Qidan Huang, and Yongguang Zhang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4610, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4610, 2026
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Ji Li, Xuguang Chi, Aijun Ding, Weimin Ju, Yongguang Zhang, Jing M. Chen, and Huilin Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 1763–1781, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1763-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1763-2026, 2026
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Accurate measurement of methane's isotopic fingerprint is crucial for identifying its sources. However, water vapor interference and instrument drift can cause significant errors, especially in humid air. This study evaluated two calibration methods and found that calibrating for individual methane isotopes with a water vapor correction provided accurate and stable results for both dry and humid air. This highlights the need for robust calibration to ensure reliable methane source attribution.
Julian Großmann, Frank Meinhardt, Antje Hoheisel, Bryan Hellack, and Martina Schmidt
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-849, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-849, 2026
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Gholam Ali Hoshyaripour, Andreas Baer, Sascha Bierbauer, Julia Bruckert, Dominik Brunner, Jochen Förstner, Arash Hamzehloo, Valentin Hanft, Corina Keller, Martina Klose, Pankaj Kumar, Patrick Ludwig, Enrico Metzner, Lisa Muth, Andreas Pauling, Nikolas Porz, Maryam Ramezani Ziarani, Thomas Reddmann, Luca Reißig, Roland Ruhnke, Khompat Satitkovitchai, Axel Seifert, Miriam Sinnhuber, Michael Steiner, Stefan Versick, Heike Vogel, Michael Weimer, Sven Werchner, and Corinna Hoose
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 1645–1681, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1645-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1645-2026, 2026
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This paper presents recent advances in ICON-ART, a modeling system that simulates atmospheric composition – such as gases and particles – and their interactions with weather and climate. By integrating updated chemistry, emissions, and aerosol processes, ICON-ART enables detailed, scale-spanning simulations. It supports both scientific research and operational forecasts, contributing to improved air quality, weather and climate predictions.
Alessandro Zanchetta, Steven van Heuven, Joram Hooghiem, Rigel Kivi, Thomas Laemmel, Michel Ramonet, Markus Leuenberger, Peter Nyfeler, Sophie L. Baartman, Maarten Krol, and Huilin Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 1465–1486, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1465-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1465-2026, 2026
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Continuous vertical profiles and discrete stratospheric samples of carbonyl sulfide (COS) were collected deploying the balloon-borne AirCore, LIghtweight Stratospheric Air (LISA) and BigLISA samplers and measured on a Quantum Cascade Laser Spectrometer (QCLS). Our measurements show good accordance with previous COS observations. Moreover, laboratory tests of ozone (O3) scrubbers proved squalene to remove O3 very efficiently without biasing the measurements of other trace gases.
Luce Creman, Stuart K. Grange, Pascal Rubli, Andrea Fischer, Dominik Brunner, Christoph Hueglin, Lukas Emmenegger, and Leonie Bernet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 1441–1463, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1441-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1441-2026, 2026
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ZiCOS-L is a network of low-cost sensors in Zurich (Switzerland) to monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. After correcting for drift and checking the sensor performance, we found that local factors like traffic, public events and vegetation affect CO2 levels. Even though the sensors have higher uncertainties than other sensors, the lower cost allows for a denser network with detailed insights into CO2 levels across the city, helping cities track emissions and support climate action plans.
Patrick Aigner, Jia Chen, Felix Böhm, Mali Chariot, Lukas Emmenegger, Lars Frölich, Stuart Grange, Daniel Kühbacher, Klaus Kürzinger, Olivier Laurent, Moritz Makowski, Pascal Rubli, Adrian Schmitt, and Adrian Wenzel
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 745–773, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-745-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-745-2026, 2026
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Dense urban CO2 monitoring is challenging due to cost and operational constraints. We developed a mid-cost sensor network for Munich, deployed on 17 rooftops. Temperature-stabilized enclosures and automated 2-point calibration ensured reliable performance, assessed by side-by-side comparison with a Picarro reference. In 1.5 years, the network collected 90 million measurements and resolved urban-rural gradients and seasonal diurnal patterns, capturing spatial CO2 variability at city scale.
Sandro Meier, Marius Vögtli, Andreas Hueni, Audrey McManemin, Adam R. Brandt, Catherine Juéry, Vincent Blandin, Dominik Brunner, and Gerrit Kuhlmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 333–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-333-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-333-2026, 2026
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We tested a new airborne imaging instrument to detect and measure methane emissions. Flying over controlled test releases in France, we compared our measurements with known release rates. The instrument detected emissions as low as 5.5 kilograms per hour in good weather and 1.45 kilograms per hour in ideal conditions. Our results show that better wind information is crucial for accurate totals. Our new instrument is important for helping target methane leaks in energy and waste systems.
Thomas Röckmann, Malika Menoud, Jacoline van Es, Carina van der Veen, Hossein Maazallahi, Pawel Jagoda, Jaroslav M. Necki, Jakub Bartyzel, Piotr Korben, Sara Defratyka, Martina Schmidt, Marius Corbu, Sebastian Iancu, Andreea Calcan, Magdalena Ardelean, Sorin Ghemulet, Cristian Pop, Andrei Radovici, Alexandru Mereuta, Horatiu Stefanie, and Calin Baciu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 723–731, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-723-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-723-2026, 2026
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We report the isotopic composition of CH4 emitted from 48 installations in the gas production region of Transylvania, Romania which confirm the biogenic origin of the Transylvanian gas, produced by hydrogenotrophic CO2 reduction. This is similar to values reported previously from natural seeps and natural gas in a major city in the region. However, is more depleted in heavy isotopes than the oil-associated gas emitted in the Southern Romanian Plain, and gas leakages in the city of Bucharest.
Nikolai Ponomarev, Michael Steiner, Erik Koene, Pascal Rubli, Stuart Grange, Lionel Constantin, Michel Ramonet, Leslie David, Arash Hamzehloo, Lukas Emmenegger, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 547–570, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-547-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-547-2026, 2026
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Urban inversions are gaining increasing attention, as cities are major contributors to anthropogenic emissions, making accurate emission estimates at this scale essential for supporting climate action plans and verifying reported emission reductions. We estimated carbon dioxide emissions in Zurich and Paris over one year by combining atmospheric observations with mesoscale model simulations. Our study shows how factors like city size, terrain, and measurement methods affect emission estimates.
Paul Waldmann, Max Eckl, Leon Knez, Klaus-Dirk Gottschaldt, Alina Fiehn, Christian Mallaun, Michał Gałkowski, Christoph Kiemle, Ronald Hutjes, Thomas Röckmann, Huilin Chen, and Anke Roiger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 185–210, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-185-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-185-2026, 2026
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Nitrous oxide and methane emissions from agriculture need to be reduced, therefore emissions must be understood to effectively mitigate them. This is the first approach to measure those emissions aircraft-based, to assess their magnitude and drivers. We identified emission hotspots and temporal changes in agricultural emissions in the Netherlands. Our approach is applicable to further greenhouse gas emitters, therefore it builds a step towards more comprehensive emission quantification.
Eleftherios Ioannidis, Antoon Meesters, Michael Steiner, Dominik Brunner, Friedemann Reum, Isabelle Pison, Antoine Berchet, Rona Thompson, Espen Sollum, Frank-Thomas Koch, Christoph Gerbig, Fenjuan Wang, Shamil Maksyutov, Aki Tsuruta, Maria Tenkanen, Tuula Aalto, Guillaume Monteil, Hong Lin, Ge Ren, Marko Scholze, and Sander Houweling
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 167–198, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-167-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-167-2026, 2026
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This paper describes a detailed study on CH4 European emissions, using different methodologies (9 total inverse models). The study spans over 15 years and provides detailed information on European CH4 emission trends and seasonality, using in-situ data, including Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) network. Our results highlight the importance of improving details in the inversion setup, such as the treatment of lateral boundary conditions to narrow the uncertainty ranges further.
Shuzhuang Feng, Fei Jiang, Yongguang Zhang, Huilin Chen, Honglin Zhuang, Shumin Wang, Shengxi Bai, Hengmao Wang, and Weimin Ju
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 15121–15143, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15121-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15121-2025, 2025
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Using satellite data and advanced modeling, this study inverted daily high-resolution anthropogenic CH4 emissions across China and Shanxi Province. We found that China's 2022 CH4 emissions were 45.1 TgCH4·yr⁻¹, significantly lower than previous estimates, especially in coal mining and waste sectors. The inversion substantially reduced emission uncertainties and improved CH4 concentration simulations. These results suggest China’s climate mitigation burden may have been overestimated.
Dominik Brunner, Ivo Suter, Leonie Bernet, Lionel Constantin, Stuart K. Grange, Pascal Rubli, Junwei Li, Jia Chen, Alessandro Bigi, and Lukas Emmenegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14387–14410, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14387-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14387-2025, 2025
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To support the city of Zurich in tracking its path to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions planned to be reached by 2040, a CO2 emission monitoring system was established. The system combines a dense network of CO2 sensors with a high-resolution atmospheric transport model GRAMM/GRAL. This study presents the setup of the model together with its numerous inputs and evaluates its performance in comparison with observations from the CO2 sensor network.
Rainer Hilland, Josh Hashemi, Stavros Stagakis, Dominik Brunner, Lionel Constantin, Natascha Kljun, Ann-Kristin Kunz, Betty Molinier, Samuel Hammer, Lukas Emmenegger, and Andreas Christen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14279–14299, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14279-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14279-2025, 2025
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We present a study of simultaneously measured fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and co-emitted species in the city of Zurich. Flux measurements of CO2 alone cannot be attributed to specific emission sectors, such as road transport or residential heating. We present a model which uses the measured ratios of CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) as well as sector-specific reference ratios, to attribute measured fluxes to their emission sectors.
Yuri Brugnara, Martin Steinbacher, Simone Baffelli, and Lukas Emmenegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14221–14236, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14221-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14221-2025, 2025
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GAW-QC (Global Atmosphere Watch-Quality Control) is an interactive dashboard for the quality control of in-situ atmospheric composition measurements made at stations taking part in the Global Atmosphere Watch network. Even though it is mainly targeted at station operators who want to analyze recent, not yet published measurements, it allows anybody to verify the quality of already published measurements using various anomaly detection algorithms as well as visual comparisons.
Simone Brunamonti, Harald Saathoff, Albert Hertzog, Glenn Diskin, Masatomo Fujiwara, Karen Rosenlof, Ottmar Möhler, Béla Tuzson, Lukas Emmenegger, Nadir Amarouche, Georges Durry, Fabien Frérot, Jean-Christophe Samake, Claire Cenac, Julio Lopez, Paul Monnier, and Mélanie Ghysels
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 5321–5348, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-5321-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-5321-2025, 2025
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Water vapor is a strong greenhouse gas, and accurate measurements of its concentration in the upper atmosphere (~8–25 km altitude) are crucial for reliable climate predictions. We investigated the performance of four airborne hygrometers, deployed on aircraft or stratospheric balloon platforms and based on different techniques, in a climate simulation chamber. The results demonstrate the high accuracy and reliability of the involved sensors for atmospheric monitoring and research applications.
Julia Beate Wietzel, Piotr Korben, Antje Hoheisel, and Martina Schmidt
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 4631–4645, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-4631-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-4631-2025, 2025
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Long-term measurements of CH4 emission rates at a biogas plant in Germany were performed for eight years using mobile measurements combined with a Gaussian plume model. The average CH4 emission rate of the biogas plant was 5.9 ± 0.5 kg CH4 h-1. To increase the accuracy of the emission rate calculations and harmonize the dataset, the methodology was evaluated through six controlled methane release experiments demonstrating an uncertainty lower than 30 %, following several recommendations.
Johannes C. Laube, Tanja J. Schuck, Sophie Baartman, Huilin Chen, Markus Geldenhuys, Steven van Heuven, Timo Keber, Maria Elena Popa, Elinor Tuffnell, Florian Voet, Bärbel Vogel, Thomas Wagenhäuser, Alessandro Zanchetta, and Andreas Engel
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 4087–4102, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-4087-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-4087-2025, 2025
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A large balloon was launched in summer 2021 in the Arctic to carry instruments for trace gas measurements up to 32 km, above the reach of aircraft. The main aims were to evaluate different techniques and atmospheric processes. We focus on halogenated greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances. For this, air was collected with the AirCore technique and a cryogenic air sampler and measured after the flight. A companion paper reports observations of major greenhouse gases.
Gerrit Kuhlmann, Foteini Stavropoulou, Stefan Schwietzke, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Andrew Thorpe, Andreas Hueni, Lukas Emmenegger, Andreea Calcan, Thomas Röckmann, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5371–5385, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5371-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5371-2025, 2025
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A measurement campaign in 2019 found that methane emissions from oil and gas in Romania were significantly higher than reported. In 2021, our follow-up campaign using airborne remote sensing showed a marked decreases in emissions by 20 %–60 % due to improved infrastructure. The study highlights the importance of measurement-based emission monitoring and illustrates the value of a multi-scale assessment integrating ground-based observations with large-scale airborne remote sensing campaigns.
Stavros Stagakis, Dominik Brunner, Junwei Li, Leif Backman, Anni Karvonen, Lionel Constantin, Leena Järvi, Minttu Havu, Jia Chen, Sophie Emberger, and Liisa Kulmala
Biogeosciences, 22, 2133–2161, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2133-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2133-2025, 2025
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The balance between CO2 uptake and emissions from urban green areas is still not well understood. This study evaluated for the first time the urban park CO2 exchange simulations with four different types of biosphere model by comparing them with observations. Even though some advantages and disadvantages of the different model types were identified, there was no strong evidence that more complex models performed better than simple ones.
Tanja J. Schuck, Johannes Degen, Timo Keber, Katharina Meixner, Thomas Wagenhäuser, Mélanie Ghysels, Georges Durry, Nadir Amarouche, Alessandro Zanchetta, Steven van Heuven, Huilin Chen, Johannes C. Laube, Sophie L. Baartman, Carina van der Veen, Maria Elena Popa, and Andreas Engel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4333–4348, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4333-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4333-2025, 2025
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A balloon was launched in 2021 in the Arctic to carry instruments for trace gas measurements up to 32 km. One purpose was to compare measurement techniques. We focus on the major greenhouse gases. To measure these, air was sampled with the AirCore technique and with flask sampling, and samples were analysed after the flight. In flight, observations were done with an optical method. In a companion paper, we report on observations of chlorine and bromine containing trace gases.
Joël Thanwerdas, Antoine Berchet, Lionel Constantin, Aki Tsuruta, Michael Steiner, Friedemann Reum, Stephan Henne, and Dominik Brunner
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 1505–1544, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-1505-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-1505-2025, 2025
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The Community Inversion Framework (CIF) brings together methods for estimating greenhouse gas fluxes from atmospheric observations. The initial ensemble method implemented in CIF was found to be incomplete and could hardly be compared to other ensemble methods employed in the inversion community. In this paper, we present and evaluate a new implementation of the ensemble mode, building upon the initial developments.
Stuart K. Grange, Pascal Rubli, Andrea Fischer, Dominik Brunner, Christoph Hueglin, and Lukas Emmenegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2781–2806, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2781-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2781-2025, 2025
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Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a very important atmospheric pollutant, and to better understand the gas's source and sink dynamics, a mid-cost sensor network hosting 26 sites was deployed in and around Zurich, Switzerland. The sensor measurement performance was quantified, and natural and anthropogenic CO2 emission sources were explored with a focus on what drives high CO2 levels. The observations will be used further by others to validate what is thought to be known about CO2 emissions in the region.
Hossein Maazallahi, Foteini Stavropoulou, Samuel Jonson Sutanto, Michael Steiner, Dominik Brunner, Mariano Mertens, Patrick Jöckel, Antoon Visschedijk, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Stijn Dellaert, Nataly Velandia Salinas, Stefan Schwietzke, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Sorin Ghemulet, Alexandru Pana, Magdalena Ardelean, Marius Corbu, Andreea Calcan, Stephen A. Conley, Mackenzie L. Smith, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1497–1511, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1497-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1497-2025, 2025
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This article presents insights from airborne in situ measurements collected during the ROmanian Methane Emissions from Oil and gas (ROMEO) campaign supported by two models. Results reveal Romania's oil and gas methane emissions were significantly under-reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2019. A large underestimation was also found in the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) v7.0 for the study domain in the same year.
Diego Santaren, Janne Hakkarainen, Gerrit Kuhlmann, Erik Koene, Frédéric Chevallier, Iolanda Ialongo, Hannakaisa Lindqvist, Janne Nurmela, Johanna Tamminen, Laia Amorós, Dominik Brunner, and Grégoire Broquet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 211–239, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-211-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-211-2025, 2025
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This study evaluates data-driven inversion methods for estimating CO2 emissions from local sources, such as power plants and cities, using meteorological data and XCO2 and NO2 satellite images rather than atmospheric transport modeling. We assess and compare the performance of five different methods using simulations of 1 year of satellite images, taken from the upcoming Copernicus CO2 Monitoring Mission, covering 15 power plants and the city of Berlin, Germany.
Michael Steiner, Luca Cantarello, Stephan Henne, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12447–12463, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12447-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12447-2024, 2024
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Atmospheric greenhouse gas inversions have great potential to independently check reported bottom-up emissions; however they are subject to large uncertainties. It is paramount to address and reduce the largest source of uncertainty, which stems from the representation of atmospheric transport in the models. In this study, we show that the use of a temporally varying flow-dependent atmospheric transport uncertainty can enhance the accuracy of emission estimation in an idealized experiment.
Ana Maria Roxana Petrescu, Glen P. Peters, Richard Engelen, Sander Houweling, Dominik Brunner, Aki Tsuruta, Bradley Matthews, Prabir K. Patra, Dmitry Belikov, Rona L. Thompson, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Wenxin Zhang, Arjo J. Segers, Giuseppe Etiope, Giancarlo Ciotoli, Philippe Peylin, Frédéric Chevallier, Tuula Aalto, Robbie M. Andrew, David Bastviken, Antoine Berchet, Grégoire Broquet, Giulia Conchedda, Stijn N. C. Dellaert, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Johannes Gütschow, Jean-Matthieu Haussaire, Ronny Lauerwald, Tiina Markkanen, Jacob C. A. van Peet, Isabelle Pison, Pierre Regnier, Espen Solum, Marko Scholze, Maria Tenkanen, Francesco N. Tubiello, Guido R. van der Werf, and John R. Worden
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 4325–4350, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-4325-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-4325-2024, 2024
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This study provides an overview of data availability from observation- and inventory-based CH4 emission estimates. It systematically compares them and provides recommendations for robust comparisons, aiming to steadily engage more parties in using observational methods to complement their UNFCCC submissions. Anticipating improvements in atmospheric modelling and observations, future developments need to resolve knowledge gaps in both approaches and to better quantify remaining uncertainty.
Sandro Meier, Erik F. M. Koene, Maarten Krol, Dominik Brunner, Alexander Damm, and Gerrit Kuhlmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7667–7686, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7667-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7667-2024, 2024
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Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) are important air pollutants. This study addresses the challenge of accurately estimating NOx emissions from NO2 satellite observations. We develop a realistic model to convert NO2 to NOx by using simulated plumes from various power plants. We apply the model to satellite NO2 observations, significantly reducing biases in estimated NOx emissions. The study highlights the potential for a consistent, high-resolution estimation of NOx emissions using satellite data.
Gerrit Kuhlmann, Erik Koene, Sandro Meier, Diego Santaren, Grégoire Broquet, Frédéric Chevallier, Janne Hakkarainen, Janne Nurmela, Laia Amorós, Johanna Tamminen, and Dominik Brunner
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 4773–4789, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-4773-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-4773-2024, 2024
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We present a Python software library for data-driven emission quantification (ddeq). It can be used to determine the emissions of hot spots (cities, power plants and industry) from remote sensing images using different methods. ddeq can be extended for new datasets and methods, providing a powerful community tool for users and developers. The application of the methods is shown using Jupyter notebooks included in the library.
Joshua L. Laughner, Geoffrey C. Toon, Joseph Mendonca, Christof Petri, Sébastien Roche, Debra Wunch, Jean-Francois Blavier, David W. T. Griffith, Pauli Heikkinen, Ralph F. Keeling, Matthäus Kiel, Rigel Kivi, Coleen M. Roehl, Britton B. Stephens, Bianca C. Baier, Huilin Chen, Yonghoon Choi, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Joshua P. DiGangi, Jochen Gross, Benedikt Herkommer, Pascal Jeseck, Thomas Laemmel, Xin Lan, Erin McGee, Kathryn McKain, John Miller, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Hirofumi Ohyama, David F. Pollard, Markus Rettinger, Haris Riris, Constantina Rousogenous, Mahesh Kumar Sha, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Voltaire A. Velazco, Steven C. Wofsy, Minqiang Zhou, and Paul O. Wennberg
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2197–2260, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2197-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2197-2024, 2024
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This paper describes a new version, called GGG2020, of a data set containing column-integrated observations of greenhouse and related gases (including CO2, CH4, CO, and N2O) made by ground stations located around the world. Compared to the previous version (GGG2014), improvements have been made toward site-to-site consistency. This data set plays a key role in validating space-based greenhouse gas observations and in understanding the carbon cycle.
Antje Hoheisel and Martina Schmidt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2951–2969, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2951-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2951-2024, 2024
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In Heidelberg, Germany, methane and its stable carbon isotope composition have been measured continuously with a cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyser since April 2014. These 6-year time series are analysed with the Keeling plot method for the isotopic composition of the sources, as well as seasonal variations and trends in methane emissions. The source contributions derived from atmospheric measurements were used to evaluate global and regional emission inventories of methane.
Michael Steiner, Wouter Peters, Ingrid Luijkx, Stephan Henne, Huilin Chen, Samuel Hammer, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2759–2782, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2759-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2759-2024, 2024
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The Paris Agreement increased interest in estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of individual countries, but top-down emission estimation is not yet considered policy-relevant. It is therefore paramount to reduce large errors and to build systems that are based on the newest atmospheric transport models. In this study, we present the first application of ICON-ART in the inverse modeling of GHG fluxes with an ensemble Kalman filter and present our results for European CH4 emissions.
Robert Hanfland, Dominik Brunner, Christiane Voigt, Alina Fiehn, Anke Roiger, and Margit Pattantyús-Ábrahám
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2511–2534, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2511-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2511-2024, 2024
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To show that the three-dimensional dispersion of plumes simulated by the Atmospheric Radionuclide Transport Model within the planetary boundary layer agrees with real plumes, we identify the most important input parameters and analyse the turbulence properties of five different turbulence models in very unstable stratification conditions using their deviation from the well-mixed state. Simulations show that one model agrees slightly better in unstable stratification conditions.
Alina Fiehn, Maximilian Eckl, Julian Kostinek, Michał Gałkowski, Christoph Gerbig, Michael Rothe, Thomas Röckmann, Malika Menoud, Hossein Maazallahi, Martina Schmidt, Piotr Korbeń, Jarosław Neçki, Mila Stanisavljević, Justyna Swolkień, Andreas Fix, and Anke Roiger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15749–15765, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15749-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15749-2023, 2023
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During the CoMet mission in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) ground-based and airborne air samples were taken and analyzed for the isotopic composition of CH4 to derive the mean signature of the USCB and source signatures of individual coal mines. Using δ2H signatures, the biogenic emissions from the USCB account for 15 %–50 % of total emissions, which is underestimated in common emission inventories. This demonstrates the importance of δ2H-CH4 observations for methane source apportionment.
Tobias D. Schmitt, Jonas Kuhn, Ralph Kleinschek, Benedikt A. Löw, Stefan Schmitt, William Cranton, Martina Schmidt, Sanam N. Vardag, Frank Hase, David W. T. Griffith, and André Butz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 6097–6110, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-6097-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-6097-2023, 2023
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Our new observatory measures greenhouse gas concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) along a 1.55 km long light path over the city of Heidelberg, Germany. We compared our measurements with measurements that were taken at a single point at one end of our path. The two mostly agreed but show a significant difference for CO2 with certain wind directions. This is important when using greenhouse gas concentration measurements to observe greenhouse gas emissions of cities.
Douglas E. J. Worthy, Michele K. Rauh, Lin Huang, Felix R. Vogel, Alina Chivulescu, Kenneth A. Masarie, Ray L. Langenfelds, Paul B. Krummel, Colin E. Allison, Andrew M. Crotwell, Monica Madronich, Gabrielle Pétron, Ingeborg Levin, Samuel Hammer, Sylvia Michel, Michel Ramonet, Martina Schmidt, Armin Jordan, Heiko Moossen, Michael Rothe, Ralph Keeling, and Eric J. Morgan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5909–5935, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5909-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5909-2023, 2023
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Network compatibility is important for inferring greenhouse gas fluxes at global or regional scales. This study is the first assessment of the measurement agreement among seven individual programs within the World Meteorological Organization community. It compares co-located flask air measurements at the Alert Observatory in Canada over a 17-year period. The results provide stronger confidence in the uncertainty estimation while using those datasets in various data interpretation applications.
Minqiang Zhou, Bavo Langerock, Mahesh Kumar Sha, Christian Hermans, Nicolas Kumps, Rigel Kivi, Pauli Heikkinen, Christof Petri, Justus Notholt, Huilin Chen, and Martine De Mazière
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5593–5608, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5593-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5593-2023, 2023
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Atmospheric N2O and CH4 columns are successfully retrieved from low-resolution FTIR spectra recorded by a Bruker VERTEX 70. The 1-year measurements at Sodankylä show that the N2O total columns retrieved from 125HR and VERTEX 70 spectra are −0.3 ± 0.7 % with an R value of 0.93. The relative differences between the CH4 total columns retrieved from the 125HR and VERTEX spectra are 0.0 ± 0.8 % with an R value of 0.87. Such a technique can help to fill the gap in NDACC N2O and CH4 measurements.
Ioannis Katharopoulos, Dominique Rust, Martin K. Vollmer, Dominik Brunner, Stefan Reimann, Simon J. O'Doherty, Dickon Young, Kieran M. Stanley, Tanja Schuck, Jgor Arduini, Lukas Emmenegger, and Stephan Henne
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14159–14186, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14159-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14159-2023, 2023
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The effectiveness of climate change mitigation needs to be scrutinized by monitoring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Countries report their emissions to the UN in a bottom-up manner. By combining atmospheric observations and transport models someone can independently validate emission estimates in a top-down fashion. We report Swiss emissions of synthetic GHGs based on kilometer-scale transport and inverse modeling, highlighting the role of appropriate resolution in complex terrain.
Simone Brunamonti, Manuel Graf, Tobias Bühlmann, Céline Pascale, Ivan Ilak, Lukas Emmenegger, and Béla Tuzson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4391–4407, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4391-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4391-2023, 2023
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The abundance of water vapor (H2O) in the upper atmosphere has a significant impact on the rate of global warming. We developed a new lightweight spectrometer (ALBATROSS) for H2O measurements aboard meteorological balloons. Here, we assess the accuracy and precision of ALBATROSS using metrology-grade reference gases. The results demonstrate the exceptional potential of mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy as a new reference method for in situ measurements of H2O in the upper atmosphere.
Foteini Stavropoulou, Katarina Vinković, Bert Kers, Marcel de Vries, Steven van Heuven, Piotr Korbeń, Martina Schmidt, Julia Wietzel, Pawel Jagoda, Jaroslav M. Necki, Jakub Bartyzel, Hossein Maazallahi, Malika Menoud, Carina van der Veen, Sylvia Walter, Béla Tuzson, Jonas Ravelid, Randulph Paulo Morales, Lukas Emmenegger, Dominik Brunner, Michael Steiner, Arjan Hensen, Ilona Velzeboer, Pim van den Bulk, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Antonio Delre, Maklawe Essonanawe Edjabou, Charlotte Scheutz, Marius Corbu, Sebastian Iancu, Denisa Moaca, Alin Scarlat, Alexandru Tudor, Ioana Vizireanu, Andreea Calcan, Magdalena Ardelean, Sorin Ghemulet, Alexandru Pana, Aurel Constantinescu, Lucian Cusa, Alexandru Nica, Calin Baciu, Cristian Pop, Andrei Radovici, Alexandru Mereuta, Horatiu Stefanie, Alexandru Dandocsi, Bas Hermans, Stefan Schwietzke, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Huilin Chen, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10399–10412, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10399-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10399-2023, 2023
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In this study, we quantify CH4 emissions from onshore oil production sites in Romania at source and facility level using a combination of ground- and drone-based measurement techniques. We show that the total CH4 emissions in our studied areas are much higher than the emissions reported to UNFCCC, and up to three-quarters of the detected emissions are related to operational venting. Our results suggest that oil and gas production infrastructure in Romania holds a massive mitigation potential.
Alessandro Zanchetta, Linda M. J. Kooijmans, Steven van Heuven, Andrea Scifo, Hubertus A. Scheeren, Ivan Mammarella, Ute Karstens, Jin Ma, Maarten Krol, and Huilin Chen
Biogeosciences, 20, 3539–3553, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3539-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3539-2023, 2023
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Carbonyl sulfide (COS) has been suggested as a tool to estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake by plants during photosynthesis. However, understanding its sources and sinks is critical to preventing biases in this estimate. Combining observations and models, this study proves that regional sources occasionally influence the measurements at the 60 m tall Lutjewad tower (1 m a.s.l.; 53°24′ N, 6°21′ E) in the Netherlands. Moreover, it estimates nighttime COS fluxes to be −3.0 ± 2.6 pmol m−2 s−1.
Antje Hoheisel, Cedric Couret, Bryan Hellack, and Martina Schmidt
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2399–2413, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2399-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2399-2023, 2023
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High-precision CO2, CH4 and CO measurements have been carried out at Zugspitze for decades. New technologies make it possible to analyse these gases with high temporal resolution. This allows the detection of local pollution. To this end, measurements have been performed on the mountain ridge (ZGR) and are compared to routine measurements at the Schneefernerhaus (ZSF). Careful manual flagging of pollution events in the ZSF data leads to consistency with the little influenced ZGR time series.
Truls Andersen, Zhao Zhao, Marcel de Vries, Jaroslaw Necki, Justyna Swolkien, Malika Menoud, Thomas Röckmann, Anke Roiger, Andreas Fix, Wouter Peters, and Huilin Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 5191–5216, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5191-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5191-2023, 2023
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The Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland, is one of the hot spots of methane emissions in Europe. Using an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), we performed atmospheric measurements of methane concentrations downwind of five ventilation shafts in this region and determined the emission rates from the individual shafts. We found a strong correlation between quantified shaft-averaged emission rates and hourly inventory data, which also allows us to estimate the methane emissions from the entire region.
Ana Maria Roxana Petrescu, Chunjing Qiu, Matthew J. McGrath, Philippe Peylin, Glen P. Peters, Philippe Ciais, Rona L. Thompson, Aki Tsuruta, Dominik Brunner, Matthias Kuhnert, Bradley Matthews, Paul I. Palmer, Oksana Tarasova, Pierre Regnier, Ronny Lauerwald, David Bastviken, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Wilfried Winiwarter, Giuseppe Etiope, Tuula Aalto, Gianpaolo Balsamo, Vladislav Bastrikov, Antoine Berchet, Patrick Brockmann, Giancarlo Ciotoli, Giulia Conchedda, Monica Crippa, Frank Dentener, Christine D. Groot Zwaaftink, Diego Guizzardi, Dirk Günther, Jean-Matthieu Haussaire, Sander Houweling, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Massaer Kouyate, Adrian Leip, Antti Leppänen, Emanuele Lugato, Manon Maisonnier, Alistair J. Manning, Tiina Markkanen, Joe McNorton, Marilena Muntean, Gabriel D. Oreggioni, Prabir K. Patra, Lucia Perugini, Isabelle Pison, Maarit T. Raivonen, Marielle Saunois, Arjo J. Segers, Pete Smith, Efisio Solazzo, Hanqin Tian, Francesco N. Tubiello, Timo Vesala, Guido R. van der Werf, Chris Wilson, and Sönke Zaehle
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1197–1268, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1197-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1197-2023, 2023
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This study updates the state-of-the-art scientific overview of CH4 and N2O emissions in the EU27 and UK in Petrescu et al. (2021a). Yearly updates are needed to improve the different respective approaches and to inform on the development of formal verification systems. It integrates the most recent emission inventories, process-based model and regional/global inversions, comparing them with UNFCCC national GHG inventories, in support to policy to facilitate real-time verification procedures.
Joshua L. Laughner, Sébastien Roche, Matthäus Kiel, Geoffrey C. Toon, Debra Wunch, Bianca C. Baier, Sébastien Biraud, Huilin Chen, Rigel Kivi, Thomas Laemmel, Kathryn McKain, Pierre-Yves Quéhé, Constantina Rousogenous, Britton B. Stephens, Kaley Walker, and Paul O. Wennberg
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 1121–1146, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1121-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1121-2023, 2023
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Observations using sunlight to measure surface-to-space total column of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere need an initial guess of the vertical distribution of those gases to start from. We have developed an approach to provide those initial guess profiles that uses readily available meteorological data as input. This lets us make these guesses without simulating them with a global model. The profiles generated this way match independent observations well.
Dominik Brunner, Gerrit Kuhlmann, Stephan Henne, Erik Koene, Bastian Kern, Sebastian Wolff, Christiane Voigt, Patrick Jöckel, Christoph Kiemle, Anke Roiger, Alina Fiehn, Sven Krautwurst, Konstantin Gerilowski, Heinrich Bovensmann, Jakob Borchardt, Michal Galkowski, Christoph Gerbig, Julia Marshall, Andrzej Klonecki, Pascal Prunet, Robert Hanfland, Margit Pattantyús-Ábrahám, Andrzej Wyszogrodzki, and Andreas Fix
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2699–2728, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2699-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2699-2023, 2023
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We evaluated six atmospheric transport models for their capability to simulate the CO2 plumes from two of the largest power plants in Europe by comparing the models against aircraft observations collected during the CoMet (Carbon Dioxide and Methane Mission) campaign in 2018. The study analyzed how realistically such plumes can be simulated at different model resolutions and how well the planned European satellite mission CO2M will be able to quantify emissions from power plants.
Lars Mächler, Daniel Baggenstos, Florian Krauss, Jochen Schmitt, Bernhard Bereiter, Remo Walther, Christoph Reinhard, Béla Tuzson, Lukas Emmenegger, and Hubertus Fischer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 355–372, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-355-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-355-2023, 2023
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We present a new method to extract the gases from ice cores and measure their greenhouse gas composition. The ice is sublimated continuously with a near-infrared laser, releasing the gases, which are then analyzed on a laser absorption spectrometer. The main advantage over previous efforts is a low effective resolution of 1–2 cm. This capability is crucial for the analysis of highly thinned ice, as expected from ongoing drilling efforts to extend ice core history further back in time.
Prabhakar Shrestha, Jana Mendrok, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14095–14117, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14095-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14095-2022, 2022
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The study extends the Terrestrial Systems Modeling Platform with gas-phase chemistry aerosol dynamics and a radar forward operator to enable detailed studies of aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions. This is demonstrated using a case study of a deep convective storm, which showed that the strong updraft in the convective core of the storm produced aerosol-tower-like features, which affected the size of the hydrometeors and the simulated polarimetric features (e.g., ZDR and KDP columns).
Tianqi Shi, Zeyu Han, Ge Han, Xin Ma, Huilin Chen, Truls Andersen, Huiqin Mao, Cuihong Chen, Haowei Zhang, and Wei Gong
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 13881–13896, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13881-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13881-2022, 2022
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CH4 works as the second-most important greenhouse gas, its reported emission inventories being far less than CO2. In this study, we developed a self-adjusted model to estimate the CH4 emission rate from strong point sources by the UAV-based AirCore system. This model would reduce the uncertainty in CH4 emission rate quantification accrued by errors in measurements of wind and concentration. Actual measurements on Pniówek coal demonstrate the high accuracy and stability of our developed model.
Peter Bergamaschi, Arjo Segers, Dominik Brunner, Jean-Matthieu Haussaire, Stephan Henne, Michel Ramonet, Tim Arnold, Tobias Biermann, Huilin Chen, Sebastien Conil, Marc Delmotte, Grant Forster, Arnoud Frumau, Dagmar Kubistin, Xin Lan, Markus Leuenberger, Matthias Lindauer, Morgan Lopez, Giovanni Manca, Jennifer Müller-Williams, Simon O'Doherty, Bert Scheeren, Martin Steinbacher, Pamela Trisolino, Gabriela Vítková, and Camille Yver Kwok
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 13243–13268, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13243-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13243-2022, 2022
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We present a novel high-resolution inverse modelling system, "FLEXVAR", and its application for the inverse modelling of European CH4 emissions in 2018. The new system combines a high spatial resolution of 7 km x 7 km with a variational data assimilation technique, which allows CH4 emissions to be optimized from individual model grid cells. The high resolution allows the observations to be better reproduced, while the derived emissions show overall good consistency with two existing models.
Malika Menoud, Carina van der Veen, Dave Lowry, Julianne M. Fernandez, Semra Bakkaloglu, James L. France, Rebecca E. Fisher, Hossein Maazallahi, Mila Stanisavljević, Jarosław Nęcki, Katarina Vinkovic, Patryk Łakomiec, Janne Rinne, Piotr Korbeń, Martina Schmidt, Sara Defratyka, Camille Yver-Kwok, Truls Andersen, Huilin Chen, and Thomas Röckmann
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4365–4386, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4365-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4365-2022, 2022
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Emission sources of methane (CH4) can be distinguished with measurements of CH4 stable isotopes. We present new measurements of isotope signatures of various CH4 sources in Europe, mainly anthropogenic, sampled from 2017 to 2020. The present database also contains the most recent update of the global signature dataset from the literature. The dataset improves CH4 source attribution and the understanding of the global CH4 budget.
Simone M. Pieber, Béla Tuzson, Stephan Henne, Ute Karstens, Christoph Gerbig, Frank-Thomas Koch, Dominik Brunner, Martin Steinbacher, and Lukas Emmenegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10721–10749, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10721-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10721-2022, 2022
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Understanding regional greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere is a prerequisite to mitigate climate change. In this study, we investigated the regional contributions of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the location of the high Alpine observatory Jungfraujoch (JFJ, Switzerland, 3580 m a.s.l.). To this purpose, we combined receptor-oriented atmospheric transport simulations for CO2 concentration in the period 2009–2017 with stable carbon isotope (δ13C–CO2) information.
Matthias Schneider, Benjamin Ertl, Qiansi Tu, Christopher J. Diekmann, Farahnaz Khosrawi, Amelie N. Röhling, Frank Hase, Darko Dubravica, Omaira E. García, Eliezer Sepúlveda, Tobias Borsdorff, Jochen Landgraf, Alba Lorente, André Butz, Huilin Chen, Rigel Kivi, Thomas Laemmel, Michel Ramonet, Cyril Crevoisier, Jérome Pernin, Martin Steinbacher, Frank Meinhardt, Kimberly Strong, Debra Wunch, Thorsten Warneke, Coleen Roehl, Paul O. Wennberg, Isamu Morino, Laura T. Iraci, Kei Shiomi, Nicholas M. Deutscher, David W. T. Griffith, Voltaire A. Velazco, and David F. Pollard
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4339–4371, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4339-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4339-2022, 2022
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We present a computationally very efficient method for the synergetic use of level 2 remote-sensing data products. We apply the method to IASI vertical profile and TROPOMI total column space-borne methane observations and thus gain sensitivity for the tropospheric methane partial columns, which is not achievable by the individual use of TROPOMI and IASI. These synergetic effects are evaluated theoretically and empirically by inter-comparisons to independent references of TCCON, AirCore, and GAW.
Gerrit Kuhlmann, Ka Lok Chan, Sebastian Donner, Ying Zhu, Marc Schwaerzel, Steffen Dörner, Jia Chen, Andreas Hueni, Duc Hai Nguyen, Alexander Damm, Annette Schütt, Florian Dietrich, Dominik Brunner, Cheng Liu, Brigitte Buchmann, Thomas Wagner, and Mark Wenig
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1609–1629, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1609-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1609-2022, 2022
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Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an air pollutant whose concentration often exceeds air quality guideline values, especially in urban areas. To map the spatial distribution of NO2 in Munich, we conducted the Munich NO2 Imaging Campaign (MuNIC), where NO2 was measured with stationary, mobile, and airborne in situ and remote sensing instruments. The campaign provides a unique dataset that has been used to compare the different instruments and to study the spatial variability of NO2 and its sources.
Dominique Rust, Ioannis Katharopoulos, Martin K. Vollmer, Stephan Henne, Simon O'Doherty, Daniel Say, Lukas Emmenegger, Renato Zenobi, and Stefan Reimann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2447–2466, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2447-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2447-2022, 2022
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Artificial halocarbons contribute to ozone layer depletion and to global warming. We measured the atmospheric concentrations of halocarbons at the Beromünster tower, modelled the Swiss emissions, and compared the results to the internationally reported Swiss emissions inventory. For most of the halocarbons, we found good agreement, whereas one refrigerant might be overestimated in the inventory. In addition, we present first emission estimates of the newest types of halocarbons.
Sophie F. Warken, Therese Weißbach, Tobias Kluge, Hubert Vonhof, Denis Scholz, Rolf Vieten, Martina Schmidt, Amos Winter, and Norbert Frank
Clim. Past, 18, 167–181, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-167-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-167-2022, 2022
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The analysis of fluid inclusions from a Puerto Rican speleothem provides quantitative information about past rainfall conditions and temperatures during the Last Glacial Period, when the climate was extremely variable. Our data show that the region experienced a climate that was generally colder and drier. However, we also reconstruct intervals when temperatures reached nearly modern values, and convective activity was comparable to or only slightly weaker than the present day.
Linda M. J. Kooijmans, Ara Cho, Jin Ma, Aleya Kaushik, Katherine D. Haynes, Ian Baker, Ingrid T. Luijkx, Mathijs Groenink, Wouter Peters, John B. Miller, Joseph A. Berry, Jerome Ogée, Laura K. Meredith, Wu Sun, Kukka-Maaria Kohonen, Timo Vesala, Ivan Mammarella, Huilin Chen, Felix M. Spielmann, Georg Wohlfahrt, Max Berkelhammer, Mary E. Whelan, Kadmiel Maseyk, Ulli Seibt, Roisin Commane, Richard Wehr, and Maarten Krol
Biogeosciences, 18, 6547–6565, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6547-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6547-2021, 2021
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The gas carbonyl sulfide (COS) can be used to estimate photosynthesis. To adopt this approach on regional and global scales, we need biosphere models that can simulate COS exchange. So far, such models have not been evaluated against observations. We evaluate the COS biosphere exchange of the SiB4 model against COS flux observations. We find that the model is capable of simulating key processes in COS biosphere exchange. Still, we give recommendations for further improvement of the model.
Marc Schwaerzel, Dominik Brunner, Fabian Jakub, Claudia Emde, Brigitte Buchmann, Alexis Berne, and Gerrit Kuhlmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6469–6482, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6469-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6469-2021, 2021
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NO2 maps from airborne imaging remote sensing often appear much smoother than one would expect from high-resolution model simulations of NO2 over cities, despite the small ground-pixel size of the sensors. Our case study over Zurich, using the newly implemented building module of the MYSTIC radiative transfer solver, shows that the 3D effect can explain part of the smearing and that building shadows cause a noticeable underestimation and noise in the measured NO2 columns.
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Short summary
Mapping trace gas emission plumes using in situ measurements from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is an emerging and attractive possibility to quantify emissions from localized sources. We performed an extensive controlled-release experiment to develop an optimal quantification method and to determine the related uncertainties under various environmental and sampling conditions. Our approach was successful in quantifying local methane sources from drone-based measurements.
Mapping trace gas emission plumes using in situ measurements from unmanned aerial vehicles...
