Articles | Volume 19, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-185-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-185-2026
Research article
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12 Jan 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 12 Jan 2026

Quantifying agricultural N2O and CH4 emissions in the Netherlands using an airborne eddy covariance system

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

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Cited articles

Anthony, T. L. and Silver, W. L.: Hot moments drive extreme nitrous oxide and methane emissions from agricultural peatlands, Global Change Biol., 27, 5141–5153, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15802, 2021. a
Barrat, H. A., Evans, J., Chadwick, D. R., Clark, I. M., Le Cocq, K., and M. Cardenas, L.: The impact of drought and rewetting on N2O emissions from soil in temperate and Mediterranean climates, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 72, 2504–2516, https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.13015, 2021. a
Biltoft, C. A.: Some Thoughts On Local Isotropy And The 4/3 Lateral To Longitudinal Velocity Spectrum Ratio, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 100, 393–404, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019289915930, 2001. a, b, c
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Bukosa, B., Mikaloff-Fletcher, S., Geddes, A., Pollard, D., Moore, S., Law, R., Noone, D., Sargent, M., Benmergui, J., and Wofsy, S.: How well can MethaneSAT detect and quantify pastoral agricultural emissions?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 April 2024, EGU24-4484, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-4484, 2024. a
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Editorial statement
A large part of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions originates from area-distribute sources, such as from agriculture and wetlands; however, methods to quantify such emissions are much less mature than for well-studied point sources. This study addresses the above challenges by using an airborne eddy-covariance approach, which is cutting-edge science requiring high-fidelity instrumentation and advanced statistical techniques. Waldmann et al. demonstrate that aerial emissions can be quantified with similar uncertainty as point source emissions. Detailed methodology satisfies the need for transparency in data acquisition and analysis to quantify emissions. Observations like those described in this paper will help us reduce uncertainties in the impacts of agriculture on the atmosphere, allowing governments to develop smart policy that simultaneously protects food security and environmental health.
Short summary
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.
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