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Carbon dioxide atmospheric vertical profiles retrieved from space observation using ACE-FTS solar occultation instrument
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol. 11. N° 3. Foucher P.Y.; Chédin A.; Armante R.; et al. - Copernicus GmbH, 2011Major limitations of our present knowledge of the global distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere are the uncertainty in atmospheric transport and the sparseness of in situ concentration measurements. Limb viewing spaceborne sounders such as the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) offer a vertical resolution of a few kilometres for profiles, which is much better than currently flying or planned nadir sounding instruments can achieve. After having demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining CO2 vertical profiles in the 5–25 km altitude range with an accuracy of ...
[article]Carbon dioxide atmospheric vertical profiles retrieved from space observation using ACE-FTS solar occultation instrument
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Available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-2455-2011
P.Y. Foucher ; A. Chédin ; R. Armante ; C. Boone ; C. Crevoisier ; P. Bernath
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) > Vol. 11. N° 3 [03/01/2011] . - p.2455-2470Major limitations of our present knowledge of the global distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere are the uncertainty in atmospheric transport and the sparseness of in situ concentration measurements. Limb viewing spaceborne sounders such as the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) offer a vertical resolution of a few kilometres for profiles, which is much better than currently flying or planned nadir sounding instruments can achieve. After having demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining CO2 vertical profiles in the 5–25 km altitude range with an accuracy of about 2 ppm in a previous study, we present here the results of five years of ACE-FTS observations in terms of monthly mean profiles of CO2 averaged over 10° latitude bands for northern mid-latitudes. These results are compared with in-situ aircraft measurements and with simulations from two different air transport models. Key features of the measured altitude distribution of CO2 are shown to be accurately reproduced by the ACE-FTS retrievals: variation in altitude of the seasonal cycle amplitude and extrema, seasonal change of the vertical gradient, and mean growth rate. We show that small but significant differences from model simulations could result from an over estimation of the model circulation strength during the northern hemisphere spring. Coupled with column measurements from a nadir viewing instrument, it is expected that occultation measurements will bring useful constraints to the surface carbon flux determination.
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Atmosphere ; Carbon dioxide (CO2) ; Greenhouse gas (GHG)
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Evaluating a 3-D transport model of atmospheric CO2 using ground-based, aircraft, and space-borne data
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol. 11. N° 3. Feng L.; Palmer P.I.; Yang Y.; et al. - Copernicus GmbH, 2011We evaluate the GEOS-Chem atmospheric transport model (v8-02-01) of CO2 over 2003–2006, driven by GEOS-4 and GEOS-5 meteorology from the NASA Goddard Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, using surface, aircraft and space-borne concentration measurements of CO2. We use an established ensemble Kalman Filter to estimate a posteriori biospheric+biomass burning (BS + BB) and oceanic (OC) CO2 fluxes from 22 geographical regions, following the TransCom-3 protocol, using boundary layer CO2 data from a subset of GLOBALVIEW surface sites. Global annual net BS + BB + OC CO2 fluxes over 2004–2006 for ...
[article]Evaluating a 3-D transport model of atmospheric CO2 using ground-based, aircraft, and space-borne data
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Available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-2789-2011
L. Feng ; P.I. Palmer ; Y. Yang ; R.M. Yantosca ; S.R. Kawa ; J.-D. Paris ; H. Matsueda ; T. Machida
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) > Vol. 11. N° 3 [03/01/2011] . - p.2789-2803We evaluate the GEOS-Chem atmospheric transport model (v8-02-01) of CO2 over 2003–2006, driven by GEOS-4 and GEOS-5 meteorology from the NASA Goddard Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, using surface, aircraft and space-borne concentration measurements of CO2. We use an established ensemble Kalman Filter to estimate a posteriori biospheric+biomass burning (BS + BB) and oceanic (OC) CO2 fluxes from 22 geographical regions, following the TransCom-3 protocol, using boundary layer CO2 data from a subset of GLOBALVIEW surface sites. Global annual net BS + BB + OC CO2 fluxes over 2004–2006 for GEOS-4 (GEOS-5) meteorology are −4.4 ± 0.9 (−4.2 ± 0.9), −3.9 ± 0.9 (−4.5 ± 0.9), and −5.2 ± 0.9 (−4.9 ± 0.9) PgC yr−1, respectively. After taking into account anthropogenic fossil fuel and bio-fuel emissions, the global annual net CO2 emissions for 2004–2006 are estimated to be 4.0 ± 0.9 (4.2 ± 0.9), 4.8 ± 0.9 (4.2 ± 0.9), and 3.8 ± 0.9 (4.1 ± 0.9) PgC yr−1, respectively. The estimated 3-yr total net emission for GEOS-4 (GEOS-5) meteorology is equal to 12.5 (12.4) PgC, agreeing with other recent top-down estimates (12–13 PgC). The regional a posteriori fluxes are broadly consistent in the sign and magnitude of the TransCom-3 study for 1992–1996, but we find larger net sinks over northern and southern continents. We find large departures from our a priori over Europe during summer 2003, over temperate Eurasia during 2004, and over North America during 2005, reflecting an incomplete description of terrestrial carbon dynamics. We find GEOS-4 (GEOS-5) a posteriori CO2 concentrations reproduce the observed surface trend of 1.91–2.43 ppm yr−1 (parts per million per year), depending on latitude, within 0.15 ppm yr−1 (0.2 ppm yr−1) and the seasonal cycle within 0.2 ppm (0.2 ppm) at all latitudes. We find the a posteriori model reproduces the aircraft vertical profile measurements of CO2 over North America and Siberia generally within 1.5 ppm in the free and upper troposphere but can be biased by up to 4–5 ppm in the boundary layer at the start and end of the growing season. The model has a small negative bias in the free troposphere CO2 trend (1.95–2.19 ppm yr−1) compared to AIRS data which has a trend of 2.21–2.63 ppm yr−1 during 2004–2006, consistent with surface data. Model CO2 concentrations in the upper troposphere, evaluated using CONTRAIL (Comprehensive Observation Network for TRace gases by AIrLiner) aircraft measurements, reproduce the magnitude and phase of the seasonal cycle of CO2 in both hemispheres. We generally find that the GEOS meteorology reproduces much of the observed tropospheric CO2 variability, suggesting that these meteorological fields will help make significant progress in understanding carbon fluxes as more data become available.
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Atmosphere ; Atmospheric circulation ; Carbon dioxide (CO2) ; Modelling ; Research ; Satellite ; Aircraft ascent, aircraft sounding
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Sources of carbonaceous aerosol in the Amazon basin
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol. 11. N° 3. Gilardoni S.; Vignati E.; Marmer E.; et al. - Copernicus GmbH, 2011The quantification of sources of carbonaceous aerosol is important to understand their atmospheric concentrations and regulating processes and to study possible effects on climate and air quality, in addition to develop mitigation strategies.
In the framework of the European Integrated Project on Aerosol Cloud Climate Interactions (EUCAARI) fine (Dp
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Available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-2747-2011
S. Gilardoni ; E. Vignati ; E. Marmer ; F. Cavalli ; C. Belis ; V. Gianelle ; A. Loureiro ; P. Artaxo
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) > Vol. 11. N° 3 [03/01/2011] . - p.2747-2764The quantification of sources of carbonaceous aerosol is important to understand their atmospheric concentrations and regulating processes and to study possible effects on climate and air quality, in addition to develop mitigation strategies.
In the framework of the European Integrated Project on Aerosol Cloud Climate Interactions (EUCAARI) fine (Dp
The source apportionment results were employed to evaluate the ability of global chemistry transport models to simulate carbonaceous aerosol sources in a regional tropical background site. The comparison showed an overestimation of elemental carbon (EC) by the TM5 model during the dry season and OC both during the dry and wet periods. The overestimation was likely due to the overestimation of biomass burning emission inventories and SOA production over tropical areas.Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Aerosols ; Amazon ; Carbon dioxide (CO2) ; Observations ; Air quality ; Region III - South America
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Long-term analysis of carbon dioxide and methane column-averaged mole fractions retrieved from SCIAMACHY
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol. 11. N° 3. Schneising O.; Buchwitz M.; Reuter M.; et al. - Copernicus GmbH, 2011Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the two most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases contributing to global climate change. SCIAMACHY onboard ENVISAT (launch 2002) was the first and is now with TANSO onboard GOSAT (launch 2009) one of only two satellite instruments currently in space whose measurements are sensitive to CO2 and CH4 concentration changes in the lowest atmospheric layers where the variability due to sources and sinks is largest.
[article]Long-term analysis of carbon dioxide and methane column-averaged mole fractions retrieved from SCIAMACHY
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Available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-2863-2011
O. Schneising ; M. Buchwitz ; M. Reuter ; J. Heymann ; H. Bovensmann ; J.P. Burrows
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) > Vol. 11. N° 3 [03/01/2011] . - p.2863-2880Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the two most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases contributing to global climate change. SCIAMACHY onboard ENVISAT (launch 2002) was the first and is now with TANSO onboard GOSAT (launch 2009) one of only two satellite instruments currently in space whose measurements are sensitive to CO2 and CH4 concentration changes in the lowest atmospheric layers where the variability due to sources and sinks is largest.
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Carbon dioxide (CO2) ; Methane (CH4) ; Long-range weather forecasting, long-term weather forecasting, long-range meteorological forecasting ; Research
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Atmospheric emissions from vegetation fires in Portugal (1990–2008): estimates, uncertainty analysis, and sensitivity analysis
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol. 11. N° 3. Rosa I.M.D.; Pereira J.M.C.; Tarantola S. - Copernicus GmbH, 2011Atmospheric emissions from wildfires in Portugal were estimated yearly over the period 1990–2008 using Landsat-based burnt area maps and land cover maps, national forest inventory data, biometric models, and literature review data. Emissions were calculated as the product of area burnt, biomass loading per unit area, combustion factor, and emission factor, using land cover specific values for all variables. Uncertainty associated with each input variable was quantified with a probability density function or a standard deviation value. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of estimates were perf ...
[article]Atmospheric emissions from vegetation fires in Portugal (1990–2008): estimates, uncertainty analysis, and sensitivity analysis
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Available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-2625-2011
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) > Vol. 11. N° 3 [03/01/2011] . - p.2625-2640Atmospheric emissions from wildfires in Portugal were estimated yearly over the period 1990–2008 using Landsat-based burnt area maps and land cover maps, national forest inventory data, biometric models, and literature review data. Emissions were calculated as the product of area burnt, biomass loading per unit area, combustion factor, and emission factor, using land cover specific values for all variables. Uncertainty associated with each input variable was quantified with a probability density function or a standard deviation value. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of estimates were performed with Monte Carlo and variance decomposition techniques. Area burnt varied almost 50-fold during the study period, from about 9000 ha in 2008 to 440 000 ha in 2003. Emissions reach maximum and minimum in the same years, with carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq.) values of 159 and 5655 Gg for 2008 and 2003, respectively. Emission factors, and the combustion factor for shrubs were identified as the variables with higher impact on model output variance. There is a very strong correlation between area burnt and emissions, allowing for good emissions estimates once area burnt is quantified. Pyrogenic emissions were compared against those from various economy sectors and found to represent 1% to 9% of the total.
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Carbon dioxide (CO2) ; Wildfire ; Observations ; Portugal
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Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate change: emission scenarios for a new world
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 369. N° 1934. Anderson Kevin; Bows Alice - The Royal Society, 2011The Copenhagen Accord reiterates the international community’s commitment to ‘hold the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius’. Yet its preferred focus on global emission peak dates and longer-term reduction targets, without recourse to cumulative emission budgets, belies seriously the scale and scope of mitigation necessary to meet such a commitment. Moreover, the pivotal importance of emissions from non-Annex 1 nations in shaping available space for Annex 1 emission pathways received, and continues to receive, little attention. Building on previous studies, this paper uses a ...
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Cumulative carbon emissions, emissions floors and short-term rates of warming: implications for policy
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 369. N° 1934. Bowerman Niel H.A.; Frame David J.; Huntingford Chris; et al. - The Royal Society, 2011A number of recent studies have found a strong link between peak human-induced global warming and cumulative carbon emissions from the start of the industrial revolution, while the link to emissions over shorter periods or in the years 2020 or 2050 is generally weaker. However, cumulative targets appear to conflict with the concept of a ‘floor’ in emissions caused by sectors such as food production. Here, we show that the introduction of emissions floors does not reduce the importance of cumulative emissions, but may make some warming targets unachievable. For pathways that give a most likely ...
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No.10 - November 2010
is an issue of iLEAPS Newsletter. iLEAPS, 2011The latest iLEAPS Newsletter No. 10 deals with "Terrestrial feedbacks and Earth system models".
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WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin (GHG Bulletin) - No.7: The State of Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere Based on Global Observations through 2010
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Greenhouse gas emissions trends and projections in Europe 2011 : tracking progress towards Kyoto and 2020 targets
EEA, 2011This report presents an overview of the progress achieved so far by the EU, its Member States and other EEA member countries towards their respective targets under the Kyoto Protocol and the EU burden-sharing agreement, as well as 2020 targets set at EU level. The assessment is based on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission data in Europe for the period 2008–2010, including recent EEA estimates of proxy 2010 GHG emissions.
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CAWCR technical report, 42. Global climate goals for temperature, concentrations, emissions and cumulative emissions
Raupach Mickael R.; Harman Ian N.; Canadell Josep G. - Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, 2011There are many different ways of quantifying the broad goal of "avoidance of dangerous human interference with the climate system", including targets for global temperature rise, radiative forcing, greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, GHG emissions in particular years, and cumulative GHG emissions ("carbon budgets"). The purpose of this report is to provide relationships between these different statements of a climate goal. Broadly, the approach is to start from target for global temperature increase above preindustrial temperatures (such as two degrees Celsius or any other target, to be met w ...
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Extending atmospheric CO2 and tracer capabilities in ACCESS
Corbin Katherine D.; Law Rachel M. - Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, 2011 (CAWCR Technical Report-No. 035)The Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS) is a coupled landocean-atmosphere model being developed for a wide variety of applications. One key area of research with ACCESS is the carbon cycle, in particular atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) concentrations resulting from prescribed surface fluxes. ACCESS derives its atmospheric model from the UK Met Office Unified model (UM), which included both a specific atmospheric CO2 tracer (used for climate-carbon feedback studies) as well as other generic atmospheric tracers, developed for stratospheric transpor ...
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Report of the individual review of the annual submission of Iceland submitted in 2011
UNFCCC, 2011This report covers the in-country review of the 2011 annual submission of Iceland, coordinated by the UNFCCC secretariat, in accordance with decision 22/CMP.1. The review took place from 22 to 28 August 2011 in Reykjavik, Iceland, and was conducted by the following team of nominated experts from the UNFCCC roster of experts: generalist – Mr. Riccardo De Lauretis (Italy); energy – Mr. Norbert Nziramasanga (Zimbabwe); industrial processes – Ms. Valentina Idrissova (Kazakhstan); agriculture – Mr. Etienne Mathias (France); land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) – Mr. Sandro Federici (San ...
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Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - WMO, 2011 (WMO-No. 1073)Scientific evidence and new analyses demonstrate that control of black carbon particles and tropospheric ozone through rapid implementation of proven emission reduction measures would have immediate and multiple benefits for human well-being.Black carbon exists as particles in the atmosphere and is a major component of soot, it has significant human health and climate impacts.
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Blue carbon policy framework 2.0 : based on the discussion of the International Blue Carbon Policy Working Group
Development and implementation of blue carbon-based activities now requires strategic policy and incentive mechanisms to achieve coastal conservation, restoration and sustainable use, and provide disincentives to drain or damage coastal systems. A first effort to develop such a strategic program was set out in the first edition of the Blue Carbon Policy Framework. Based on additional information and current progress a revised Blue Carbon Policy Framework 2.0 has now been developed. It updates the previous version and adds a detailed coordinated program of policy objectives and activities. It o ...
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