Evaluating atmospheric methane inversion model results for Pallas, northern Finland

Aki Tsuruta*, Tuula Aalto, Leif Backman, Wouter Peters, Maarten Krol, Ingrid T. van der Laan-Luijkx, Juha Hatakka, Pauli Heikkinen, Edward J. Dlugokencky, Renato Spahni, Nina N. Paramonova

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

A state-of-the-art inverse model, CarbonTracker Data Assimilation Shell (CTDAS), was used to optimize estimates of methane (CH4) surface fluxes using atmospheric observations of CH4 as a constraint. The model consists of the latest version of the TM5 atmospheric chemistry-transport model and an ensemble Kalman filter based data assimilation system. The model was constrained by atmospheric methane surface concentrations, obtained from the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG). Prior methane emissions were specified for five sources: biosphere, anthropogenic, fire, termites and ocean, of which biosphere and anthropogenic emissions were optimized. Atmospheric CH4 mole fractions for 2007 from northern Finland calculated from prior and optimized emissions were compared with observations. It was found that the root mean squared errors of the posterior estimates were more than halved. Furthermore, inclusion of NOAA observations of CH, from weekly discrete air samples collected at Pallas improved agreement between posterior CH4 mole fraction estimates and continuous observations, and resulted in reducing optimized biosphere emissions and their uncertainties in northern Finland.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)506-525
Number of pages20
JournalBoreal Environment Research
Volume20
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2015

Keywords

  • DATA ASSIMILATION SYSTEM
  • CARBON-DIOXIDE EXCHANGE
  • GLOBAL METHANE
  • TRANSPORT MODEL
  • MIXING-RATIO
  • 2 DECADES
  • EMISSIONS
  • CH4
  • CO2
  • AIR

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