Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements

Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements

<p>We performed 7.5 weeks of path-integrated concentration measurements of CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>O, and HDO over the city of Boulder, Colorado. An open-path dual-comb spectrometer simultaneously measured time-resolved data across a r...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: E. M. Waxman, K. C. Cossel, F. Giorgetta, G.-W. Truong, W. C. Swann, I. Coddington, N. R. Newbury
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2019-04-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/4177/2019/acp-19-4177-2019.pdf
id doaj-7cacf3ca837242a78d86dce73fe9e188
record_format Article
spelling doaj-7cacf3ca837242a78d86dce73fe9e1882020-11-25T01:02:09ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242019-04-01194177419210.5194/acp-19-4177-2019Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurementsE. M. Waxman0K. C. Cossel1F. Giorgetta2G.-W. Truong3G.-W. Truong4W. C. Swann5I. Coddington6N. R. Newbury7Applied Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, USAApplied Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, USAApplied Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, USAApplied Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, USAnow at: Crystalline Mirror Solutions LLC, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USAApplied Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, USAApplied Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, USAApplied Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, USA<p>We performed 7.5 weeks of path-integrated concentration measurements of CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>O, and HDO over the city of Boulder, Colorado. An open-path dual-comb spectrometer simultaneously measured time-resolved data across a reference path, located near the mountains to the west of the city, and across an over-city path that intersected two-thirds of the city, including two major commuter arteries. By comparing the measured concentrations over the two paths when the wind is primarily out of the west, we observe daytime CO<sub>2</sub> enhancements over the city. Given the warm weather and the measurement footprint, the dominant contribution to the CO<sub>2</sub> enhancement is from city vehicle traffic. We use a Gaussian plume model combined with reported city traffic patterns to estimate city emissions of on-road CO<sub>2</sub> as (6.2±2.2) × 10<sup>5</sup>&thinsp;metric tons (t) CO<sub>2</sub>&thinsp;yr<sup>−1</sup> after correcting for non-traffic sources. Within the uncertainty, this value agrees with the city's bottom-up greenhouse gas inventory for the on-road vehicle sector of 4.5×10<sup>5</sup>&thinsp;t CO<sub>2</sub>&thinsp;yr<sup>−1</sup>. Finally, we discuss experimental modifications that could lead to improved estimates from our path-integrated measurements.</p>https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/4177/2019/acp-19-4177-2019.pdf
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author E. M. Waxman
K. C. Cossel
F. Giorgetta
G.-W. Truong
G.-W. Truong
W. C. Swann
I. Coddington
N. R. Newbury
spellingShingle E. M. Waxman
K. C. Cossel
F. Giorgetta
G.-W. Truong
G.-W. Truong
W. C. Swann
I. Coddington
N. R. Newbury
Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
author_facet E. M. Waxman
K. C. Cossel
F. Giorgetta
G.-W. Truong
G.-W. Truong
W. C. Swann
I. Coddington
N. R. Newbury
author_sort E. M. Waxman
title Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements
title_short Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements
title_full Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements
title_fullStr Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements
title_full_unstemmed Estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from Boulder, Colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements
title_sort estimating vehicle carbon dioxide emissions from boulder, colorado, using horizontal path-integrated column measurements
publisher Copernicus Publications
series Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
issn 1680-7316
1680-7324
publishDate 2019-04-01
description <p>We performed 7.5 weeks of path-integrated concentration measurements of CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>O, and HDO over the city of Boulder, Colorado. An open-path dual-comb spectrometer simultaneously measured time-resolved data across a reference path, located near the mountains to the west of the city, and across an over-city path that intersected two-thirds of the city, including two major commuter arteries. By comparing the measured concentrations over the two paths when the wind is primarily out of the west, we observe daytime CO<sub>2</sub> enhancements over the city. Given the warm weather and the measurement footprint, the dominant contribution to the CO<sub>2</sub> enhancement is from city vehicle traffic. We use a Gaussian plume model combined with reported city traffic patterns to estimate city emissions of on-road CO<sub>2</sub> as (6.2±2.2) × 10<sup>5</sup>&thinsp;metric tons (t) CO<sub>2</sub>&thinsp;yr<sup>−1</sup> after correcting for non-traffic sources. Within the uncertainty, this value agrees with the city's bottom-up greenhouse gas inventory for the on-road vehicle sector of 4.5×10<sup>5</sup>&thinsp;t CO<sub>2</sub>&thinsp;yr<sup>−1</sup>. Finally, we discuss experimental modifications that could lead to improved estimates from our path-integrated measurements.</p>
url https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/4177/2019/acp-19-4177-2019.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT emwaxman estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
AT kccossel estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
AT fgiorgetta estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
AT gwtruong estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
AT gwtruong estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
AT wcswann estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
AT icoddington estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
AT nrnewbury estimatingvehiclecarbondioxideemissionsfrombouldercoloradousinghorizontalpathintegratedcolumnmeasurements
_version_ 1725206373867716608

Similar Items