Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method

Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method

<p>The microbial by-product nitrous oxide (<span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span>), a potent greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substance, has conventionally been assumed to have minimal emissions in permafrost regions. This assumption has been que...

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Main Authors: J. Wilkerson, R. Dobosy, D. S. Sayres, C. Healy, E. Dumas, B. Baker, J. G. Anderson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2019-04-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/4257/2019/acp-19-4257-2019.pdf
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spelling doaj-c3503b242c4e4c02952b571228ff01732020-11-25T01:02:09ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242019-04-01194257426810.5194/acp-19-4257-2019Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance methodJ. Wilkerson0R. Dobosy1R. Dobosy2D. S. Sayres3C. Healy4E. Dumas5E. Dumas6B. Baker7J. G. Anderson8J. G. Anderson9J. G. Anderson10Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAAtmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, NOAA/ARL, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USAOak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USAPaulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USADepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAAtmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, NOAA/ARL, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USAOak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USAAtmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, NOAA/ARL, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USADepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAPaulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USADepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA<p>The microbial by-product nitrous oxide (<span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span>), a potent greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substance, has conventionally been assumed to have minimal emissions in permafrost regions. This assumption has been questioned by recent in situ studies which have demonstrated that some geologic features in permafrost may, in fact, have elevated emissions comparable to those of tropical soils. However, these recent studies, along with every known in situ study focused on permafrost <span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span> fluxes, have used chambers to examine small areas (<span class="inline-formula">&lt;50</span>&thinsp;m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>). In late August 2013, we used the airborne eddy-covariance technique to make in situ <span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span> flux measurements over the North Slope of Alaska from a low-flying aircraft spanning a much larger area: around 310&thinsp;km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>. We observed large variability of <span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span> fluxes with many areas exhibiting negligible emissions. Still, the daily mean averaged over our flight campaign was 3.8 (2.2–4.7)&thinsp;mg&thinsp;<span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span>&thinsp;m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span>&thinsp;d<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> with the 90&thinsp;% confidence interval shown in parentheses. If these measurements are representative of the whole month, then the permafrost areas we observed emitted a total of around 0.04–0.09&thinsp;g&thinsp;m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> for August, which is comparable to what is typically assumed to be the upper limit of yearly emissions for these regions.</p>https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/4257/2019/acp-19-4257-2019.pdf
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author J. Wilkerson
R. Dobosy
R. Dobosy
D. S. Sayres
C. Healy
E. Dumas
E. Dumas
B. Baker
J. G. Anderson
J. G. Anderson
J. G. Anderson
spellingShingle J. Wilkerson
R. Dobosy
R. Dobosy
D. S. Sayres
C. Healy
E. Dumas
E. Dumas
B. Baker
J. G. Anderson
J. G. Anderson
J. G. Anderson
Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
author_facet J. Wilkerson
R. Dobosy
R. Dobosy
D. S. Sayres
C. Healy
E. Dumas
E. Dumas
B. Baker
J. G. Anderson
J. G. Anderson
J. G. Anderson
author_sort J. Wilkerson
title Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method
title_short Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method
title_full Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method
title_fullStr Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method
title_full_unstemmed Permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method
title_sort permafrost nitrous oxide emissions observed on a landscape scale using the airborne eddy-covariance method
publisher Copernicus Publications
series Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
issn 1680-7316
1680-7324
publishDate 2019-04-01
description <p>The microbial by-product nitrous oxide (<span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span>), a potent greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substance, has conventionally been assumed to have minimal emissions in permafrost regions. This assumption has been questioned by recent in situ studies which have demonstrated that some geologic features in permafrost may, in fact, have elevated emissions comparable to those of tropical soils. However, these recent studies, along with every known in situ study focused on permafrost <span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span> fluxes, have used chambers to examine small areas (<span class="inline-formula">&lt;50</span>&thinsp;m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>). In late August 2013, we used the airborne eddy-covariance technique to make in situ <span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span> flux measurements over the North Slope of Alaska from a low-flying aircraft spanning a much larger area: around 310&thinsp;km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>. We observed large variability of <span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span> fluxes with many areas exhibiting negligible emissions. Still, the daily mean averaged over our flight campaign was 3.8 (2.2–4.7)&thinsp;mg&thinsp;<span class="inline-formula">N<sub>2</sub>O</span>&thinsp;m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span>&thinsp;d<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> with the 90&thinsp;% confidence interval shown in parentheses. If these measurements are representative of the whole month, then the permafrost areas we observed emitted a total of around 0.04–0.09&thinsp;g&thinsp;m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> for August, which is comparable to what is typically assumed to be the upper limit of yearly emissions for these regions.</p>
url https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/4257/2019/acp-19-4257-2019.pdf
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