Large-Scale Estimates of CH4 Flux in Arctic Ecosystems: Field Testing of a Fast Response CH4 Analyzer for Remote Locations

北极生态系统是大气CH 4的来源，然而，通量在小的空间尺度上变化很大。 因此，需要大规模的测量，整合斑块规模的变化，以确定甲烷排放量的大小。 激光技术的最新进展导致了灵敏的、快速响应的CH 4传感器的发展，其用于微尺度通量测量。 然而，这些仪器中的许多在操作期间需要复杂的支持系统和大量的电力，这抑制了它们在远程实地研究中的使用。 最近开发了一种快速响应开路CH 4传感器，其不需要大量的外部电源进行操作。虽然这种传感器似乎是实用的远程通量研究中使用，它是未知的，它是否足够敏感，以解决北极生态系统的特点，或robustenough承受恶劣的北极环境的CH 4通量小。因此，将在1994年野外季节期间在各种北极生态系统的便携式涡流相关塔上对传感器进行为期两周的测试。 如果现场测试是成功的，传感器，然后可以实现未来的塔和/或飞机为基础的涡流相关通量在遥远的北极生态系统的研究。 该奖项是在SGER（探索性研究小额赠款）倡议下颁发的。该项目是北极系统科学，陆地/大气/冰相互作用通量项目的一部分。

Arctic ecosystems are sources of CH4 to the atmosphere, however, fluxes are extremely variable over small spatial scales. Therefore, large-scale measurements which integrate patch-scale variability are needed to determine the magnitude of CH4 efflux. Recent advances in laser technology have resulted in the development of sensitive, rapid response CH4 sensors for landscape-scale flux measurements. However, many of these instruments require elaborate support systems and large amounts of power during operation, which inhibit their use in remote field studies. A fast response open path CH4 sensor was recently developed that does not require a large amount of extraneous supplies for operation. Although this sensor appears to be practical for use in remote flux studies, it is unknown whether it is sensitive enough to resolve the small CH4 fluxes characteristic of arctic ecosystems, or robustenough to withstand the harsh arctic environment. Therefore, the sensor will be tested on a portable eddy correlation tower in a variety of arctic ecosystems for two weeks during the 1994 field season. If the field test is successful, the sensor may then be implemented for future tower and/or aircraft-based eddy correlation flux studies in remote arctic ecosystems. This award is made under the SGER (Small Grants for Exploratory Research) initiative. The project is part of the Arctic System Science,Land/Atmosphere/Ice Interactions Flux project.