Collaborative Research: Improving Estimated Fluxes of Greenhouse Gases over North America Using a Receptor-Oriented Modeling Framework and In-situ Atmospheric Measurements

这项工作旨在建立对北美地区重要温室气体（包括二氧化碳（CO2）、甲烷（CH4）、氧化亚氮（N2O）和一氧化碳（CO））地表源和汇的精确自上而下的估计，并解决个别科学问题，特别是关于这些估计基础上的日、季节和年际时间尺度变化的原因。在2003-2011年期间的选定月份，将使用一个面向受体的拉格朗日粒子弥散模型对这些气体的机载和塔基测量结果进行分析，该模型由适应通量反演工作的天气研究与预报（WRF）模式的一个版本驱动。该分析将为根据现有清单进行独立的自下而上的排放估计提供一个评估工具。获得可靠的输送场和对四种气体的联合分析对研究的成功至关重要。人为引起的大气中温室气体浓度的变化是媒体、国会和普通公民每天都在讨论的一个主要社会问题。目前，对美国和北美对这一全球性问题的贡献的基于库存的估计还没有得到验证，而且有迹象表明这些估计可能是错误的。这项工作将根据强大的物理和观测限制提供新的评估，从而决定性地改善这种情况。数据、结果和软件将在研究过程中向公众开放，主要研究人员将通过传播与气候变化公众辩论相关的结果，参与公众宣传。

The work aims to establish accurate top-down estimates of the surface sources and sinks for important greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon monoxide (CO) over North America, and address individual science questions, particularly with regard to the causes of variability on diurnal, seasonal, and interannual timescales that underlie these estimates. Collocated airborne and tower-based measurements of these gases for selected months in the period 2003-2011 will be analyzed using a receptor-oriented Lagrangian particle dispersion model driven by a version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model adapted to flux inversion work. The analysis will provide an assessment tool for independent bottom-up emission estimates from existing inventories. The availability of reliable transport fields and a conjoint analysis of the four gases will be critical to the success of the study.Human-induced changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases are a major societal concern discussed in the press, in Congress, and by ordinary citizens every day. Currently there is no validation for inventory-based estimates of U.S. and North American contributions to this global problem, and there are indications that these estimates may be in error.The work will decisively improve this situation by providing new assessments based on strong physical and observational constraints. The data, results, and software will be made publicly available during the research, and the principal investigators will engage in public outreach by communicating the results that are pertinent to the public debate on climate change.