Tall Tower Ammonia Observations and Emission Estimates in the U.S. Midwest

Griffis, Timothy J.; Hu, Cheng; Baker, John M.; Wood, Jeffrey D.; Millet, Dylan B.; Erickson, Mathew; Yu, Zhongjie; Deventer, M. Julian; Winker, Cody; Chen, Zichong

doi:10.1029/2019JG005172

Tall Tower Ammonia Observations and Emission Estimates in the U.S. Midwest

Journal Article · Sat Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005172· OSTI ID:1579447

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Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service St. Paul MN USA
School of Natural Resources University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service St. Paul MN USA

Abstract

Atmospheric ammonia (NH ₃ ) has increased dramatically as a consequence of the production of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer and proliferation of intensive livestock systems. It is a chemical of environmental concern as it readily reacts with atmospheric acids to produce fine particulate matter and indirectly contributes to nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) emissions. Here, we present the first tall tower observations of NH ₃ within the U.S. Corn Belt for the period April 2017 through December 2018. Hourly average NH ₃ mixing ratios were measured at 100 and 56 m above the ground surface and fluxes were estimated using a modified gradient approach. The highest NH ₃ mixing ratios (>30 nmol mol ⁻¹ ) occurred during early spring and late fall, coinciding with the timing of fertilizer application within the region and the occurrence of warm air temperatures. Net ecosystem NH ₃ exchange was greatest in spring and fall with peak emissions of about +50 nmol m ⁻² s ^−l . Annual NH ₃ emissions estimated using state‐of‐the‐art inventories ranged from 0.6 to 1.4 × the mean annual gross tall tower fluxes (+2.1 nmol m ⁻² s ⁻¹ ). If the tall tower observations are representative of the Upper Midwest and broader U.S. Corn Belt regions, the annual gross emissions were +720 Gg NH ₃ ‐N y ⁻¹ and +1,340 Gg NH ₃ ‐N y ⁻¹ , respectively. Finally, considering the N ₂ O budget over the same region, we estimated total reactive N emissions (i.e., N ₂ O + NH ₃ ) of approximately 1,790 Gg N y ⁻¹ from the U.S. Corn Belt, representing ~23% of the current annual new N input.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 1579447

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 124; ISSN 2169-8953

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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