Utilizing Earth Observations of Soil Freeze/Thaw Data and Atmospheric Concentrations to Estimate Cold Season Methane Emissions in the Northern High Latitudes

Tenkanen, Maria; Tsuruta, Aki; Rautiainen, Kimmo; Kangasaho, Vilma; Ellul, Raymond; Aalto, Tuula

doi:10.3390/rs13245059

Utilizing Earth Observations of Soil Freeze/Thaw Data and Atmospheric Concentrations to Estimate Cold Season Methane Emissions in the Northern High Latitudes

Journal Article · Thu Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 2021 · Remote Sensing

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13245059· OSTI ID:1837436

Tenkanen, Maria ^[1]; Tsuruta, Aki ^[1]; Rautiainen, Kimmo ^[1]; Kangasaho, Vilma ^[1]; Ellul, Raymond ^[2]; Aalto, Tuula ^[1]

Finnish Meteorological Inst. (FMI), Helsinki (Finland)
University of Malta (Malta)

The northern wetland methane emission estimates have large uncertainties. Inversion models are a qualified method to estimate the methane fluxes and emissions in northern latitudes but when atmospheric observations are sparse, the models are only as good as their a priori estimates. Thus, improving a priori estimates is a competent way to reduce uncertainties and enhance emission estimates in the sparsely sampled regions. Here, we use a novel way to integrate remote sensing soil freeze/thaw (F/T) status from SMOS satellite to better capture the seasonality of methane emissions in the northern high latitude. The SMOS F/T data provide daily information of soil freezing state in the northern latitudes, and in this study, the data is used to define the cold season in the high latitudes and, thus, improve our knowledge of the seasonal cycle of biospheric methane fluxes. The SMOS F/T data is implemented to LPX-Bern DYPTOP model estimates and the modified fluxes are used as a biospheric a priori in the inversion model CarbonTracker Europe-CH₄. The implementation of the SMOS F/T soil state is shown to be beneficial in improving the inversion model’s cold season biospheric flux estimates. Our results show that cold season biospheric CH4 emissions in northern high latitudes are approximately 0.60 Tg lower than previously estimated, which corresponds to 17% reduction in the cold season biospheric emissions. This reduction is partly compensated by increased anthropogenic emissions in the same area (0.23 Tg), and the results also indicates that the anthropogenic emissions could have even larger contribution in cold season than estimated here.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Center

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Contributing Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1837436

Journal Information:: Remote Sensing, Journal Name: Remote Sensing Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 13; ISSN 2072-4292

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
atmospheric inversion
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cold season
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northern high latitudes
soils

Utilizing Earth Observations of Soil Freeze/Thaw Data and Atmospheric Concentrations to Estimate Cold Season Methane Emissions in the Northern High Latitudes

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