DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Addressing a systematic bias in carbon dioxide flux measurements with the EC150 and the IRGASON open-path gas analyzers

Abstract

Across a global network of eddy covariance flux towers, two relatively new open-path infrared gas analyzers (IRGAs), the IRGASON and the EC150, are increasingly used to measure net carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes (Fc_OP). Differences in net CO2 fluxes derived from open- and closed-path IRGAs in general remain poorly constrained. In particular, the performance of the IRGASON and the EC150 for measuring Fc_OP has not been characterized yet. These IRGAs measure CO2 absorption, which is scaled with air temperature and pressure before converting it to instantaneous CO2 density. This sensor-internal conversion is based on a slow-response thermistor air temperature measurement. In this paper, we test if the high-frequency temperature attenuation causes selectively systematic Fc_OP errors that scale with kinematic temperature fluxes. First, we examine the relationship between wintertime Fc_OP and kinematic temperature fluxes for eight northern ecosystems. Second, we investigate how residuals between Fc_OP and CO2 fluxes from co-located closed-path IRGAs (FC_CP) are related to kinematic temperature fluxes for three different ecosystem types (i.e., boreal forest, grassland, and irrigated cropland). We find that kinematic temperature fluxes, but not mean ambient air temperatures or CO2 flux regime, consistently determine the absolute magnitude of Fc_OP errors. This selectively systematic bias causes the mostmore » pronounced relative Fc_OP errors to occur when “true” CO2 fluxes are low and kinematic temperature fluxes are high (e.g., northern ecosystems during the winter). The smallest relative errors occur during periods with large “true” CO2 fluxes and low kinematic temperature fluxes. To address this bias, we replace the slow-response air temperature in the absorption-to-CO2 density conversion with a fast-response air temperature derived from sonic anemometer measurements. The use of the fast-response air temperature improves the agreement between half-hourly Fc_OP and FC_CP for all open- versus closed-path IRGA comparisons. Additionally, cumulative Fc_OP and Fc_CP sums are more comparable as differences drop from 63 %–13 % to 20 %–8 %. Finally, the improved IRGASON and EC150 performance enhances the ability and confidence to synthesize flux measurements across multiple sites including these two relatively new IRGAs.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [6];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Montréal, QC (Canada). Centre for Northern Studies (CEN). Dept. of Geography
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Campbell Scientific, Logan, UT (United States)
  4. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States). Inst. of Arctic Biology
  5. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Brandon, MB (Canada). Brandon Research and Development Centre
  6. Wilfrid Laurier Univ., Waterloo, ON (Canada). Cold Regions Research Centre
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); United States Geological Survey (USGS); National Science Foundation (NSF); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) (Canada); German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
OSTI Identifier:
1471026
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1398566
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 228-229; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-1923
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; carbon dioxide fluxes; eddy covariance; open-path infrared gas analyzer; systematic error; sensible heat; absorption

Citation Formats

Helbig, M., Wischnewski, K., Gosselin, G. H., Biraud, S. C., Bogoev, I., Chan, W. S., Euskirchen, E. S., Glenn, A. J., Marsh, P. M., Quinton, W. L., and Sonnentag, O. Addressing a systematic bias in carbon dioxide flux measurements with the EC150 and the IRGASON open-path gas analyzers. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2016.07.018.
Helbig, M., Wischnewski, K., Gosselin, G. H., Biraud, S. C., Bogoev, I., Chan, W. S., Euskirchen, E. S., Glenn, A. J., Marsh, P. M., Quinton, W. L., & Sonnentag, O. Addressing a systematic bias in carbon dioxide flux measurements with the EC150 and the IRGASON open-path gas analyzers. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2016.07.018
Helbig, M., Wischnewski, K., Gosselin, G. H., Biraud, S. C., Bogoev, I., Chan, W. S., Euskirchen, E. S., Glenn, A. J., Marsh, P. M., Quinton, W. L., and Sonnentag, O. Fri . "Addressing a systematic bias in carbon dioxide flux measurements with the EC150 and the IRGASON open-path gas analyzers". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2016.07.018. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1471026.
@article{osti_1471026,
title = {Addressing a systematic bias in carbon dioxide flux measurements with the EC150 and the IRGASON open-path gas analyzers},
author = {Helbig, M. and Wischnewski, K. and Gosselin, G. H. and Biraud, S. C. and Bogoev, I. and Chan, W. S. and Euskirchen, E. S. and Glenn, A. J. and Marsh, P. M. and Quinton, W. L. and Sonnentag, O.},
abstractNote = {Across a global network of eddy covariance flux towers, two relatively new open-path infrared gas analyzers (IRGAs), the IRGASON and the EC150, are increasingly used to measure net carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes (Fc_OP). Differences in net CO2 fluxes derived from open- and closed-path IRGAs in general remain poorly constrained. In particular, the performance of the IRGASON and the EC150 for measuring Fc_OP has not been characterized yet. These IRGAs measure CO2 absorption, which is scaled with air temperature and pressure before converting it to instantaneous CO2 density. This sensor-internal conversion is based on a slow-response thermistor air temperature measurement. In this paper, we test if the high-frequency temperature attenuation causes selectively systematic Fc_OP errors that scale with kinematic temperature fluxes. First, we examine the relationship between wintertime Fc_OP and kinematic temperature fluxes for eight northern ecosystems. Second, we investigate how residuals between Fc_OP and CO2 fluxes from co-located closed-path IRGAs (FC_CP) are related to kinematic temperature fluxes for three different ecosystem types (i.e., boreal forest, grassland, and irrigated cropland). We find that kinematic temperature fluxes, but not mean ambient air temperatures or CO2 flux regime, consistently determine the absolute magnitude of Fc_OP errors. This selectively systematic bias causes the most pronounced relative Fc_OP errors to occur when “true” CO2 fluxes are low and kinematic temperature fluxes are high (e.g., northern ecosystems during the winter). The smallest relative errors occur during periods with large “true” CO2 fluxes and low kinematic temperature fluxes. To address this bias, we replace the slow-response air temperature in the absorption-to-CO2 density conversion with a fast-response air temperature derived from sonic anemometer measurements. The use of the fast-response air temperature improves the agreement between half-hourly Fc_OP and FC_CP for all open- versus closed-path IRGA comparisons. Additionally, cumulative Fc_OP and Fc_CP sums are more comparable as differences drop from 63 %–13 % to 20 %–8 %. Finally, the improved IRGASON and EC150 performance enhances the ability and confidence to synthesize flux measurements across multiple sites including these two relatively new IRGAs.},
doi = {10.1016/j.agrformet.2016.07.018},
journal = {Agricultural and Forest Meteorology},
number = ,
volume = 228-229,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

Journal Article:

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 26 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

Estimating annual carbon dioxide eddy fluxes using open-path analysers for cold forest sites
journal, September 2010


Energy budget closure observed in paired Eddy Covariance towers with increased and continuous daily turbulence
journal, January 2014


Seasonal differences in carbon and water vapor exchange in young and old-growth ponderosa pine ecosystems
journal, May 2002

  • Anthoni, Peter M.; Unsworth, Michael H.; Law, Beverly E.
  • Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 111, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1923(02)00021-7

Heat, water and carbon exchanges in the tall megacity of Shanghai: challenges and results: HEAT, WATER AND CARBON EXCHANGES IN SHANGHAI
journal, March 2016

  • Ao, Xiangyu; Grimmond, C. S. B.; Chang, Yuanyong
  • International Journal of Climatology, Vol. 36, Issue 14
  • DOI: 10.1002/joc.4657

Dimensioning IRGA gas sampling systems: laboratory and field experiments
journal, January 2016

  • Aubinet, Marc; Joly, Lilian; Loustau, Denis
  • Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol. 9, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.5194/amt-9-1361-2016

FLUXNET: A New Tool to Study the Temporal and Spatial Variability of Ecosystem–Scale Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, and Energy Flux Densities
journal, November 2001


Terrestrial Gross Carbon Dioxide Uptake: Global Distribution and Covariation with Climate
journal, July 2010


Controls on Evaporation in a Boreal Spruce Forest
journal, June 1999


Carbon, water, and energy fluxes in a semiarid cold desert grassland during and following multiyear drought
journal, January 2010

  • Bowling, D. R.; Bethers-Marchetti, S.; Lunch, C. K.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 115, Issue G4
  • DOI: 10.1029/2010JG001322

Addressing the influence of instrument surface heat exchange on the measurements of CO 2 flux from open-path gas analyzers
journal, August 2008


Calculating CO2 and H2O eddy covariance fluxes from an enclosed gas analyzer using an instantaneous mixing ratio
journal, September 2011


Total Absorptance of Carbon Dioxide in the Infrared
journal, January 1962

  • Burch, Darrell E.; Gryvnak, David A.; Williams, Dudley
  • Applied Optics, Vol. 1, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1364/AO.1.000759

What eddy-covariance measurements tell us about prior land flux errors in CO 2 -flux inversion schemes: PRIOR ERRORS IN CO 2 -FLUX INVERSION
journal, March 2012

  • Chevallier, Frédéric; Wang, Tao; Ciais, Philippe
  • Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 26, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1029/2010GB003974

Surface Energy Balance of the Western and Central Canadian Subarctic: Variations in the Energy Balance among Five Major Terrain Types
journal, September 2001


Differential response of carbon fluxes to climate in three peatland ecosystems that vary in the presence and stability of permafrost: Carbon fluxes and permafrost thaw
journal, August 2014

  • Euskirchen, E. S.; Edgar, C. W.; Turetsky, M. R.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 119, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1002/2014JG002683

Seasonality of ecosystem respiration and gross primary production as derived from FLUXNET measurements
journal, December 2002


Relative humidity effects on water vapour fluxes measured with closed-path eddy-covariance systems with short sampling lines
journal, November 2012


Eddy-covariance flux errors due to biases in gas concentration measurements: origins, quantification and correction
journal, January 2014


An eddy covariance mesonet to measure the effect of forest age on land?atmosphere exchange
journal, November 2006


Open-path vs. closed-path eddy covariance measurements of the net ecosystem carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange: A long-term perspective
journal, February 2009


Regional atmospheric cooling and wetting effect of permafrost thaw-induced boreal forest loss
journal, June 2016

  • Helbig, Manuel; Wischnewski, Karoline; Kljun, Natascha
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 22, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13348

Seasonal and interannual variations in carbon dioxide exchange of a temperate larch forest
journal, December 2007


Attenuation of Scalar Fluxes Measured with Spatially-displaced Sensors
journal, January 2009


Measurements of Flow Distortion within the IRGASON Integrated Sonic Anemometer and CO $$_2$$ 2 /H $$_2$$ 2 O Gas Analyzer
journal, February 2016


Two Bogs in the Canadian Hudson Bay Lowlands and a Temperate Bog Reveal Similar Annual Net Ecosystem Exchange of CO 2
journal, February 2014

  • Humphreys, Elyn R.; Charron, Chris; Brown, Mathew
  • Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol. 46, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1657/1938-4246.46.1.103

On the use of the Webb–Pearman–Leuning theory for closed-path eddy correlation measurements
journal, January 2007


Strong low-pass filtering effects on water vapour flux measurements with closed-path eddy correlation systems
journal, December 2007


Snow surface energy exchanges and snowmelt in a shrub-covered bog in eastern Ontario, Canada: SNOW ENERGY EXCHANGES IN A BOG
journal, June 2012

  • Knox, Sara H.; Carey, Sean K.; Humphreys, Elyn R.
  • Hydrological Processes, Vol. 26, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1002/hyp.9289

Agricultural peatland restoration: effects of land-use change on greenhouse gas (CO 2 and CH 4 ) fluxes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
journal, October 2014

  • Knox, Sara Helen; Sturtevant, Cove; Matthes, Jaclyn Hatala
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 21, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12745

Experimental evaluation of water vapour cross-sensitivity for accurate eddy covariance measurement of CO 2 flux using open-path CO 2 /H 2 O gas analysers
journal, January 2014

  • Kondo, Fumiyoshi; Ono, Keisuke; Mano, Masayoshi
  • Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, Vol. 66, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.3402/tellusb.v66.23803

On the relationship between the eddy covariance, the turbulent flux, and surface exchange for a trace gas such as CO2
journal, March 2007


Interannual variability in the peatland-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange at an ombrotrophic bog: CARBON BALANCE AT AN OMBROTROPHIC BOG
journal, April 2003

  • Lafleur, Peter M.; Roulet, Nigel T.; Bubier, Jill L.
  • Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 17, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1029/2002GB001983

The surface energy balance of a polygonal tundra site in northern Siberia – Part 2: Winter
journal, January 2011


Environmental controls over carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange of terrestrial vegetation
journal, December 2002


The relative merits of open- and closed-path analysers for measurement of eddy fluxes
journal, June 1996


Effect of stand age on whole ecosystem CO 2 exchange in the Canadian boreal forest : NET CO
journal, January 2003

  • Litvak, Marcy; Miller, Scott; Wofsy, Steve C.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 108, Issue D3
  • DOI: 10.1029/2001JD000854

Consequences of Incomplete Surface Energy Balance Closure for CO2 Fluxes from Open-Path CO2/H2O Infrared Gas Analysers
journal, July 2006

  • Liu, Heping; Randerson, James T.; Lindfors, Jamie
  • Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 120, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10546-005-9047-z

Global Convergence in the Temperature Sensitivity of Respiration at Ecosystem Level
journal, July 2010


Attenuation of concentration fluctuations of water vapor and other trace gases in turbulent tube flow
journal, January 2008


Eddy covariance flux corrections and uncertainties in long-term studies of carbon and energy exchanges
journal, December 2002


A new low-power, open-path instrument for measuring methane flux by eddy covariance
journal, November 2010


An eddy correlation technique with extended applicability to non-simple terrain
journal, May 1988

  • McMillen, Robert T.
  • Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 43, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF00128405

Influence of physiological phenology on the seasonal pattern of ecosystem respiration in deciduous forests
journal, August 2014

  • Migliavacca, Mirco; Reichstein, Markus; Richardson, Andrew D.
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 21, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12671

The propagation of errors in long-term measurements of land-atmosphere fluxes of carbon and water
journal, June 1996


A system to measure surface fluxes of momentum, sensible heat, water vapour and carbon dioxide
journal, February 1997


On the calibration and temperature behaviour of single-beam infrared hygrometers
journal, March 1983


Eddy covariance measurements with a new fast-response, enclosed-path analyzer: Spectral characteristics and cross-system comparisons
journal, November 2013


Design of the AmeriFlux Portable Eddy Covariance System and Uncertainty Analysis of Carbon Measurements
journal, August 2007

  • Ocheltree, T. W.; Loescher, H. W.
  • Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Vol. 24, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1175/JTECH2064.1

Apparent downward CO2 flux observed with open-path eddy covariance over a non-vegetated surface
journal, October 2007


Importance of mixing ratio for a long-term CO 2 flux measurement with a closed-path system
journal, January 2011


Uncertainty analysis of eddy covariance CO 2 flux measurements for different EC tower distances using an extended two-tower approach
journal, January 2015


A multi-site analysis of random error in tower-based measurements of carbon and energy fluxes
journal, January 2006

  • Richardson, Andrew D.; Hollinger, David Y.; Burba, George G.
  • Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 136, Issue 1-2
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2006.01.007

The HITRAN 2004 molecular spectroscopic database
journal, December 2005

  • Rothman, L. S.; Jacquemart, D.; Barbe, A.
  • Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, Vol. 96, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jqsrt.2004.10.008

The surface energy balance and its drivers in a boreal peatland fen of northwestern Russia
journal, April 2014


Temperature measurement with a sonic anemometer and its application to heat and moisture fluxes
journal, May 1983

  • Schotanus, P.; Nieuwstadt, F. T. M.; De Bruin, H. A. R.
  • Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 26, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF00164332

Consequences of Uncertainties in CO2 Density for Estimating Net Ecosystem CO2 Exchange by Open-path Eddy Covariance
journal, October 2007

  • Serrano-Ortiz, Penélope; Kowalski, Andrew S.; Domingo, Francisco
  • Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 126, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10546-007-9234-1

Temperature regimes and turbulent heat fluxes across a heterogeneous canopy in an Alaskan boreal forest: Spatial fluxes in a heterogeneous canopy
journal, February 2015

  • Starkenburg, Derek; Fochesatto, Gilberto J.; Cristóbal, Jordi
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 120, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1002/2014JD022338

Influences of various calculation options on heat, water and carbon fluxes determined by open- and closed-path eddy covariance methods
journal, January 2012

  • Ueyama, Masahito; Hirata, Ryuichi; Mano, Masayoshi
  • Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, Vol. 64, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.3402/tellusb.v64i0.19048

Remote sensing of annual terrestrial gross primary productivity from MODIS: an assessment using the FLUXNET La Thuile data set
journal, January 2014


Assessing carbon dynamics at high and low rainfall agricultural sites in the inland Pacific Northwest US using the eddy covariance method
journal, March 2016


Correction of flux measurements for density effects due to heat and water vapour transfer
journal, January 1980

  • Webb, E. K.; Pearman, G. I.; Leuning, R.
  • Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, Vol. 106, Issue 447, p. 85-100
  • DOI: 10.1002/qj.49710644707

Large annual net ecosystem CO 2 uptake of a Mojave Desert ecosystem
journal, July 2008


The Effects of Probe-Induced Flow Distortion on Atmospheric Turbulence Measurements
journal, July 1981


The Effects of Probe-Induced Flow Distortion on Atmospheric Turbulence Measurements: Extension to Scalars
journal, November 1988


Energy and water exchanges over a riparian Tamarix spp. stand in the lower Tarim River basin under a hyper-arid climate
journal, August 2014


Works referencing / citing this record:

High-quality eddy-covariance CO 2 budgets under cold climate conditions: Arctic Eddy-Covariance CO 2 Budgets
journal, August 2017

  • Kittler, Fanny; Eugster, Werner; Foken, Thomas
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 122, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1002/2017jg003830

Direct and indirect climate change effects on carbon dioxide fluxes in a thawing boreal forest-wetland landscape
journal, March 2017

  • Helbig, Manuel; Chasmer, Laura E.; Desai, Ankur R.
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 23, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13638

Increased high‐latitude photosynthetic carbon gain offset by respiration carbon loss during an anomalous warm winter to spring transition
journal, November 2019

  • Liu, Zhihua; Kimball, John S.; Parazoo, Nicholas C.
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 26, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14863

The positive net radiative greenhouse gas forcing of increasing methane emissions from a thawing boreal forest-wetland landscape
journal, October 2016

  • Helbig, Manuel; Chasmer, Laura E.; Kljun, Natascha
  • Global Change Biology, Vol. 23, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13520

High-quality eddy-covariance CO2 budgets under cold climate conditions
text, January 2017


Leaf- and ecosystem-scale photosynthetic parameters for the overstory and understory of boreal forests in interior Alaska
journal, January 2018

  • Ueyama, Masahito; Tahara, Narumi; Nagano, Hirohiko
  • Journal of Agricultural Meteorology, Vol. 74, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.2480/agrmet.d-17-00031