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Title: Inverse Estimation of an Annual Cycle of California's Nitrous Oxide Emissions

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JD028166· OSTI ID:1461148
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4];  [5]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States); Bay Area Air Quality Management District, San Francisco, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Air Pollution Research Center
  4. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.
  5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.; Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
  6. Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Air Pollution Research Center
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Abstract Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is a potent long‐lived greenhouse gas (GHG) and the strongest current emissions of global anthropogenic stratospheric ozone depletion weighted by its ozone depletion potential. In California, N 2 O is the third largest contributor to the state's anthropogenic GHG emission inventory, though no study has quantified its statewide annual emissions through top‐down inverse modeling. Here we present the first annual (2013–2014) statewide top‐down estimates of anthropogenic N 2 O emissions. Utilizing continuous N 2 O observations from six sites across California in a hierarchical Bayesian inversion, we estimate that annual anthropogenic emissions are 1.5–2.5 times (at 95% confidence) the state inventory (41 Gg N 2 O in 2014). Without mitigation, this estimate represents 4–7% of total GHG emissions assuming that other reported GHG emissions are reasonably correct. This suggests that control of N 2 O could be an important component in meeting California's emission reduction goals of 40% and 80% below 1990 levels of the total GHG emissions (in CO 2 equivalent) by 2030 and 2050, respectively. Our seasonality analysis suggests that emissions are similar across seasons within posterior uncertainties. Future work is needed to provide source attribution for subregions and further characterization of seasonal variability.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; DE‐AC02‐05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1461148
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1436354
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 123, Issue 9; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 4 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

Internet of Things for Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change book December 2019
The Hydrometeorology Testbed–West Legacy Observing Network: Supporting Research to Applications for Atmospheric Rivers and Beyond journal September 2019

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