Lowry, David, Holmes, Craig W., Rata, Nigel D., O'Brien, Philip and Nisbet, Euan G. (2001) London methane emissions: Use of diurnal changes in concentration and delta C-13 to identify urban sources and verify inventories. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 106 (D7).
Full text access: Open
Diurnal air sampling campaigns at the Royal Holloway site on the western fringe of London, United Kingdom, have been used to: (1) test the validity of using carbon isotopes to identify local methane sources, (2) determine the isotopic signature of overnight build-up profiles, in order to estimate regional emissions, and (3) verify statistical estimates of emissions. For CH4 an overall London delta C-13 source mix of -48.7 +/-0.3 parts per thousand has been calculated from gradual overnight methane buildup in air masses moving from the east. Isotopic characterization of specific methane peaks shows them to be derived either from natural gas leaks (delta C-13-33 parts per thousand to -35 parts per thousand) or waste treatment emissions (delta C-13 -51 parts per thousand to -53 parts per thousand). While landfill/waste emissions dominate, gas distribution losses represent similar to 20% of the bulk local source. Various estimates of total London methane emissions for 1996 were made, using diurnal excess, isotopic data and trajectory movement across London to the sampling station. The results are in the range 240-312 kt/yr, higher than the tendon estimate in current U.K. greenhouse gas inventory assessments of emissions but within error of earlier statistical estimates for 1996. The results show that it is possible to use atmospheric concentration, isotopic, and meteorological data together to verify statistical estimates testing them for internal consistency and using better constrained data to calibrate more poorly known source fluxes. Importantly, atmospheric data can place constraints on poorly constrained landfill emission estimates for the region. These quasi-independent methods for verification of greenhouse gas emissions will contribute in assessing compliance with the Kyoto agreement.
This is a Published version This version's date is: 16/04/2001 This item is peer reviewed
https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/49a10fb2-6b9a-ab3d-7513-d3151dc7c28b/1/
Deposited by () on 23-Dec-2009 in Royal Holloway Research Online.Last modified on 23-Dec-2009
Accepted for publication in Journal of Geophysical Research volume 106, number D7, pp. 7427-7448. Copyright 2001 American Geophysical Union. Further reproduction or electronic distribution is not permitted.
AEA TECHN, 1999, AEAT4962 EUR, 1999, NAT GAS W EUR 1999 P EUR COMM, 1996, STRAT PAP RED METH E INT PAN CLIM CHAN, 1994, CLIM CHANG 1994 RAD INT PAN CLIM CHAN, 1996, CLIM CHANG 1995 SCI NAT ATM EM INV, 1999, UK EM AIR POLL 1970 WATT COMM EN, 1993, METH EM BERGAMASCHI P, 1998, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V103, P8251 BROWN KA, 1999, AEAT20624 BUCKINGHAM C, 1998, LONDON ATMOSPHERIC E CANTRELL CA, 1990, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOSP, V95, P22455 CHANTON J, 2000, GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEM CY, V14, P51 CHANTON JP, 2000, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V105, P1867 CRUTZEN PJ, 1995, RUMINANT PHYSL DIGES, P291 DERWENT RG, 1995, ATMOS ENVIRON, V29, P923 DLUGOKENCKY EJ, 1998, NATURE, V393, P447 EISMA R, 1995, RADIOCARBON, V37, P475 ERMEULEN AT, 1997, ECNC96088 NETH EN RE FLORKOWSKI T, 1998, ISOTOPE TECHNIQUES S, P37 FUNG I, 1991, J GEOPHYS RES, V96, P13033 FURNESS JF, 1967, PUBLIC CLEANSING, V57, P255 GONFIANTINI R, 1995, REFERENCE INTERCOMPA, P13 GOODWIN JWL, 1999, UK EMISSIONS AIR POL GRACE JD, 1986, AAPG BULL, V70, P830 HEIN R, 1997, GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEM CY, V11, P43 HOGAN K, 1993, 430R93006 EPA HOWARD L, 1833, CLIMATE LONDON DEDUC, V1 LEVIN I, 1993, CHEMOSPHERE, V26, P161 LEVIN I, 1999, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V104, P3447 LEVIN I, 1994, NATO ASI SER 1, V17, P3 LEVIN J, 1999, J ENDOTOXIN RES, V5, P1 LOWE DC, 1994, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V99, P16913 LOWE DC, 1991, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOSP, V96, P15455 LOWRY D, 1998, EOS T AGU S, V79, PF103 LOWRY D, 1998, ISOTOPE TECHNIQUES S, P57 MCALLISTER TA, 1997, DIETARY ENV ASPECTS MORIIZUMI J, 1998, ATMOS ENVIRON, V32, P2947 NISBET EG, 1998, 17511 EUR EN EUR COM PASQUILL F, 1983, ATMOSPHERIC DIFFUSIO QUAY P, 1999, GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEM CY, V13, P445 RATA ND, 1999, THESIS U LONDON LOND REILLY J, 1999, NATURE, V401, P549 RESHETNIKOV AI, 2000, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, V105, P3517 RODDY AF, 1996, IRISH MARINE SCI 199, P435 SCHARFF H, 1999, ENV IMPACT AFTERCARE, V4, P71 STEVENS CM, 1993, NATO AS SER, V13, P62 THOM M, 1993, CHEMOSPHERE, V26, P143 WHALEN M, 1993, ANN REV EARTH PLANET, V21, P407 WHITICAR MJ, 1993, NATI ASI SERIES I, V13, P139 WILSON IM, 1999, ENV IMPACT AFTERCARE, V4, P315 ZONDERVAN A, 1996, TELLUS B, V48, P601