Project Funding: 2008 - 2010

Funded by NASA

Abstract:
Non-CO₂ greenhouse gases (CH₄, CO, N₂O) are a major focus for the NACP (Harriss and Wofsy, 2001). Rising levels of CH₄ and N₂O together account for almost half of the radiative forcing due to CO₂; CO is a tracer for CO₂ emitted from mobile sources and biomass fires [e.g. Gerbig et al. 2003; Geels et al., 2004] and CO data help define factors influencing tropospheric O₃, another key contributor to radiative forcing. The synthesis project will bring together data for CH₄, CO, and N₂O generated in the broad range of relevant research programs ongoing in the NACP, and will develop integrative top-down analyses of those data. It will: 1. Develop a comprehensive data base in uniform, accessible format. 2. Create a set of bottom-up inventories with best possible spatial and temporal resolution, disaggregated by source type. 3. Coordinate and/or undertake top-down assessment of emissions inventories, to create improved surface fluxes at various scales, from regional to continental. Synthesis products will be designed to address societal needs for better quantitative knowledge of greenhouse gas sources in N. America.

Publications:

Tian, H., Lu, C., Ciais, P., Michalak, A. M., Canadell, J. G., Saikawa, E., Huntzinger, D. N., Gurney, K. R., Sitch, S., Zhang, B., Yang, J., Bousquet, P., Bruhwiler, L., Chen, G., Dlugokencky, E., Friedlingstein, P., Melillo, J., Pan, S., Poulter, B., Prinn, R., Saunois, M., Schwalm, C. R., Wofsy, S. C. 2016. The terrestrial biosphere as a net source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Nature. 531(7593), 225-228. DOI: 10.1038/nature16946

Miller, S. M., Wofsy, S. C., Michalak, A. M., Kort, E. A., Andrews, A. E., Biraud, S. C., Dlugokencky, E. J., Eluszkiewicz, J., Fischer, M. L., Janssens-Maenhout, G., Miller, B. R., Miller, J. B., Montzka, S. A., Nehrkorn, T., Sweeney, C. 2013. Anthropogenic emissions of methane in the United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110(50), 20018-20022. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1314392110

Kort, E. A., Wofsy, S. C., Daube, B. C., Diao, M., Elkins, J. W., Gao, R. S., Hintsa, E. J., Hurst, D. F., Jimenez, R., Moore, F. L., Spackman, J. R., Zondlo, M. A. 2012. Atmospheric observations of Arctic Ocean methane emissions up to 82deg north. Nature Geoscience. 5(5), 318-321. DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1452

Tian, H., Lu, C., Chen, G., Tao, B., Pan, S., Grosso, S. J. D., Xu, X., Bruhwiler, L., Wofsy, S. C., Kort, E. A., Prior, S. A. 2012. Contemporary and projected biogenic fluxes of methane and nitrous oxide in North American terrestrial ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 10(10), 528-536. DOI: 10.1890/120057

Miller, S. M., Kort, E. A., Hirsch, A. I., Dlugokencky, E. J., Andrews, A. E., Xu, X., Tian, H., Nehrkorn, T., Eluszkiewicz, J., Michalak, A. M., Wofsy, S. C. 2012. Regional sources of nitrous oxide over the United States: Seasonal variation and spatial distribution. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 117(D6). DOI: 10.1029/2011JD016951

2010 NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting Poster(s)

• The seasonality of the Amazon Basin ecosystem production assessed by a fully coupled dynamic Ecosystem - Atmosphere Model (ED2-BRAMS)   --   (Marcos Longo, Ryan Knox, Yeonjoo Kim, David M. Medvigy, Victoria Yee Chow, Saulo R. Freitas, Karla Longo, Rafael L. Bras, Paul R. Moorcroft, Steven C. Wofsy)   [abstract]
• Spatial and Temporal Distributions of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions in North America   --   (Eric A. Kort, Scot M. Miller, Talya Havice, Colm Sweeney, Arlyn E. Andrews, Ed J. Dlugokencky, Pieter Tans, Adam Hirsch, Doug Worthy, Janusz Eluszkiewicz, Thomas Nehrkorn, Anna Michalak, Hanqin Tian, Steven C. Wofsy)   [abstract]
• Development of a Methane Isotope Quantum Cascade Laser Spectrometer and Measurements at a New Hampshire Fen   --   (Gregory W. Santoni, Ben H. Lee, Jordan P. Goodrich, Ruth K. Varner, David D. Nelson, Mark S. Zahniser, Steven C. Wofsy)   [abstract]

More details may be found in the following project profile(s):

• NASA Terrestrial Ecology (TE) Project Profile
• North American Carbon Program (NACP) Project Profile