HR: 08:15h
AN: A51B-02    [PDF]
TI: Top-down Constraints on North American Carbon Fluxes using CO2:CO Correlations from Aircraft Data
AU: * Suntharalingam, P
EM: pns@io.harvard.edu
AF: Harvard University, 29, Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 United States
AU: Jacob, D J
EM: djj@io.harvard.edu
AF: Harvard University, 29, Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 United States
AU: Li, Q
EM: qli@io.harvard.edu
AF: Harvard University, 29, Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 United States
AB: We employ measurements of CO2, CO and CO2:CO correlations in conjunction with 3-D simulations from a global chemical transport model (GEOS-CHEM) to better constrain specific sources contributing to North American CO2 exchange. The CO2:CO emission ratio varies with efficiency of combustion and provides a characteristic signature of source region and source type, and in particular, of combustion versus biospheric influence. Our analysis of CO2:CO correlations in Asian outflow demonstrated the utility of these measurements in constraining the regional biospheric source of CO2 [Suntharalingam et al. 2003]. Here we employ observed correlations from aircraft campaigns (NOAA and NASA-GTE) over and around the North American continent in conjunction with CO2 and CO measurements from NOAA/CMDL surface sites. We use the GEOS-CHEM model, driven by our best emissions estimates, to identify influences of separate source regions on the CO2:CO measurements. Comparison of modeled and observed concentrations and correlations then enables evaluation of the a priori emissions distributions.
DE: 0315 Biosphere/atmosphere interactions
DE: 0322 Constituent sources and sinks
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting