Discrepancy between simulated and observed ethane and propane levels explained by underestimated fossil emissions /704/106/35/824 /704/172/169/824 /119 article

Autor(en)
Stig B. Dalsøren, Gunnar Myhre, Oivind Hodnebrog, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Andreas Stohl, Ignacio Pisso, Stefan Schwietzke, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Detlev Helmig, Stefan Reimann, Stéphane Sauvage, Norbert Schmidbauer, Katie A. Read, Lucy J. Carpenter, Alastair C. Lewis, Shalini Punjabi, Markus Wallasch
Abstrakt

Ethane and propane are the most abundant non-methane hydrocarbons in the atmosphere. However, their emissions, atmospheric distribution, and trends in their atmospheric concentrations are insufficiently understood. Atmospheric model simulations using standard community emission inventories do not reproduce available measurements in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we show that observations of pre-industrial and present-day ethane and propane can be reproduced in simulations with a detailed atmospheric chemistry transport model, provided that natural geologic emissions are taken into account and anthropogenic fossil fuel emissions are assumed to be two to three times higher than is indicated in current inventories. Accounting for these enhanced ethane and propane emissions results in simulated surface ozone concentrations that are 5-13% higher than previously assumed in some polluted regions in Asia. The improved correspondence with observed ethane and propane in model simulations with greater emissions suggests that the level of fossil (geologic + fossil fuel) methane emissions in current inventories may need re-evaluation.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Meteorologie und Geophysik, Institut für Sport- und Bewegungswissenschaft, Universitäts-Sportinstitut
Externe Organisation(en)
Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, Institute of Marine Research, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt, Université Lille I - Sciences et Technologies, University of York, Umweltbundesamt Deutschland
Journal
Nature Geoscience
Band
11
Seiten
178-184
Anzahl der Seiten
7
ISSN
1752-0894
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-018-0073-0
Publikationsdatum
03-2018
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
105206 Meteorologie
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Allgemeine Erdkunde und Planetologie
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/0ebf2724-84d2-4779-b668-3d119b55d2e1