Temporal and spatial distribution of tropospheric CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> over China based on satellite observations

Mid-troposphere CO₂ data retrieved by the AIRS (atmospheric infrared sounder) were validated with five ground-based stations and aircraft measurements in the Northern Hemisphere. AIRS CO₂ products show good agreement with ground and aircraft observations. The data had a monthly average accuracy better than 3 ppmv. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of mid-troposphere CO₂ from January 2003 to December 2008 was analyzed based on this satellite product. The average concentration of atmospheric CO₂ was higher in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. The yearly average results show a gradual increase from 2003 to 2008. In China, the annual growth rate was about 2 ppmv/a, similar to the United States, Europe, Australia and India, but was slightly lower than Canada and Russia. Mid-troposphere CO₂ concentrations were higher over northern China than over southern areas, due to differences in natural conditions and industrial layout. There were four centers of high CO₂ concentration between 35° and 45°N over China, with low concentrations over Yunnan Province. There was a significant seasonal CO₂ variation with peak concentration in spring and the lowest concentration in autumn.     

Development of CMAQ for East Asia CO2 data assimilation under an EnKF framework: a first result

Under an Ensemble Kalman Filter(EnKF)framework,Regional Atmospheric Modeling System and Models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality(RAMS–CMAQ)modeling system is developed to be a CO2data assimilation system EnKF–CMAQ,and the EnKF–CMAQ system is then applied to East Asia for validation with real continuous surface CO2concentration observations available in the study domain instead of using an observation simulation system experiment.Experiments with an experimental period of January 23 to February 7,2007 are conducted,and the experimental results of the EnKF–CMAQ system and the RAMS–CMAQ model are compared against continuous surface CO2observations from assimilation sites and independent reference sites.Distributions of daily mean CO2concentration increments show that the EnKF–CMAQ system confines the update of daily mean CO2within areas nearby and downwind of the assimilation sites.Both the CO2concentration ensemble spreads and background error covariances show flow-dependent patterns.The results indicate the crucial role of wind transport in the CO2data assimilation,which agrees with the previous studies.The average bias and the average root-mean-square error(RMSE)of daily mean CO2concentration at the assimilation sites are reduced by 1.00 and1.83 ppm,respectively,and those at the reference sites are reduced by 0.24 and 0.22 ppm,respectively.The results demonstrate the EnKF–CMAQ system is capable of assimilating the continuous surface CO2concentration observations to improve the simulation accuracy of the atmospheric CO2synoptic variation.Since growing CO2observations over East Asia are being available nowadays,this work is our first step to generate consistent spatial and temporal atmospheric CO2concentration fields over East Asia,particularly over China,using both in situ and satellite observations.     

Observed and simulated features of the CO2 diurnal cycle in the boundary layer at Beijing and Hefei,China

The mechanism of the CO2diurnal cycle is a basis for investigating the carbon budget and its impacts on climate and environment change.Regional diurnal variations in CO2concentration based on observations and modeling have been studied widely.However,few studies have focused on the pattern of the CO2diurnal cycle in China.In this study,a three-dimensional global chemical transport model,Goddard Earth Observing System(GEOS)-Chem,was applied to simulate the CO2concentration and its variation over China from 2004 to 2012.Meanwhile,we also analyzed the CO2concentration as observed by two eddy covariance flux observation towers,one located in Beijing(39°580N,116°220E)and one in Hefei(31°550N,117°100E),using LI-COR 7500A infrared gas analyzers.Observations showed the amplitude of the CO2diurnal cycle at Hefei to be larger than at Beijing,due to stronger ecological activities.GEOS-Chem successfully captured the main aspects of the diurnal cycle of the CO2concentration in the boundary layer observed at both Beijing and Hefei.However,some discrepancies between the model and observations did exist;specifically,the model tended to underestimate the amplitude of the CO2diurnal cycle.The data also showed that traffic emissions significantly enhanced the CO2concentration in the boundary layer.     

Regional Δ<Superscript>14</Superscript>C patterns and fossil fuel derived CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> distribution in the Beijing area using annual plants

The level of atmosphericΔ14C and the fossil fuel derived CO 2 concentration in the Beijing area from May to September,2009, were systematically analyzed based on radiocarbon(14C)measurements of annual plants by accelerator mass spectrometry(AMS). The results show that the maximumΔ14C in Beijing was 29.6‰±2.2‰,and the minimum was–28.2‰±2.5‰,with a trend of decreasingΔ14C from the outer suburbs to inner suburbs to the urban center.This trend correlates well with increases in fossil fuel derived CO2 caused by human activities such as population density,industrial emissions and traffic,with lower values of atmosphericΔ14C associated with more intensive human activities.The fossil fuel derived CO 2 concentrations from May to September, 2009,ranged from 3.9±1.0 ppm to 25.4±1.0 ppm.It was calculated that each additional 1 ppm of CO2 from fossil fuels depleted the atmosphericΔ14C by approximately 2.70‰.This study suggests that 14C measurements of annual plants by AMS provide an effective method to rapidly trace fossil fuel derived CO2.     

CO2 background concentration in the atmosphere over the Chinese mainland

Based on the long-term monitoring data on CO₂ concentration, variation trend and characteristics of CO₂ background concentration in the atmosphere over the Chinese mainland are analyzed. Results show that the increasing trend of CO₂ background concentration in the atmosphere over the Chinese mainland has appeared during the period of 1991–2000. The average annual CO₂ growth increment is 1.59 μL/L, and the average annual CO₂ growth rate is 0.44%. Distinct seasonal variations of CO₂ background concentration are observed, and the averaged amplitude of CO₂ seasonal variations is 10.35 μL/L. Regional variation characteristics of CO₂ background concentration in the atmosphere and possible impact of human activities on these variations over the Chinese mainland are discussed as well.     

Trend, seasonal and diurnal variations of atmospheric CO2 in Beijing

The concentration of atmospheric CO₂ in Beijing increased rapidly at a mean growth rate of 3.7% · a⁻¹ from 1993 to 1995. After displaying a peak of (409.7±25.9) μmol · mol⁻¹ in 1995, it decreased slowly. Both the almost stable anthropogenic CO₂ source and increasing biotic CO₂ sink contribute to the drop of CO₂ concentration from 1995 to 2000. The seasonal variation of CO₂ concentration exhibits a clear cycle with a maximum in winter, averaging (426.8±20.6) μmol · mol⁻¹, and a minimum in summer, averaging (369.1±6.1) μmol·mol⁻¹. The seasonal variation of CO₂ concentration is mainly controlled by phenology. The mean diurnal variation of atmospheric CO₂ concentration for a year in Beijing is highly clear: daily maximum CO₂ concentration usually occurs at night, but daily minimum CO₂ concentration does in the daytime, with a mean diurnal difference more than 34.7 μmol·mol⁻¹. It has been revealed that the interannual variations of atmospheric CO₂ concentration in winter and autumn regulated the interannual trend of atmospheric CO₂, whereas the interannual variation of CO₂ concentration in summer affected the general tendency of atmospheric CO₂ in a less degree.     

The Chinese carbon cycle data-assimilation system （Tan-Tracker）

In this study, the Chinese carbon cyle dataassimilation system Tan-Tracker is developed based on the atmospheric chemical transport model （GEOS-Chem） platform. Tan-Tracker is a dual-pass data-assimilation system in which both CO2 concentrations and CO2 fluxes are simultaneously assimilated from atmospheric observations. It has several advantages, including its advanced data-assimilation method, its highly efficient computing performance, and its simultaneous assimilation of CO2 concentrations and CO2 fluxes. Preliminary observing system simulation experiments demonstrate its robust performance with high assimilation precision, making full use of observations. The Tan-Tracker system can only assimilate in situ observations for the moment. In the future, we hope to extend Tan-Tracker with functions for using satellite measurements, which will form the quasioperational Chinese carbon cycle data-assimilation system.     

Comparative study of the net exchange of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in 3 types of vegetation ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Using the eddy covariance method, from 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004, we conducted the observation and analysis of ecosystem CO2 flux in 3 types of alpine meadow vegetation （Kobresia humilis, Potentilla fruticosa shrub and Kobresia tibetica swamp meadows） on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results show that the Kobresia humilis meadow, the shrub meadow and the swamp meadow＇s highest CO2 uptake rates are 16.78, 10.42 and 16.57 μmol·m^-2·-s^-1 respectively, while their highest CO2 release rates are 8.22, 7.73 and 18.67μmol·m^-2·-s^-1 respectively. The Kobresia humilis meadow and shrub meadow＇s annual atmospheric uptakes are 282 g CO2/m^2 and 53 g CO2/m^2, respectively, while swamp meadow＇s annual atmospheric release is 478 g CO2/m^2. This proves that the Kobresia humilis meadow and the shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau have relatively low potential for CO2 uptake and release compared to C4 grasslands, a number of lowland grasslands, and forests. Moreover, swamp meadow has relatively high release potential. This, in turn, reveals clear differences in carbon source/sink between different types of vegetation in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow ecosystem. These differences are mainly brought by differences in the vegetations＇ photosynthetic capacity and soil respiration.     

Estimation of urbanization bias in observed surface temperature change in China from 1980 to 2009 using satellite land-use data

Since the 1980s,China has undergone rapid urbanization.Meanwhile,the climate has been warming substantially.In this paper,the urbanization effect on observed temperatures from 1980 to 2009 in China is estimated,based on analysis of urban land use from satellite observation.Urban land-use expansion(U) during 1980-2005 is applied as an urbanization index.According to these U values,stations are divided into three categories:(C1) intense urbanization around the stations;(C2) moderate urbanization around the stations;and(C3) minimal urbanization around the stations.Most C1 stations are in municipalities or provincial capitals,while C2 stations tend to be in prefecture-level cities.C3 stations are mostly in counties.The urban heat island(UHI) effect can be estimated if the urban effect on C3 is negligible.The warming of C1 or C2 relative to that of C3 represents their urbanization effects,assuming that the same larger-scale natural warming has affected each category.For C1,the local urbanization effect is 0.258°C/10 a over 1980-2009,accounting for 41% of the total warming;the trend at C2 is 0.099°C/10 a,or 21%.For all China,the urbanization effect is 0.09°C/10a,accounting for 20% of the total national warming.Winter urban warming is greater than in summer.The assumption of negligible urbanization effect on C3 is debatable,and so the true urbanization effect may equal or slightly exceed estimates.Further,the U index may have some uncertainties,for it is only one of the urbanization indices.However,it provides a new and direct estimation of environmental change,in contrast to indirect indices.     

Incorporating temporal variability to improve geostatistical analysis of satellite-observed CO2 in China

Observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ) from satellites offer new data sources to understand global carbon cycling. The correlation structure of satellite-observed CO2 can be analyzed and modeled by geostatistical methods, and CO2 values at unsampled locations can be predicted with a correlation model. Conventional geostatistical analysis only investigates the spatial correlation of CO2 , and does not consider temporal variation in the satellite-observed CO2 data. In this paper, a spatiotemporal geostatistical method that incorporates temporal variability is implemented and assessed for analyzing the spatiotemporal correlation structure and prediction of monthly CO2 in China. The spatiotemporal correlation is estimated and modeled by a product-sum variogram model with a global nugget component. The variogram result indicates a significant degree of temporal correlation within satellite-observed CO2 data sets in China. Prediction of monthly CO2 using the spatiotemporal variogram model and spacetime kriging procedure is implemented. The prediction is compared with a spatial-only geostatistical prediction approach using a cross-validation technique. The spatiotemporal approach gives better results, with higher correlation coefficient (r2 ), and less mean absolute prediction error and root mean square error. Moreover, the monthly mapping result generated from the spatiotemporal approach has less prediction uncertainty and more detailed spatial variation of CO2 than those from the spatial-only approach.     

Carbon isotopic composition,turnover and origins of soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in a monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reservoir,South China

Carbon isotopic compositions of soil CO2 in rainy season (July) from two natural soil profiles (DHLS & DHS) in the monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reservoir (DBR), South China, are presented. Turnover and origins of soil CO₂ are preliminarily discussed in this paper. Results show that the content of soil CO2 varies between 6120 and 18718 ppmv, and increases with increasing depth until 75 cm, and then it declines. In DHLS, soil CO₂ δ¹³C ranges from −24.71‰ to −24.03‰, showing a significant inverse correlation (R²＝0.91) with the soil CO₂ content in the same layer. According to a model related to soil CO₂ δ¹³C, the soil CO₂ is mainly derived from the root respiration (>80%) in DHLS. While in DHS, where soil CO₂ ? 13C ranges from −25.19‰ to −22.82‰, soil CO₂ is primarily originated from the decomposition of organic matter (51%–94%), excluding the surface layer (20 cm, 90%). Radiocarbon data suggest that the carbon in soil CO₂ is modern carbon in both DHLS and DHS. Differences in ¹⁴C ages between the “oldest” and “youngest” soil CO₂ in DHLS and DHS are 8 months and 14 months, respectively, indicating that soil CO₂ in DHLS has a faster turnover rate than that in DHS. The ¹⁴C values of soil CO₂, which range between 100.0‰ and 107.2‰ and between 102.5‰ and 112.1‰ in DHLS and DHS, respectively, are obviously higher than those of current atmospheric CO₂ and SOC in the same layer, suggesting that soil CO₂ is likely an important reservoir for Bomb-¹⁴C in the atmosphere.     

Climatological distribution and diurnal variation of mesoscale convective systems over China and its vicinity during summer

The climatological distribution of mesoscale convective systems （MCSs） over China and its vicinity during summer is statistically analyzed, based on the 10-year （1996-2006, 2004 excluded） June-August infrared TBB （Temperature of black body） dataset. Comparing the results obtained in this paper with the distribution of thunderstorms from surface meteorological stations over China and the distribution of lightning from low-orbit satellites over China and its vicinity in the previous studies, we find that the statistic characteristics of TBB less than -52℃ can better represent the spatiotemporal distribution of MCSs over China and its vicinity during summer. The spreading pattern of the MCSs over this region shows three transmeridional bands of active MCSs, with obvious fluctuation of active MCSs in the band near 30^oN. It can be explained by the atmospheric circulation that the three bands of active MCSs are associated with each other by the summer monsoon over East Asia. We focus on the diurnal variations of MCSs over different underlying surfaces, and the result shows that there are two types of MCSs over China and its vicinity during summer. One type of MCSs has only one active period all day long （single-peak MCSs）, and the other has multiple active periods （multi-peak MCSs）. Single-peak MCSs occur more often over plateaus or mountains, and multi-peak MCSs are more common over plains or basins. Depending on lifetimes and active periods, single-peak MCSs can be classified as Tibetan Plateau MCSs, general mountain MCSs, Ryukyu MCSs, and so on. The diurnal variation of multi-peak MCSs is very similar to that of MCCs （mesoscale convective complexes）, and it reveals that multi-peak MCSs has longer life cycle and larger horizontal scale, becomes weaker after sunset, and develops again after midnight. Tibetan Plateau MCSs and general mountain MCSs both usually develop in the afternoon, but Tibetan Plateau MCSs have longer life cycle and more active MαCSs. Ryukyu MCSs generally develop after     

Sea surface temperature and subtropical front movement in the South Tasman Sea during the last 800 ka

Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude westerlies contribute to the ventilation of the deep Southern Ocean (SO), and drive changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) and the global climate. As the westerlies control directly oceanic fronts, the movement of the subtropical front (STF) reflects the westerlies migration. Thus it is important to understand the relationships between STF movement and the weaterlies, ventilation of the deep SO, ice volume and atmospheric CO₂. To this end, we use two new high-resolution records from early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 20 (~800 ka) of sea surface temperature (SST) based on Uk’ 37 paleo-thermometer and benthic oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸OB) at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1170B in the southern Tasman Sea (STS), to construct linkages between the marine records and atmospheric proxies from Antarctic ice-cores. During the last 800 ka, the average SST (10.2°C) at Site 1170B is 1.8°C lower than today (annual average 12°C). The highest average SST of 11.6°C occurred during MIS 1, and the lowest average SST of 7.8°C occurred during MIS 2. The warmest and coldest records of 14.7°C and 6.2°C occurred in the MIS 5 and MIS 2, respectively. In the glacial-interglacial cycles of the last 800 ka, variability of reconstructed SST shows that the STF moved northward or southward more than 3° of latitude compared with its present location. In the warmest stage MIS 5, the STF shifted to its southernmost location of ~49°S. In contrast, in the coldest stage MIS 2, the STF moved to its northernmost location of ~43°S. In response to orbital cycles, the westerlies movement led ice volume and atmospheric CO₂ changes, but it was in phase with change in Antarctic atmospheric temperature. Ice volume only preceded atmospheric CO₂ only a little at the 23-ka precession band, lagged the atmospheric CO₂ at the 100-ka eccentricity band, and was in phase with atmospheric CO₂ at the 40-ka obliquity band.     

Estimation of emissions from field burning of crop straw in China

Emissions resulting from crop straw field burning in China, which have caused serious environmental problems in China, are estimated in this paper. From the county-level data of crop production in 2000-2003 from the government statistics, taking into account the ratio of residue and grain, the total amount of crop straw production is estimated to be about 600 Tg per year, 76% of which are rice, wheat and corn straw. With reference to the data of living standards, the percentage of crop straw burnt in fields for counties are obtained and consequently the total amount of burnt straws is approximately 140 Tg/year. With the emission factors from literature and experiments, appropriate emission factors have been obtained. The total amounts of PM, SO2, NOx3, NH3, CH4, BC, OC, VOC, CO, CO2 emissions from field burning of crop straw in China are estimated. All emissions are presented at county level. Some pollutants, such as BC, VOC, OC, CO and CO2, are contributing a major portion to the total emissions of China. This paper uses a map with resolution of 0.2°×0.2°to present the PM emissions distribution from crop straw burnt in 2003. The results show a significant regional unevenness of emissions, with larger amounts of pollutions coming from the provinces in eastern and northeast China. The regions with higher emissions per unit area are located as a belt stretching from northeast China to eastern China.     

The impact of ocean warming on marine organisms

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution during the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth centuries, there has been rapidly increasing release of greenhouse gases, notably CO₂, into the atmosphere. As a consequence of this atmospheric change, the Earth’s average surface temperature has increased by approximately 0.6 °C over the last 100 years. The rate of release of greenhouse gases continues to increase, and global surface temperature rose by approximately 0.2 °C per decade in the last 30 years, a rate that is greater than at any other time during the last 1,000 years. The wide-ranging effects of these increases in greenhouse gases and temperature on the biosphere are subject to intense scientific study. Much has been learned, but much more needs to be elucidated, if we are to predict how terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems will be affected by global change. This brief review focuses on the marine environment and offers a concise summary of some of the important advances in our knowledge about the impacts of global change, including physical and chemical changes of the ocean, as well as the impact of ocean warming on marine organisms. Our analysis also points out areas where critical new information is needed if we are to predict the future of marine ecosystems in a warming world with accuracy.     

Simulated and reconstructed winter temperature in the eastern China during the last millennium

Since the 1990s, under the auspicious impetus of two international research programs, the “Past Global Changes” (PAGES) and the “Climate Variability and Pre- dictability” (CLIVAR), massive research work has been carried out on climate and environment changes over the past 2000 years[1-3]. But majority of the studies has been centered on obtaining various kinds of climatic proxy data (such as historical documents, tree rings, ice cores, lake cores) and focused on the reconstruction of…     

Estimation of soil respiration in a paddy ecosystem in the subtropical resion of China

Water vapor, energy exchange, and CO2 flux were measured continuously from 2003 to 2005 using the eddy covariance technique in a paddy ecosystem in the subtropical region of China. The CO2 fluxes at nighttime during fallow periods （from middle October to late April） were used to analyze the dynamics of soil respiration and its relationship with soil temperature, and to simulate the annual dynamics of soil respiration in paddy ecosystems. The variation of soil respiration showed a clear seasonal pattern. The soil respiration rates at night during the fallow periods were 52--398 mg· m^-2· h^-1, and exponentially correlated （P〈0.001） with soil temperatures at different depths of soil （5, 10, and 20 cm）, particularly the temperature measured at a depth of 5 cm. Based on the simulated exponential equations developed, annual average soil respiration rates and total soil respiration of paddy soil in the subtropical region of China were estimated to be 178.5--259.9 mg· m^-2· h^-1 and 1.56--2.28 kg· m^-2· a^-1, respectively. The simulation equations can be applied to evaluating soil respiration in paddy ecosystems during the rice-growing season.     

Impact of urbanization on changes in temperature extremes in Beijing during 1978–2008

To quantify the impact of urbanization on changes in observed surface air temperature and extremes, a homogenized dataset of daily mean, maximum and minimum temperature （Trn, Trnax and Train） observations at 20 stations in Greater Beijing （GBJ） from 1978 to 2008 is analyzed. In contrast with previous studies, a cluster analysis is done to objectively classify observing stations into four categories （urbanized, suburban, rural and mountain）, which is checked with remote-sensing night-light images since the 1990s. At urbanized sites, there is an added warming trend in annual mean Tm representing an average of 10.9% （up to 18.4% or 0.12℃/decade at the most strongly influenced site） of overall warming. Corresponding contributions for Train are 12.7% （up to 20.8% or 0.19℃/decade） and 24% for diurnal temperature range DTR （up to 37.4% or 0.149℃/decade） over the last three dec- ades. Although it has not had a significant impact on daytime records （Tmax）, urbanization has enhanced the increasing （decreasing） trend of extremely warm （cold） nights by an average of 12.7% or 2.07 d/decade （29.0% or 5.06 d/decade） at the urbanized sites since the 1970s.     

K2CO3 catalysis on the reactivity of top charged coke and stamp charged coke

The catalysis of K₂CO₃ on the reactivity of top charged coke and stamp charged coke from Pansteel in China was studied. The coke reaction index of the stamp charged coke was 1%–2% higher than that of the top charged coke. Under the catalysis of K₂CO₃, the coke reaction index of both cokes approximately increased by 4%, 6%, 10% and 6% at 900, 1000, 1100 and 1200°C, respectively. The reactivity of the K-enriched stamp charged coke was 1%–2% higher than that of the K-enriched top charged coke below 1100°C. However, only negligible differences were found in the temperature zone between 1100 and 1200°C. Scanning electron microscopy images illustrated that pores in the top charged coke were smaller and equally distributed, while relatively more big pores exist non-homogenously in stamp charged coke. Due to the different processes in production, the stamp charged coke was more porous and most of the pores tended to be applanate. Cracks were observed in the microstructure of the stamp charged coke during the carbon solution reaction, implying the inferior quality of the stamp charged coke to the top charged coke at high temperature. Diffusion of K during the carbon solution reaction was studied by the energy dispersive spectrometry. It is found that K gradually spreads into the center of lumpy coke with the rising of temperature and is equally distributed on the edges of pores at 1200°C. Besides, oxidation reactions of functional groups become faster with the catalysis of K.content     

注超临界CO_2开采高温废弃气藏地热机制与采热能力分析

高温废弃气藏具有巨大的地热开采潜力。在对比分析超临界CO2和常规携热介质水的热物性基础上,提出注超临界CO2开采高温废弃气藏地热的方法。利用数值模拟方法对CO2在高温废弃气藏中的采热能力及影响因素进行评估。结果表明,由于CO2具有很高的可注性和流动性,超临界CO2的采热速率可达到水的1.5倍;利用CO2循环开采高温气藏地热,不仅可以实现高效地热开发,还可以实现CO2地质埋存;对废弃气藏而言,可以充分利用现有井网和地面设施,减少初期资本投入,实现高温废弃气藏地热的有效和经济开发,进一步提高气藏的利用价值,延长其经济寿命。