Data and modelling requirements for CO2 inversions using high-frequency data

R. M. Law; P. J. Rayner; L. P. Steele; I. G. Enting

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v55i2.16703

Data and modelling requirements for CO2 inversions using high-frequency data

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 55 (2003): Issue 2

By: R. M. Law, P. J. Rayner, L. P. Steele and I. G. Enting

Open Access

|Jan 2003

Abstract

We explore the future possibilities for CO₂ source estimation from atmospheric concentration data by performing synthetic data experiments. Synthetic data are used to test seasonal CO₂ inversions using high-frequency data. Monthly CO₂ sources over the Australian region are calculated for inversions with data at 4-hourly frequency and averaged over 1 d, 2.5 d, 5 d, 12.17 d and 1 month. The inversion quality, as determined by bias and uncertainty, is degraded when averaging over longer periods. This shows the value of the strong but relatively short-lived signals present in high-frequency records that are removed in averaged and particularly filtered records. Sensitivity tests are performed in which the synthetic data are ‘corrupted’ to simulate systematic measurement errors such as intercalibration differences or to simulate transport modelling errors. The inversion is also used to estimate the effect of calibration offsets between sites. We find that at short data-averaging periods the inversion is reasonably robust to measurement-type errors. For transport-type errors, the best results are achieved for synoptic (2–5 d) timescales. Overall the tests indicate that improved source estimates should be possible by incorporating continuous measurements into CO₂ inversions.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v55i2.16703 | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

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Language: English

Page range: 512 - 521

Submitted on: Jan 14, 2002

Accepted on: Sep 25, 2002

Published on: Jan 1, 2003

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2003 R. M. Law, P. J. Rayner, L. P. Steele, I. G. Enting, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 55 (2003): Issue 2