Aircraft observations of carbon monoxide (CO) from the ICARTT campaign over the eastern United States in summer 2004 (July 1 – August 15), interpreted with a global 3-D model of tropospheric chemistry (GEOS-Chem), show that the national anthropogenic emission inventory from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (93 Tg CO y-1) is too high by 60% in summer. Our best estimate of the CO anthropogenic source for the ICARTT period is 6.4 Tg CO, including 4.6 Tg from direct emission and 1.8 Tg CO from oxidation of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The biogenic CO source for the same period from the oxidation of isoprene and other biogenic VOCs is 8.3 Tg CO, and is independently constrained by ICARTT observations of formaldehyde (HCHO). Anthropogenic emissions of CO in the U.S. have decreased to the point that they are now lower than the biogenic source in summer.
Biogenic versus anthropogenic sources of CO in the United States
Hudman, ., L.T. Murray, D.J. Jacob, D. Millet, . Turquety, S. Wu, D.R. Blake, A.H. Goldstein, J.S. Holloway, and G.W. Sachse (2008), Biogenic versus anthropogenic sources of CO in the United States, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L04801, doi:10.1029/2007GL032393.
Abstract
PDF of Publication
Download from publisher's website
Research Program
Atmospheric Composition Modeling and Analysis Program (ACMAP)
Tropospheric Composition Program (TCP)
Mission
INTEX-NA
Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at the time of publication, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information, and parts may not function in current web browsers. Visit https://espo.nasa.gov for information about our current projects.
