A dedicated flask sampling strategy developed for Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) stations based on CO2 and CO measurements and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) footprint modelling

Ingeborg Levin (1) , Ute Karstens (2) , Markus Eritt (3) , Fabian Maier (1) , Sabrina Arnold (4) , Daniel Rzesanke (3) , Samuel Hammer (1) , Michel Ramonet (5, 6) , Gabriela Vítková (7) , Sebastien Conil (8) , Michal Heliasz (9) , Dagmar Kubistin (4) , Matthias Lindauer (4)

1 Institut für Umweltphysik [Heidelberg]
2 Skane University Hospital [Lund]
3 MPI-BGC - Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
4 MOHp - Meteorologisches Observatorium Hohenpeißenberg
5 LSCE - Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette]
6 ICOS-RAMCES - ICOS-RAMCES
7 FZU / CAS - Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
8 ANDRA BURE
9 CEC - Centre for Environmental and Climate Research [Lund]

In situ CO 2 and CO measurements from five Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) atmosphere stations have been analysed together with footprint model runs from the regional Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model to develop a dedicated strategy for flask sampling with an automated sampler. Flask sampling in ICOS has three different purposes, namely (1) to provide an independent quality control for in situ observations, (2) to provide representative information on atmospheric components currently not monitored in situ at the stations, and (3) to collect samples for 14 CO 2 analysis that are significantly influenced by fossil fuel CO 2 (ffCO 2) emission areas. Based on the existing data and experimental results obtained at the Heidelberg pilot station with a prototype flask sam-pler, we suggest that single flask samples are collected regularly every third day around noon or in the afternoon from the highest level of a tower station. Air samples shall be collected over 1 h, with equal temporal weighting, to obtain a true hourly mean. At all stations studied, more than 50 % of flasks collected around midday will likely be sampled during low ambient variability (<0.5 parts per million (ppm) standard deviation of 1 min values). Based on a first application at the Hohenpeißenberg ICOS site, such flask data are principally suitable for detecting CO 2 concentration biases larger than 0.1 ppm with a 1σ confidence level between flask and in situ observations from only five flask comparisons. In order to have a maximum chance to also sample ffCO 2 emission areas, additional flasks are collected on all other days in the afternoon. To check if the ffCO 2 component will indeed be large in these samples, we use the continuous in situ CO observations. The CO deviation from an estimated background value is determined the day after each flask sampling, and depending on this offset, an automated decision is made as to whether a flask shall be retained for 14 CO 2 analysis. It turned out that, based on existing data, ffCO 2 events of more than 4-5 ppm that would allow ffCO 2 estimates with an uncertainty below 30 % were very rare at all stations studied, particularly in summer (only zero to five events per month Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 11162 I. Levin et al.: A dedicated flask sampling strategy developed for ICOS stations from May to August). During the other seasons, events could be collected more frequently. The strategy developed in this project is currently being implemented at the ICOS stations.

Domaines: Océan, Atmosphère; Interfaces continentales, environnement

Ingeborg Levin, Ute Karstens, Markus Eritt, Fabian Maier, Sabrina Arnold, et al.. A dedicated flask sampling strategy developed for Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) stations based on CO2 and CO measurements and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) footprint modelling. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2020, 20 (18), pp.11161-11180. ⟨10.5194/acp-20-11161-2020⟩. ⟨hal-02977162⟩