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SOME RESULTS OF GREENHOUSE GAS ATMOSPHERIC CONCENTRATIONS MEASUREMENTS IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC IN JULY DECEMBER 2017

K. L. Antonov

Abstract

The study of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere is one of the important parts of climate research, because according to the reports of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the growth of GHG content in the atmosphere is the most likely cause of modern global warming. Such studies are of great importance in the arctic territories, where the climate effects are most pronounced. The Institute of Industrial Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Yekaterinburg), together with the Non-Commercial Partnership "Russian Center for the Arctic Development" (Salekhard), have been monitoring GHG in the atmosphere on the arctic Bely Island (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Russia) since 2015. The measurements are carried out using a Picarro G-2401 gas analyzer (Picarro Inc., USA), which provides simultaneous recording of concentrations of CO, CO2, NH4, H2O. The article presents the results of measurements performed from July to December 2017. The analysis of the measurement results showed that in the surface atmosphere of the Arctic, the content of greenhouse gases statistically significant depends on the season. The ecosystem of Bely Island provides the absorption of carbon dioxide in the summer and at the same time it is a stable emitter of methane, regardless of the season. The results obtained are of great importance for the study of climatic processes in the Arctic, since at present time, the data of similar ground-based measurements are insufficient. According to the reports of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the most likely cause of the current global warming is the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide and methane. Therefore, monitoring studies of greenhouse gases are one of the important directions in the study and prediction of climate, especially in the Arctic areas where climate effects are most pronounced. In 2015, the Institute of Industrial Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Yekaterinburg) together with the Russian Center for Arctic Development (Salekhard) organized a greenhouse gas monitoring site on the Bely Island (YNAD, Russia). The automated measuring system is based on the Picarro G-2401 precision laser gas analyzer. In 2015 and 2016 measurements were carried out only in the summer period (July - August). Since July 2017, permanent measurements were organized. In the period from July 14, 2017 to December 31, 2017, a measurement cycle was performed with a total duration of the time series of 171 days. The resulting series were divided into summer - autumn and winter periods by the date of the establishment of a stable snow cover (10.16.2017). Analysis of the measurement results showed that in the surface atmosphere of polar latitudes, the content of greenhouse gases significantly depends on the season. Terrestrial ecosystem of the Bely Island provides carbon dioxide absorption only in the summertime and remains a stable local net emitter of methane regardless of the season. The results are of great importance for modeling and forecasting climate processes in the Arctic regions, since at the present time there are not enough data from similar ground - based measurements in the polar latitudes.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2019/4.1/s19.137

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