Abstract
Background CH4 concentration and seasonal variations measured at Zhongshan Station (69°22'2''S, 76°21'49''E, 18.5 m) in Antarctica from 2008 through 2013 are presented and discussed. From 2008-2013 CH4 was measured in weekly flask samples and started on line measurement by Picarro CO2/CH4/H2O analyzer from March, 2010-2013. These CH4 measurements show the expected growth period of CH4 concentration during February (Antarctic spring) with a peak in September (fall). Irrespective of wind direction, CH4 concentrations distribute evenly after the removal of polluted air from station operations, accounting for 1% of the data. The mean daily cycle of CH4 concentration in all four seasons is small. The monthly mean CH4 concentration at Zhongshan station is similar to those at other stations in Antarctica showing that CH4 observed in Antarctica is fully mixed in the atmosphere as it is transported from the northern through the southern hemisphere. The annual CH4 increase in recent years at Zhongshan station is 4.8 ppb·yr-1.
Highlights
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) [1] states that the CH4 content of the atmosphere ranksHow to cite this paper: Bian, L.G., Gao, Z.Q., Sun, Y.L., Ding, M.H., Tang, J. and Schnell, R.C. (2016) CH4 Monitoring and Background Concentration at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica
One of the goals of this research was to determine if in situ CH4 measurements at Zhongshan Station were of high quality, consistent and stable over time and that error detection and data processing algorithms were adequate to produce an end product that would be accepted by the larger scientific community
Through regular measurements of calibration and zero gases, and the excellent agreement between in situ CH4 measurements and CH4 in air collected in flasks and analyzed in Beijing, we are confident that the in situ analyzer is producing acceptable data
Summary
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) [1] states that the CH4 content of the atmosphere ranks. (2016) CH4 Monitoring and Background Concentration at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica. At the Xinglong Station in China, the minimum and maximum levels occurred during May-September and October-December respectively [12]. The minimum and maximum values were observed in early March and late September at Syowa Station [13] and the South Pole [14]-[16]. With the support of China’s Action Plan in the Fourth International Polar Year (2008/2009), the Antarctic Zhongshan Station atmospheric background monitoring station was established. Both continuous in situ and weekly flask sample measurements of CH4 are part of the research program at Zhongshan station as well as continuous meteorology measurements. The Zhongshan data were compared with other Antarctic stations and these inter comparisons form an important segment of this report
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