Temporal variations in carbon dioxide and methane concentrations under urban conditions

Abstract

Temporal variations in the surface concentrations of two greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) in the atmosphere over a large city are studied on the basis of the data obtained during the 2003–2005 observations at a Moscow station for environmental monitoring. This station is based on the TROICA mobile observatory and located at the meteorological station of the Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, on Vorob’evy gory. The methods of isolating the background concentrations of greenhouse gases under urban conditions are proposed, and the excess concentrations of CO2 and CH4 over their background values are estimated for different seasons and times of day. The CO2 and CH4 concentrations are shown to have more pronounced diurnal cycles in summer than in winter. The main causes of temporal variations in the surface concentrations of CO2 and CH4 under urban conditions and the differences between the mean concentrations of these greenhouse gases in Moscow and other areas of Russia are analyzed. It is shown that variations in the surface concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane on different time scales are caused by different atmospheric processes (global circulation, mesoscale gravity waves, surface temperature inversions, etc.)