Monthly trends of methane emissions in Los Angeles from 2011 to 2015 inferred by CLARS-FTS observations

Clare K. Wong, Thomas J. Pongetti, Tom Oda, Preeti Rao, Kevin Gurney, Sally Newman, Riley M. Duren, Charles E. Miller, Yuk L. Yung, Stanley P. Sander

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of methane emissions from the Los Angeles Basin at monthly timescales across a 4-year time period-from September 2011 to August 2015. Using observations acquired by a ground-based nearinfrared remote sensing instrument on Mount Wilson, California, combined with atmospheric CH4-CO2 tracer-tracer correlations, we observed .18 to C22% monthly variability in CH4:CO2 from the annual mean in the Los Angeles Basin. Top-down estimates of methane emissions for the basin also exhibit significant monthly variability (-19 to C31% from annual mean and a maximum month-to-month change of 47 %). During this period, methane emissions consistently peaked in the late summer/early fall and winter. The estimated annual methane emissions did not show a statistically significant trend over the 2011 to 2015 time period.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)13121-13130
Number of pages10
JournalAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Volume16
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 26 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atmospheric Science

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