CSD Talk

Fri Apr 27, 2012. 02:30 pm - 03:30 pm
David Skaggs Research Center, Room 2A305, 325 Broadway

Boulder Flatirons from the south

Category: Seminar

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Event Details

CSD Talk

Fri Apr 27, 2012. 02:30 pm - 03:30 pm
David Skaggs Research Center, Room 2A305, 325 Broadway

REGIONAL EDDY COVARIANCE MEASUREMENTS OF CO2 EXCHANGE FROM A TALL TOWER NEAR BOULDER, COLORADO

Emily Graham, Graduate Student, Environmental Studies, CU-Boulder


Emily Graham

This is an informal seminar with a different day and time than regular CSD seminars

The Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of CO2 was examined at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory, a 300-m tall tower in Erie, Colorado. NEE was estimated as the sum of the eddy covariance CO2 flux (Fc) and the rate of change of CO2 storage beneath eddy covariance sensor height (Fs). The turbulent flux footprint of NEE, on average, extended to 15 km for 70% of the upwind source area and was comprised of a heterogeneous landscape in a region experiencing rapid population growth. Land cover classifications in the flux footprint were determined using Landsat 5TM imagery and pixel-based classification algorithms, while an annual timeseries of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was constructed from MODIS imagery. Near-surface remote sensing techniques were also employed to track seasonal changes in vegetation. Both biological influences (i.e., soil temperature and moisture, incident solar radiation, and seasonal greenness estimates) and anthropogenic influences (i.e., land cover class) were examined for their effects on NEE. Biological variables were shown to have relatively little effect on NEE in comparison to anthropogenic factors. Land cover class, however, had a significant overall effect on NEE, although the impact of individual land classes on NEE could not be determined due to a well-mixed landscape and poor spatial resolution in footprint modeling. In addition, the system was a strong net annual source of CO2 to the atmosphere, suggesting a dominant influence of anthropogenic activity over biological CO2 uptake. These results may be important in elucidating the effects of land use change on CO2 exchange and predicting future alterations in climate and air quality associated with a growing global population.

Seminar attendees agree not to cite, quote, copy, or distribute material presented without the explicit written consent of the seminar presenter. Any opinions expressed in this seminar are those of the speaker alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NOAA or ESRL/CSD.



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