Identification of potential methane source regions in Europe using d13C-CH4 measurements and back trajectory modeling
- 1Atommagkutató Intézet, Izotóp Klimatológiai és Környezetkutató Központ, Debrecen, Hungary (varga.tamas@atomki.mta.hu)
- 2University of Debrecen, Doctoral School of Physics, Debrecen, Hungary
- 3Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Geodetic and Geophysical Institute, Sopron, Hungary
- 4Royal Holloway, University of London, Department of Earth Sciences, Egham, Surrey, UK
- 5Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
- 6University of Arizona AMS Laboratory, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
A three-year-long methane mole fraction and d13CCH4 measurement campaign was performed at the Hungarian tall tower station, Hegyhátsál, between 2013-2016. The results were compared with that of two NOAA atmospheric monitoring sites Mace Head and Zeppelin to determine the continental methane excess and the relative isotopic shift. The data then were used for bac trajectory analyses to identify potential methane source regions in Europe coupled with d13CCH4 results. The Hungarian station can be separated from the coastal and polar areas based on the mole fraction results having higher maxima and seasonal amplitude, but the d13CCH4 results match well with the NOAA stations’ results. Our study shows that although the local, regional anthropogenic and natural sources are major influences, more distant regions can also influence the measured CH4 level and d13CCH4 signal in the Pannonian Basin.
How to cite: Varga, T., Haszpra, L., Major, I., Nisbet, E. G., Lowry, D., Fisher, R. E., Jull, T. A. J., Molnár, M., and László, E.: Identification of potential methane source regions in Europe using d13C-CH4 measurements and back trajectory modeling, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-4529, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-4529, 2020
