Constraining Global Carbon Budget Using Vertically-Integrated CO₂ Measurements

Author: Yang, Zhonghua

Year: 2008

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Wennberg, Paul O.

Committee Members: Adkins, Jess F.; Wennberg, Paul O.; Toon, Geoffrey C.; Randerson, James T.; Schneider, Tapio

Option: Geochemistry

DOI: 10.7907/3XR2-7185

Abstract

I demonstrate that high precision measurements of the vertical-average dry volumn-mixing-ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ) can be obtained from ground-based solar spectra. Oxygen measurements from the same spectra can be used to calibrate CO2 retrievals across different instruments, enabling a global network of column CO2 observations to be constructed. I also illustrate that this new type of data, together with aircraft profile CO2 observations, provide new constraints on global carbon fluxes.

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