Quantification of fossil fuel CO₂ emissions from China

Turnbull

Currently, fossil fuel CO2 emissions (C_ff) are estimated from compilations of fossil fuel economic statistics, reported by individual governments.  Independent, objective methods for quantifying fossil fuel CO2 emissions are essential to accurate verification of these emissions. .  It is of particular importance to quantify these emissions in developing nations such as China, where emissions are believed to be increasing rapidly, and economic information is outdated or inaccurate.

Atmospheric measurements of ¹⁴CO₂ provide a direct constraint on C_ff, because C_ff contains zero-¹⁴C, while all other sources contain ¹⁴C concentrations close to ambient air.

AAPG support has allowed an initial 6-month (October 2004 – March 2005) time series of measurements from Tae-Ahn Peninsula, Korea.  This site is directly downwind of the Northern China industrial region.  Initial results show that 60% of the variability in CO₂ concentration at this site is due to C_ff, with the remaining variability due to biological carbon exchange (respiration and biomass burning). 

To constrain C_ff from China, these measurements from Korea will be compared with ¹⁴C measurements from Mt. Waliguan, China and Ulaan Uul, Mongolia, which are both upwind of Northern China.  This will allow the magnitude of C_ff to be determined.