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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L15801, doi:10.1029/2005GL022918, 2005

Reevaluation of global emissions from rice paddies of methyl iodide and other species

J. Lee-Taylor

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA

K. R. Redeker

Queen's University Environmental Science and Technology Research (QUESTOR) Centre, Belfast, UK

Abstract

We present new modeled estimates of global methyl halide emissions from rice cultivation. We extrapolate existing data on rice behavior, including temperature, seasonality and soil moisture effects, to the global scale and on a monthly basis. Our best estimates are 2.4 to 4.9 Gg yr⁻¹ for methyl chloride, 0.5 to 0.9 Gg yr⁻¹ for methyl bromide, and 16 to 29 Gg yr⁻¹ for methyl iodide, with additional uncertainty ranges of ±73%, ±87% and ±75%, respectively. Our central range of estimates reflects the greatest remaining model uncertainty, emission response to soil halide concentrations. We find that peak emissions of methyl halides, especially methyl iodide, are sharply defined in regional and temporal extent. Ambient temperature strongly influences rice emissions of methyl bromide and methyl iodide, which rise by ∼10% for an increase of 1°C.

Received 8 March 2005; accepted 28 June 2005; published 2 August 2005.

Index Terms: 0315 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Biosphere/atmosphere interactions (0426, 1610); 0322 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks; 0365 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere: composition and chemistry.

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Citation: Lee-Taylor, J., and K. R. Redeker (2005), Reevaluation of global emissions from rice paddies of methyl iodide and other species, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15801, doi:10.1029/2005GL022918.

Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.