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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Index Terms

  • Biogeosciences: Anoxic and hypoxic environments
  • Biogeosciences: Instruments and techniques
  • Biogeosciences: Biosphere/atmosphere interactions
  • Biogeosciences: Trace gases

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L19808, 5 PP., 2005
doi:10.1029/2005GL023462

Measuring methane emissions from a landfill using a cost-effective micrometeorological method

Tuomas Laurila

Climate and Global Change Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Juha-Pekka Tuovinen

Climate and Global Change Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Annalea Lohila

Climate and Global Change Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Juha Hatakka

Climate and Global Change Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Mika Aurela

Climate and Global Change Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Tea Thum

Climate and Global Change Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Mari Pihlatie

Department of Physical Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Janne Rinne

Department of Physical Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Timo Vesala

Department of Physical Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Landfills are one of the largest sources of methane to the atmosphere, yet their emissions are seldom measured. This results in high uncertainties in national emission estimates. We developed a Flame Ionization Detector-based micrometeorological measurement system and tested it at a large municipal landfill in Finland. The technical characteristics of the system allowed use of the eddy covariance method, enabling emission monitoring at a much lower cost than employing a Tunable Diode Laser instrument, which we used as a reference. Combining methane and carbon dioxide flux measurements we were able to estimate the methane generation rate, gas collection efficiency and oxidation rate in the landfill surface layer. We showed that the oxidation fraction may differ significantly from the default value used in the IPCC emission modelling, and that high emission rates were observed in the active deposition areas of the landfill.

Received 11 May 2005; accepted 26 August 2005; published 8 October 2005.

Citation: Laurila, T., J.-P. Tuovinen, A. Lohila, J. Hatakka, M. Aurela, T. Thum, M. Pihlatie, J. Rinne, and T. Vesala (2005), Measuring methane emissions from a landfill using a cost-effective micrometeorological method, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L19808, doi:10.1029/2005GL023462.

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