Methane Flux Measurements from a Low Flying Aircraft: What they tell us about Regional Heterogeneity in Carbon Flux over the North Slope of Alaska

Abstract:

The Arctic contains a large reservoir of organic matter stored in permafrost and clathrates. Varying geology and hydrology across the Arctic, even on small scales, can cause large variability in surface carbon fluxes and partitioning between methane and carbon dioxide. In situ measurements are further complicated by the presence of gas and oil extraction, natural gas seeps, and biomass burning. Ground based measurements can yield high temporal resolution and detailed information about a specific location, but due to the inaccessibility of most of the Arctic to date in situ measurements have been made at very few sites. In August 2013, a small aircraft, flying low over the surface (5-30 m), and carrying an air turbulence probe and spectroscopic instruments to measure methane, carbon dioxide, and their isotopologues, flew over the North Slope of Alaska. During the ten flights multiple comparisons were made with a ground based Eddy Covariance tower as well as three region surveys of fluxes over three areas each approximately 2500 km². We present analysis using the Flux Fragment Method and surface landscape classification maps to relate the fluxes to different surface land types.