Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
1905206 
Journal Article 
Estimating European Halocarbon Emissions Using Lagrangian Backward Transport Modeling and in Situ Measurements at the Jungfraujoch High-Alpine Site 
Brunner, D; Henne, S; Keller, CA; Vollmer, MK; Reimann, S; Buchmann, B 
2012 
Yes 
Geophysical Monographs Book Series
ISSN: 0065-8448 
Geophysical Monograph Series 
200 
207-221 
Synthetic halocarbons are used for a wide range of applications such as air conditioning or foam blowing. The first generation of these compounds, the CFCs and halons, were harmful for the stratospheric ozone layer and were subsequently replaced by compounds degradable in the troposphere and by "ozone-friendly" compounds free of chlorine and bromine. CFCs and many of the new compounds are, however, strong greenhouse gases. At the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch, measurements of halocarbons began in the year 2000 and are contributing today to the global network of the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment. In this contribution we review previous source attribution studies applied to observations at Jungfraujoch using Lagrangian trajectory and particle dispersion models. Based on a trajectory statistical method we qualitatively identify prominent source regions of five selected halocarbons over central Europe and describe their evolution with time over the years 2003-2011. For quantitative source estimation we have developed and applied different inverse modeling techniques in combination with the particle dispersion model FLEXPART. Emissions estimates need to be complemented with a realistic estimate of their uncertainties, and a particularly critical issue in this context for a high-Alpine site like Jungfraujoch is the choice of the initial trajectory height in the transport simulation. Using meteorological data at a resolution of 0.2 degrees x 0.2 degrees, the optimal release height is estimated to be around 3000 m above sea level, which is more than 500 m below the true station altitude but still 900 m above the smooth model surface.