4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
[ACG39-09] Investigation of Greenhouse Gas Spatial Distribution over the Korean Peninsula using Aircraft Measurement and Validation of the INVERSE-KOREA Model
Keywords:airborne measurement, GHGs, top down approach, spatial distribution
Due to the 2015 Paris Agreement and the subsequent establishment of the new climate regime, Korea has been required to submit a National Inventory Report (NIR) to the UNFCCC every two years since 2024. To improve the accuracy of the NIR, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) launched the INVERSE-KOREA (INverse Modelling for Validating and Evaluating Reduction of the Sectoral Greenhouse Gas Emissions in KOREA) project. This initiative aims to develop a near-real-time operational system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions using top-down approaches.
In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution of greenhouse gases (GHGs) over the Korean Peninsula based on in-situ measurements of CO2 and CH4 concentrations using a Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzer onboard the King Air 350 HW research aircraft. Additionally, we evaluated and validated the CO2 and CH4 concentrations simulated by the INVERSE-KOREA model.
Our results showed that CO2 concentrations decreased with increasing altitude at a consistent rate, whereas CH4 concentrations initially decreased but began to increase above 4.5 km. Among data below 1.5 km of flight altitude, which represents surface-level concentrations, high CO2 levels were observed over Yongin (Gyeonggi Province) and Gwangju. In contrast, CH4 concentrations were highest in the southwestern part of Korea, likely due to livestock emissions.
A comparison between INVERSE-KOREA simulations and observed CO2 concentrations in 2019 revealed that the model tended to underestimate CO2 over land while overestimating CO2 over the ocean. This discrepancy suggests that INVERSE-KOREA may have overestimated anthropogenic emissions while underestimating external CO2 inflows.
In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution of greenhouse gases (GHGs) over the Korean Peninsula based on in-situ measurements of CO2 and CH4 concentrations using a Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzer onboard the King Air 350 HW research aircraft. Additionally, we evaluated and validated the CO2 and CH4 concentrations simulated by the INVERSE-KOREA model.
Our results showed that CO2 concentrations decreased with increasing altitude at a consistent rate, whereas CH4 concentrations initially decreased but began to increase above 4.5 km. Among data below 1.5 km of flight altitude, which represents surface-level concentrations, high CO2 levels were observed over Yongin (Gyeonggi Province) and Gwangju. In contrast, CH4 concentrations were highest in the southwestern part of Korea, likely due to livestock emissions.
A comparison between INVERSE-KOREA simulations and observed CO2 concentrations in 2019 revealed that the model tended to underestimate CO2 over land while overestimating CO2 over the ocean. This discrepancy suggests that INVERSE-KOREA may have overestimated anthropogenic emissions while underestimating external CO2 inflows.