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Project title

EmissioN verifiCation fOr nitRous oxidE

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)

Lead Applicant

Colin O'Dowd

Project Abstract

Molecule for molecule, Nitrous Oxide (N2O) has been shown to be about 300 times as potent a Green House Gas (GHG) as carbon dioxide. It is long-lived, having an atmospheric lifetime of over 100 years. On a national level, agriculture contributes ~ 90% of N2O emissions and it is important to understand the magnitude and pattern of emissions from both a top down and bottom up emission verification perspective. This project will develop an N2O emissions verification system for Ireland. The two critical components of this emissions verification system are firstly, an operational network of precise long-term N2O measurements and secondly, a top-down inversion model, which can generate accurate N2O emissions estimates with the network measurements as a key inputs driving the model. The proposed site at Carnsore Point offers the opportunity to assess easterly flow directly from UK/Europe without having passed over the Irish mainland whilst the proposed site on the West Coast offers the opportunity to monitor background concentrations but also to investigate the transport of anthropogenic pollutants when winds are easterlies. Observations at Carnsore Point will be conducted at the highest levels of international compliancy (ICOS- Integrated Carbon Observing System) and these will ensure the highest levels of precision and repeatability. ICOS has made a large number of recommendations in terms of best practice for calibration, water removal and data QA. We will implement these recommendations for the work proposed here. In this project, we utilise a modelling network called FLEXINVERT. This is a Bayesian inversion framework developed to optimise surface to atmosphere fluxes of an atmospheric species that has linearised chemistry based on atmospheric measurements at mobile or fixed stations. The background and experience of the group ensures that the project objectives proposed here are clear, realistic, measurable and achievable and represent the most appropriate methodologies to achieve the main goal of the project. Existing infrastructure and expertise ensures that these objectives can be achieved within the three-year duration of the project.

Grant Approved

�577,920.91

Research Hub

Climate Change

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

01/03/2023

Initial Projected Completion Date

28/02/2026