Impacts of Seasonal Fossil and Ocean Emissions on the Seasonal Cycle of Atmospheric CO2

The seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2 at surface observation stations in the northern hemisphere is driven primarily by net ecosystem production (NEP) fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems. In addition to NEP from terrestrial ecosystems, surface fluxes from fossil fuel combustion and ocean exchange also contribute to the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2. Here the authors use the Goddard Earth Observing System-Chemistry (GEOS-Chem) model (version 8-02-01), with modifications, to assess the impact of these fluxes on the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2 in 2005. Modifications include monthly fossil and ocean emission inventories. CO2 simulations with monthly varying and annual emission inventories were carried out separately. The sources and sinks of monthly averaged net surface flux are different from those of annual emission inventories for every month. Results indicate that changes in monthly averaged net surface flux have a greater impact on the average concentration of atmospheric CO2 in the northern hemisphere than on the average concentration for latitudes 30-90°S in July. The concentration values differ little between both emission inventories over the latitudinal range from the equator to 30°S in January and July. The accumulated impacts of the monthly averaged fossil and ocean emissions contribute to an increase of the total global monthly average of CO2 from May to December.An apparent discrepancy for global average CO2 concentration between model results and observation was because the observation stations were not sufficiently representative. More accurate values for monthly varying net surface flux will be necessary in future to run the CO2 simulation.