Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net
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9
6
2009
10.5194/acpd-9-26653-2009
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/26653/2009/
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/26653/2009/acpd-9-26653-2009.html
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/26653/2009/acpd-9-26653-2009.pdf
26653
26672
2009-12-11
Atmospheric observation-based global SF<sub>6</sub> emissions – comparison of top-down and bottom-up estimates
I. Levin
ingeborg.levin@iup.uni-heidelberg.de
T. Naegler
R. Heinz
D. Osusko
E. Cuevas
A. Engel
J. Ilmberger
R. L. Langenfelds
B. Neininger
C. v. Rohden
L. P. Steele
R. Weller
D. E. Worthy
S. A. Zimov
Institut für Umweltphysik, University of Heidelberg, INF 229, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Centro de Investigación Atmosférica de Izaña, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (INM), C/La Marina, 20, Planta 6, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Institut für Atmosphäre und Umwelt, J. W. Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research/CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (CMAR), Private Bag No. 1, Aspendale, Victoria 3195, Australia
MetAir AG, Flugplatz, 8915 Hausen am Albis, Switzerland
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
Environment Canada, Climate Research Division/CCMR, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON M3H 5T4, Canada
North East Section of the Russian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, Cherskii, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia
Emissions of sulphur hexafluoride (SF<sub>6</sub>), one of the strongest
greenhouse gases on a per molecule basis, are targeted to be
collectively reduced under the Kyoto Protocol. Because of its long
atmospheric lifetime (≈3000 years), the accumulation of
SF<sub>6</sub> in the atmosphere is a direct measure of its global
emissions. Examination of our extended data set of globally
distributed high-precision SF<sub>6</sub> observations shows an increase
in SF<sub>6</sub> abundance from near zero in the 1970s to a global mean
of 6.7 ppt by the end of 2008. In-depth evaluation of our long-term
data records shows that the global source of SF<sub>6</sub> decreased
after 1995, most likely due to SF<sub>6</sub> emission reductions in
industrialised countries, but increased again after 1998. By
subtracting those emissions reported by Annex I countries to the
United Nations Framework Convention of Climatic Change (UNFCCC) from
our observation-inferred SF<sub>6</sub> source leaves a surprisingly
large gap of more than 70–80% of non-reported SF<sub>6</sub> emissions
in the last decade.
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