Cited by 22Atmospheric and Environmental Gas DynamicsAtmospheric chemistry and aerosolsSpectroscopy and Laser Applications

Dairy Methane Emissions in California's San Joaquin Valley Inferred With Ground‐Based Remote Sensing Observations in the Summer and Winter

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Heerah, Sajjan, Frausto‐Vicencio, Isis, Jeong, Seongeun, Marklein, Alison R., Ding, Yifan, Meyer, Aaron G., Parker, Harrison A., Fischer, Marc L. +3 more·2021·Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Abstract

The dairy industry in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is one of California’s largest methane (CH 4) sources. Reducing dairy emissions is a priority for the state’s climate change plans. Observations of current dairy CH 4 emissions are key to monitoring actions taken toward this goal. To help support this, we present new ground‐based measurements of atmospheric column‐averaged CH 4 mixing ratio (XCH 4) gradients across a group of 600 dairies in the central SJV using EM27/SUN solar spectrometers. We used measurements from the 2019 summer and 2020 winter seasons for a top‐down emission inversion based on the WRF‐STILT model. Our top‐down estimates of the region’s dairy emissions range from 90% to 183% of the current CALGEM inventory’s emissions of 277 Gg/yr. In contrast to the strong temperature dependence found by earlier dairy CH 4 emission studies, we also find that our top‐down emissions during the winter measurement days are comparable to the summer measurement days, possibly due to seasonal changes in dairy management practices and meteorological conditions. Furthermore, we find significant interday variability in our measurements and find that our emission estimates overlap with earlier top‐down studies and bottom‐up inventories in this region. Our study demonstrates how analysis of ground‐based remotely sensed CH 4 gradient observations can help improve our understanding of CH 4 sources at scales relevant to mitigation policy. It also reflects the need for long‐term monitoring of CH 4 emissions in the region and at individual facilities to better understand their emissions.

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Authors
Heerah, S., Frausto‐Vicencio, I., Jeong, S., Marklein, A. R., Ding, Y., Meyer, A. G., Parker, H. A., Fischer, M. L., Franklin, J. E., Hopkins, F. M., & Dubey, M.
Affiliations
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
  • University of California, Riverside (US)
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
  • California Institute of Technology (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Heerah, Sajjan
  • Dubey, Manvendra
Venue
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Published
2021-12-10
Volume
126
Issue
24
ISSN
  • 0148-0227 (ISSN-L)
  • 2169-897X
  • 2169-8996
OpenAlex
W3212591557
Cited by
22
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4
FWCI
1.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Office of the President, University of California (LFR‐18‐548581)
  • Department of Energy (DE‐AC02‐05CH11231)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Spectroscopy › Spectroscopy and Laser Applications
Keywords
top-down emission estimates, emission inversion, WRF-STILT, seasonal variation, temperature-dependent emission, dairy farm management, San Joaquin Valley

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