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Atmospheric and Oceanic Optics

2017 year, number 5

The impact of atmospheric blocking in Western Siberia on a change in the methane concentration in summer

P.N. Antokhin1, O.Yu. Antokhina1, M.Yu. Arshinov1, B.D. Belan1, D.K. Davydov1, T.K. Sklyadneva1, A.V. Fofonov1, M. Sasakawa2, T. Machida2
1V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 1, Academician Zuev square, Tomsk, 634021, Russia
2National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, 305-8506, Tsukuba, Japan
Keywords: климат, метан, парниковые газы, концентрация, атмосферное блокирование, аномалии приземной температуры воздуха, природные пожары, атмосферные осадки, сlimate, methane, greenhouse gases, concentration, atmospheric blocking, surface air temperature anomalies, natural fires, precipitation

Abstract

We estimated a change in the methane concentration during the periods of atmospheric blocking observed in summer time. Methane concentrations have been derived from continuous measurements carried from 2005 to 2013 in Siberia at Japan-Russia Siberian Tall Tower Inland Observation Network (JR-STATION). The blocking events were identified in accordance with Tibaldi and Molteni criteria and surface temperature anomalies with the use of the Era-interim reanalysis data. The events lasting more than five days have been included in the blocking event list (13 in total). All found events are separated into two groups by spatial coverage (bordering and sector) and three groups by duration (5-6, 7-9, >10 days). We analyzed these events for natural fires and precipitation anomalies before them. It was found that almost all blocking events selected caused an increase in the methane concentration independently of the duration and spatial coverage. The degree of impact differs depending on the blocking characteristics and concomitants. On the basis of these differences, four main groups are distinguished, characterizing the “blocking-methane concentration” connection: “large-long blocking / extensive fires” (maximum impact), “large-long blocking / abnormal rainfall before blocking / local fires” (next in degree of impact), “short blocking / without additional conditions” (the third), and “bordering-long blocking / local fires” (minimum impact).