Observation of column-averaged molar mixing ratios of carbon dioxide in Tokyo

Abstract

The metropolitan area of Tokyo, the capital of Japan, emits a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), an anthropogenic greenhouse gas. We measured the day-time column-averaged dry-air molar mixing ratios of atmospheric CO2, XCO2, in the central area of Tokyo during September 2014 – August 2016 using a desktop optical spectrum analyzer. The observed seasonal cycle is compared with the seasonal cycle that is observed at the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) site in Tsukuba, which is located 60 km to the northeastern direction of Tokyo. The differences in XCO2 between the two sites are high (∼5 ppm) during December – February and low (∼0.5 ppm) during June – September. The characteristic variations of XCO2 in Tokyo are interpreted in terms of local emission sources and surface meteorological data, by referring to the variations in the concentrations of surface CO2. The sharp peaks in XCO2 at both the Tokyo and Tsukuba sites in July are interpreted in terms of local air retention in the areas, as indicated by the aircraft profiles and wind-flow forward trajectory calculations. Finally, we compare the ground-based column measurements with the top-down satellite column observations. Keywords: Emission, Megacity, Urban area, Seasonal cycle, Power plant