Interlaboratory comparison of δ13C and δD measurements of atmospheric CH4 for combined use of data sets from different laboratories

T. Umezawa; T. Umezawa; C. A. M. Brenninkmeijer; T. Röckmann; C. van der Veen; S. C. Tyler; S. C. Tyler; R. Fujita; S. Morimoto; S. Morimoto; S. Aoki; T. Sowers; J. Schmitt; M. Bock; J. Beck; H. Fischer; S. E. Michel; B. H. Vaughn; J. B. Miller; J. W. C. White; G. Brailsford; H. Schaefer; P. Sperlich; W. A. Brand; M. Rothe; T. Blunier; D. Lowry; R. E. Fisher; E. G. Nisbet; A. L. Rice; P. Bergamaschi; C. Veidt; I. Levin

doi:10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (Mar 2018)

Interlaboratory comparison of δ13C and δD measurements of atmospheric CH4 for combined use of data sets from different laboratories

T. Umezawa,
T. Umezawa,
C. A. M. Brenninkmeijer,
T. Röckmann,
C. van der Veen,
S. C. Tyler,
S. C. Tyler,
R. Fujita,
S. Morimoto,
S. Morimoto,
S. Aoki,
T. Sowers,
J. Schmitt,
M. Bock,
J. Beck,
H. Fischer,
S. E. Michel,
B. H. Vaughn,
J. B. Miller,
J. W. C. White,
G. Brailsford,
H. Schaefer,
P. Sperlich,
W. A. Brand,
M. Rothe,
T. Blunier,
D. Lowry,
R. E. Fisher,
E. G. Nisbet,
A. L. Rice,
P. Bergamaschi,
C. Veidt,
I. Levin

Affiliations

T. Umezawa: Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry Department, 55128 Mainz, Germany
T. Umezawa: Center for Environmental Measurement and Analysis, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
C. A. M. Brenninkmeijer: Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry Department, 55128 Mainz, Germany
T. Röckmann: Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
C. van der Veen: Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
S. C. Tyler: Earth System Science Department, University of California, Irvine, USA
S. C. Tyler: Chemistry Department, Norco College, Norco, CA 92860, USA
R. Fujita: Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
S. Morimoto: Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
S. Morimoto: National Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo, Japan
S. Aoki: Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
T. Sowers: The Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
J. Schmitt: Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
M. Bock: Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
J. Beck: Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
H. Fischer: Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
S. E. Michel: Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
B. H. Vaughn: Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
J. B. Miller: Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
J. W. C. White: Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
G. Brailsford: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
H. Schaefer: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
P. Sperlich: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
W. A. Brand: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
M. Rothe: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
T. Blunier: Centre for Ice and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
D. Lowry: Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
R. E. Fisher: Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
E. G. Nisbet: Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
A. L. Rice: Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207, USA
P. Bergamaschi: European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Ispra (Va), Italy
C. Veidt: Institute for Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
I. Levin: Institute for Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1207-2018
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11
pp. 1207 – 1231

Abstract

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We report results from a worldwide interlaboratory comparison of samples among laboratories that measure (or measured) stable carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of atmospheric CH4 (δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4). The offsets among the laboratories are larger than the measurement reproducibility of individual laboratories. To disentangle plausible measurement offsets, we evaluated and critically assessed a large number of intercomparison results, some of which have been documented previously in the literature. The results indicate significant offsets of δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 measurements among data sets reported from different laboratories; the differences among laboratories at modern atmospheric CH4 level spread over ranges of 0.5 ‰ for δ13C-CH4 and 13 ‰ for δD-CH4. The intercomparison results summarized in this study may be of help in future attempts to harmonize δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 data sets from different laboratories in order to jointly incorporate them into modelling studies. However, establishing a merged data set, which includes δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 data from multiple laboratories with desirable compatibility, is still challenging due to differences among laboratories in instrument settings, correction methods, traceability to reference materials and long-term data management. Further efforts are needed to identify causes of the interlaboratory measurement offsets and to decrease those to move towards the best use of available δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 data sets.

Published in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques

ISSN: 1867-1381 (Print); 1867-8548 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General): Environmental engineering; Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General): Earthwork. Foundations
Website: http://www.atmospheric-measurement-techniques.net/home.html

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