Observational constraints on U.S. emissions of climate-active and ozone-depleting trace gases from a tall-tower and aircraft sampling network

Air samples have been regularly collected at a number of tall tower sites and from aircraft profiling locations across the U.S. and Canada during the past 4 to 5 years. Measurements of approximately 50 trace gases in these samples provide a rich dataset of chemical markers related to urban, industrial, oceanic, biomass burning, fossil-fuel burning, atmospheric mixing, photosynthesis, and soil influences. Anthropogenic emission signals are readily apparent in the halocarbon and hydrocarbon data, upon which this talk will focus. Measured correlations between different halocarbons (especially hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)) show variations as a function of season that are qualitatively consistent with the expected regional and seasonal patterns of use and emission of these industrially-produced chemicals. In some instances, annual mean correlation slopes between different trace gases are well described by the U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories, but for others, large differences are observed. Furthermore, interannual changes in correlation slopes are expected for gases that are being phased out (i.e., HCFCs) compared to those for which emissions may be increasing (i.e., HFCs) in the US. This presentation will focus on the regional, seasonal, and interannual variations in trace gas emissions implied from a straightforward analysis of this extensive measurement record.