47.  CARBON CYCLE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE BIOSPHERE

Eighty-five percent of our nation's energy results from the burning of fossil fuels from vast reservoirs of coal, oil, and natural gas.  These processes add carbon to the atmosphere, principally in the form of carbon dioxide (CO₂).  It is important to understand the fate of this excess CO₂ in the global carbon cycle in order to assess the terrestrial ecosystem response, the sensitivity of climate, and the potential for sequestration in natural carbon sinks of lands and oceans.  Therefore, improved measurement approaches are needed to quantify carbon changes in components of the global carbon cycle, particularly the terrestrial biosphere, in order to improve understanding and assess the potential for future carbon sequestration.

A DOE working paper on carbon sequestration science and technology describes research needs and technology requirements for sequestering carbon by ocean and terrestrial systems (see Reference 1).  This document calls for substantially improved technology for measuring carbon transformation of the atmosphere and biosphere.  The document also describes advanced sensor technology and measurement approaches that are needed for detecting changes of carbon quantities of terrestrial (including biotic, microbial, and soil components) and oceanic systems, and for evaluating relationships between these carbon cycle components and the atmosphere.

Grant applications submitted to this topic should demonstrate performance characteristics of proposed measurement systems, and show a capability for deployment at field scales ranging from experimental plot size (meters to hectares of land – with comparable dimensions for marine systems) to nominal dimensions of ecosystems (hectares to square kilometers).  Research to develop miniaturized sensors to determine atmospheric CO₂ concentration is also encouraged.  In addition, Phase I projects must perform feasibility and/or field tests of proposed measurement systems to assure a high degree of reliability and robustness.  Combinations of stationary remote and in situ approaches will be considered, and priority will be given to ideas/approaches for verifying biosphere carbon changes and for estimating carbon sequestration.  Measurements using aircraft or ballon platforms must be explicitly linked to real-time ground-based measurements.  Grant applications based on satellite remote sensing platforms are beyond the scope of this topic, and will be declined.  Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Sensors and Techniques for Measuring Terrestrial Carbon Sinks and Sources—Measurement technology is required to quantify carbon sequestration by natural vegetation and ecosystems (i.e., carbon sinks) as well as CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere from natural or industrial sources.  Grant applications are sought to develop sensors and unique measurement techniques (and associated system technology, if appropriate) to detect and quantify annual net carbon changes of terrestrial vegetation for large areas, or to measure and verify the magnitude of CO₂ emissions from various sources.  For the measurement of CO₂ sinks, the sensor systems or new technology must be applicable for forests, grasslands, shrub lands, agricultural lands, and/or wetlands, and have the capability of producing spatially resolved aggregate estimates of terrestrial carbon changes to an accuracy of 10 to 25 g/m²/yr (or approximately 0.25 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year), with less than 25 percent uncertainty.  For measuring emissions, the apparatus must be located at a point remote from the actual site of CO₂ release and provide accuracy estimates for CO₂ concentrations of approximately 0.5 ppm or less.  Mechanical sensors must be durable in the full range of normal environmental conditions and exposures, including exposure to dust, rain, snow, heat, extreme cold, and fog.  Operation in unattended, remote locations for weeks at a time, without degradation of the measurement, is also required; however, daily telecommunication with the system for monitoring performance and detecting potential operational problems would be desirable.

Proposed approaches, including both mechanical sensors and non-mechanical technology should consist of new, innovative methodologies that are significant advances over conventional scientific approaches used to measure CO₂, carbon, and related compounds.  Specifically, the measurement systems should be different from, or substantially augment, existing methods for eddy flux (covariance), routine monitoring of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, or estimating carbon quantities of land and/or ocean constituents of the carbon cycle.  Grant applications proposing in situ or in-stream measurement of flue gas emissions will be declined, as will applications that offer only incremental or marginal improvements over existing measurement systems.

Questions - contact Roger Dahlman (roger.dahlman@science.doe.gov) 

b. Novel Measurements of Carbon, CO₂, and Trace Greenhouse Gas Constituents of Terrestrial and Atmospheric Media—Improved measurement technology is needed to better characterize processes involving carbon transformations of soil, vegetation, and associated ecosystem components and exchanges with the atmosphere.  Particular areas of interest include high resolution measurements of soil carbon/organic matter – i.e., the carbon content of biological tissues in various components (e.g., phytomass, detritus) of terrestrial ecosystems – as described in item (1) below; improved measurement technology for atmospheric CO₂, as described in items (2) and (3) below; and high accuracy and precision measurement of other trace greenhouse gases as described in item (4) below.

(1) For determining the carbon content of biota and soil, grant applications are sought to develop and demonstrate measurement technology for estimating changes of carbon quantities and/or fluxes involving major components of ecosystems, with an accuracy on the order of 10 grams per square meter or less.  Quantification of spatially resolved aggregate estimates of terrestrial carbon changes should have an accuracy of 10 to 25 g/m²/yr (or approximately 0.25 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year), with less than 25 percent uncertainty.

(2) Grant applications are sought to design and demonstrate a new CO₂ analyzer that:  (a) can determine the mole fraction of CO₂ in dry ambient air to a relative precision of 1 part in 3000 or better in one minute or less; (b) operates with small amounts of gas (30 cc/min or less) to minimize problems due to water vapor and to minimize consumption of reference gases, if employed; (c) is robust enough for unattended field deployment for periods of half a year or longer; (d) costs less than $5000 when manufactured in quantity; and (e) is not sensitive to motion.

(3) Grant applications are sought to develop instruments for measuring atmospheric CO₂, lightweight (approximately 100 grams) sensors, which are capable of measuring fluctuations of CO₂ in air of the order of plus or minus 1 ppm in a background of 370 ppm.  The devices must be suitable for launch on ballonsondes or similar such platforms, and therefore must be insensitive to large changes in ambient temperature and pressure.  The devices also must be able to operate on low power (e.g., 9v battery), and have a response time of less than 30 seconds. 

(4) Grant applications are also sought to develop new technology platforms that can be used to measure fluxes and/or concentrations of important trace greenhouse gas constituents and the isotopes of carbon, methane, CO, and other trace species.  New instrumentation designs must have high potential for direct application for determining carbon, CO, and trace species sources and sinks.  Also, design elements that ensure long-term and robust field deployment, should be included.

In general, new technology for measuring terrestrial biota and soil must be accomplished by in situ and/or non-invasive means and/or remote sensing of organic carbon forms across a range of temporal scales (from seconds to days) and spatial scales (from millimeters to kilometers), depending on the system properties being observed.  Instruments must be portable and deployable in remote locations, and must not adversely impact the site of deployment.  The term "remote sensing" means that the observation method is physically separated from the object of interest.  Research that develops unique surface-based observations and uses them for the calibration/interpretation of other remotely derived data is of interest; however, except for the potential application of CO₂ sensors via ballonsonde, other methods of remote sensing data acquisition by airborne or satellite platforms will not be considered.

Questions - contact Roger Dahlman (roger.dahlman@science.doe.gov) 

References:

1.      Abraham S., et al., “U.S. Climate Change Technology Program—Technology Options for the Near and Long Term,” November 2003.  Full text available at:  http://www.climatetechnology.gov/library/2003/tech-options/index.htm)

2.      Allen, L. H., Jr., et al., eds., “Advances in Carbon Dioxide Effects Research,” American Society of Agronomy, Special Publication No. 61, Madison, WI:  ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, 1997.  (ISBN:  0-89118-133-4)

3.      Daniels, D. J., “Surface Penetrating Radar,” London:  The Institution of Electrical Engineers, 1996.  (ISBN:  0-85296-862-0)

4.      Dilling L., et al., “The Role of Carbon Cycle Observations and Knowledge in Carbon Management,” Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 28: 521-558, November 2003.  (ISSN:  1543-5938) (ISBN:  0-8243-2328-9) (Abstract and ordering information available at:  http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.energy.28.011503.163443) 

5.      Ebinger, M. H., et al., “Extending the Applicability of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Total Soil Carbon Measurement,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, 67:1616-1619, 2003.  (Print ISSN:  0361-5995) (Abstract and ordering information available at:  http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/5/1616)

6.      Hall, D. O., et al., eds., “Photosynthesis and Production in a Changing Environment:  A Field and Laboratory Manual,” New York:  Chapman & Hall, 1993.  (ISBN:  0412429004)

7.      Hashimoto, Y., et al., eds., “Measurement Techniques in Plant Science,” San Diego:  Academic Press, Inc., 1990.  (ISBN:  0-12-330585-3)

8.      McMichael, B. L. and Persson, H., eds., “Plant Roots and Their Environment:  Proceedings of an ISRR Symposium,” Uppsala, Sweden, August 21-26, 1988, New York:  Elsevier, 1991.  (ISBN:  0-444-89104-8)

9.      National Academy of Engineering/National Research Council Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, “The Hydrogen Economy:  Opportunities, Costs, Barriers, and R&D Needs,” especially pages 101-103 Washington, D.C.:  National Academy Press, 2004.  (Full text available at:  http://books.nap.edu/books/0309091632/html/index.html)

10.  Nelson, D. W. and Sommers, L. E., “Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter,” Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3:  Chemical Methods, pp. 961-1010, Madison, WI:  Soil Science Society of America, 1996.  (ISBN:  0-89118-825-8)

11.  Rozema, J., et al., eds., “CO₂ and Biosphere,” Hingham, MA:  Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993.  (ISBN:  0792320441) (This publication is part of a monographic series, Advances in Vegetation Science, Vol. 14.  (ISSN:  0168-8022) (Reprinted from Vegetation, 104/105, January 1993 - ISSN:  0042-3106. Now called Plant Ecology - ISSN:  1385-0237)

12.  Schimel, D., et al., “Carbon Sequestration Studied in Western U.S. Mountains,” EOS Transactions, 83(40): 445-449, Washington, DC:  American Geophysical Union, 2002.  (ISSN:  0096-3941)

13.  Swift, R., “Organic Matter Characterization,” Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3:  Chemical Methods, pp. 1011-1070, Madison, WI:  Soil Science Society of America, 1996.  (ISBN:  0-89118-825-8)

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