Robert Delmas

Nitrous oxide emissions from tropical hydroelectric reservoirs

[1]xa0We report original data on nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from two tropical reservoirs, their rivers below the dam, and from natural aquatic ecosystems and rainforest soils in French Guiana and Panama. We also review published N2O fluxes from other tropical reservoirs and natural environments. We show that: (1) N2O emissions from tropical reservoirs occur mainly at the reservoir surface, fluxes downstream of dams being minor; (2) Because pre-flooding natural N2O fluxes are significant, the net N2O emissions from reservoirs are less than ∼50–70% of gross N2O emissions; (3) the contribution of N2O to the global warming potential of emissions from reservoirs could be significant for gross emissions, but less than 10% for net emissions, disregarding N2O degassing emissions.

Nitrogen compound emissions from fertilized soils in a maize field pine tree forest agrosystem in the southwest of France

The use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture is a significant source of reactive nitrogen compounds for the atmosphere. Emissions of NO, NH3, and N2O were measured on irrigated maize fields, on acidic podzols, set up in a large pine tree forest system in the southwestern part of France. Measurements were carried out over a yearly period: before, during, and after fertilization. Trace gas emissions appear to be strongly linked to soil characteristics and to the type of fertilizer and application procedures used. All emissions are strongly enhanced after fertilizer application, although NO and N2O emissions are observed all year long. No emission was observed on forest soils which only constitute an atmospheric NO2 sink. The imbalance of the nitrogen budget (up to 100 kg N ha−1) might be explained by gaseous emissions into the atmosphere, watertable pollution by nitrate and ammonium ions remaining very low. This is one of the peculiarities of this agrosystem.

Analysis of the origin of the distribution of CO in the subtropical southern Indian Ocean in 2007

We show carbon monoxide (CO) distributions at different vertical levels over the subtropical southern Indian Ocean, analyzing an observation campaign using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) solar absorption spectrometry performed in 2007 at Reunion Island (21°S, 55°E). The CO pollution levels detected by the FTIR measurements during the campaign show a doubling of the CO total columns during the Southern Hemisphere biomass burning season. Using correlative data from the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere instrument and back trajectories analyses, we show that the potential primary sources for CO throughout the troposphere in 2007 are southern Africa (June-August) and South America (September-October). A secondary potential contribution from Southeast Asia and Indonesia-Malaysia was identified in the upper troposphere, especially in July and September. We examine the relation between the Asian monsoon anticyclone seasonal cycle and this result. We also investigate the relative contribution of different areas across the globe to the CO concentration in the subtropical southern Indian Ocean in 2007 using backward simulations combining the Lagrangian model FLEXPART 6.2, the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFEDv2.1) and the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGARv3.2-FT2000). We confirm the predominance of the African and South American contributions in the CO concentration in the southern subtropical Indian Ocean below 11 km. We show that CO transported from Australia makes only a small contribution to the total CO concentration observed over Reunion Island, and that the long-range transport of CO coming from Southeast Asia and Indonesia-Malaysia is important, especially from June until September in the upper troposphere.

Marine and biomass burning aerosols in the southern Indian Ocean: Retrieval of aerosol optical properties from shipborne lidar and Sun photometer measurements

We document aerosol extinction properties in the southern Indian Ocean. A unique data set of shipborne measurements has been collected with a dual Rayleigh-Mie lidar aboard the research vessel Marion Dufresne during two campaigns: one around Madagascar during the Southern Hemisphere late summer and one close to the Kerguelen Islands during the biomass burning (BB) season. During this latter, a layer containing a mix of BB and marine aerosols extending up to ∼3 km above mean sea level (amsl) has been observed from [31°S, 69°E] to [24°S, 59°E]. Both vertical structure and aerosol optical properties have been retrieved from the inversion of the lidar signals. Sun photometer-derived aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 355 nm is used to constrain the lidar inversion. We obtain a mean integrated value of backscatter-to-extinction ratio (BER) (extinction-to-backscatter ratio, or so-called lidar ratio, LR) of 0.039 ± 0.009 sr−1 (26 ± 6 sr) and 0.021 ± 0.006 sr−1 (48 ± 12 sr) for the marine aerosols layer, and for the mixing between BB and marine aerosols with an uncertainty of 0.009 sr−1 (6 sr) and 0.004 sr−1 (9 sr), respectively. Lidar calibration is used to inverse data without any simultaneous Sun photometer measurements (as nighttime data), and the temporal evolution of the optical properties and vertical extension of the BB aerosol plume is documented. The presence of BB aerosols is in agreement with Lagrangian model GIRAFE v3 (reGIonal ReAl time Fire plumEs) simulations, which show the South American and Southern African BB origin of the encountered aerosol layer.

Low Tropospheric Layers Over Reunion Island in Lidar-Derived Observations and a High-Resolution Model

In November and December 2008, ground-based mobile lidar (GBML) measurements were carried out on Reunion Island (Indian Ocean,

Evolution of physico-chemical water quality and methane emissions in the tropical hydroelectric reservoir of Petit Saut (French Guiana)

21^{circ }07^{prime }hbox {S}, 55^{circ }32^{prime }hbox {E}

Technical Note: New ground-based FTIR measurements at Ile de La Réunion: observations, error analysis, and comparisons with independent data

21∘07′S,55∘32′E, 700 km east of Madagascar) with an ultraviolet (355 nm) aerosol-backscatter lidar. Complex substructures were identified within the planetary boundary layer (PBL). A 500-m-resolution non-hydrostatic model was used to simulate the dynamics of the lower troposphere for two observation periods characteristic of the two main weather regimes in this season: the “trade-wind” regime and the “breeze” regime. The model captured the observed structures with a high degree of realism compared to the GBML. A complete diurnal cycle of the PBL along the south coast of the island during a “trade-wind” day was observed and simulated. The PBL depth was found to be anti-correlated with the wind speed. The model showed that the PBL along the coast behaved as a shallow-water flow in hydraulic theory. As the flow accelerated in response to lateral constriction, conversion of potential into kinetic energy forced the PBL top downwards. This favoured rapid transport of concentrated surface emissions within the contracted surface layer, with a possible impact on air quality. GBML observations were also conducted during the early morning of a “breeze” day on the western slope of the Maïdo mountain (2,200 m), at the top of which a new atmospheric observatory has been in operation since 2012. Both model and GBML revealed two superposed layers. The upper layer, higher than approximately 1,600 m above mean sea level, corresponded to free tropospheric air driven by the trade winds. Below, westerly counterflow advection of humid marine air occurred as a result of wake vortices in the lee of the island. The model suggests that free-tropospheric conditions prevail at the observatory from the second half of the night to mid-morning.

Maïdo observatory: a new high-altitude station facility at Reunion Island (21° S, 55° E) for long-term atmospheric remote sensing and in situ measurements

This chapter presents a summary of water quality data (physico-chemical) from 10 years of measurements in the Petit Saut hydroelectric reservoir in French Guiana. Methane oxidation in and downstream of the reservoir are of particular interest. In the first part of the paper we discuss both the primary factors influencing the water quality and the patterns of stratification, methane production and oxidation in the reservoir. Secondly, we present data of methane emissions and oxidation downstream of the dam. We demonstrate that the oxidation of the dissolved CH4 was a major oxygen consumer downstream of the dam. The results indicate that the aerating weir built in the plant outlet canal guarantees the minimum regulatory concentration of 2 mg·L−1 of dissolved oxygen as delineated by the scientific community of Petit Saut, following observations of the resistance to hypoxia in a tropical environment. This long term database, which helped in detecting changes over time (dissolved gases concentrations, CH4 oxidation velocity) will be used to improve the models developed to simulate both water quality and greenhouse gas emissions in a tropical reservoir environment.