Name ALANIS: Methane
Title Atmosphere-Land Interactions Study: Wetland Dynamics & CH4 Emissions
Thematic Area Land Surface
Cost 300 - 400 K
Action Line International Scientific Cooperation
Status Completed in 2012
Missions METOP, GOSAT, ENVISAT, DMSP
Sensors AATSR, ASAR, SCIAMACHY, AVHRR, TANSO-FTS, ASCAT, SSM/I
Objectives The project aims at advancing towards the development and validation of novel EO-based multi-mission products and their integration into suitable land-atmosphere coupled models (responding directly to the specific scientific requirements of the iLEAPS community) for improving the characterization of boreal Eurasian lake and wetland dynamics and reducing current uncertainties in related methane emissions. In this framework, priority activities include: To develop and validate a suite of novel advanced EO-based target products, namely: A regional wetland extent dynamics product characterizing spatial changes of inundated areas over time at low spatial resolution and high time frequency obtained combining SSM/I, AVHRR and ASCAT data; A local wetland extent dynamics product characterizing spatial changes of lake and wetland surface over time at high/medium spatial resolution and low time frequency derived from ASAR data; A snow-melt onset/duration/end product suitable for determining when methane emissions from wetland restart after the winter season derived from ASCAT data; An ice break-up date product suitable for determining when lake methane emission restart after the winter season derived from ASAR and ASCAT data; A freeze onset product suitable for determining when lake/wetland methane emissions stop after the summer season derived from ASCAT data. To improve and validate a state-of-the-science land-atmosphere model in its description of methane emissions from boreal lakes and wetlands. The coupled JULES land-surface model (i.e., Joint UK Land Environment Simulator, developed by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) and the HadGEM3 Earth-system model (i.e., Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model, developed by UK MetOffice) will be constrained by both SCIAMACHY/TANSO-FTS retrievals of atmospheric methane concentrations, as well as the whole set of aforementioned novel target products. Moreover, it will also take advantage (as inputs or constraints) of GlobCover, MERIS fAPAR and AATSR Land-Surface-Temperature data. To generate an experimental dataset consisting of the entire suite of aforementioned target products engendered from 2007 to 2009 over the whole boreal Eurasia, as well as the corresponding methane emission estimations obtained by employing the developed land-atmosphere coupled model
Project Partners NERC-CEH : Natural Environmental Research Council Centre of Ecology and Hydrology(Prime contractor)U Bremen : University of Bremen(Subcontractor)TUW : Technische Universitaet Wien (Subcontractor)ESTELLUS : ESTELLUS, France(Subcontractor)
Project Manager Dr. Garry Hayman Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford OX10 8BB, Wallingford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1491 692527 Fax: +44 (0)1491 692424 garr@ceh.ac.uk
Technical Officer Mattia Marconcini
Brochure: STSE | Support to Science Element
STSE Report 2008-2012
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