Emission Determination by Three Remote Sensing Methods in Two Release Trials

Abstract

Concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous dioxide (N2 O) and methane (CH4) in the atmosphere are rising continuously. The first step to reduce emissions from landfills is to gain better knowledge about the quantities emitted. There are several ways to quantify CH4 emissions at landfills. Comprehensive quality analyses of individual methods for emission rate quantification at landfills are few to date. In the present paper, the authors conducted two field trials with three different remote sensing methods to gain more knowledge about the possibilities and challenges in quantification of CH4 emissions from landfills. One release trial was conducted with released N2 O as tracer and CH4 for quality assessment of the methods. In the second trial, the N2 O tracer was released on a landfill to gain experience under field conditions. The well-established inverse dispersion modelling method (IDMM) was used based on concentration data of TDLAS (Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy)-instruments and on concentration data of a partly drone based Fourier-Transformation-Infrared-Spectroscopy (FTIR)-instrument. Additionally, a tracer-method with N2 O-tracer and FTIR measurements was conducted. In both trials, IDMM based on TDLAS data and FTIR data provided the best results for high emission rates (15% deviation) and low emission rates (47% deviation). However, both methods have advantages, depending on the field of application. IDMM based on TDLAS measurements is the best choice for long-term measurements over several hours with constant wind conditions (8% deviation). The IDMM based on drone based FTIR measurements is the means of choice for measurements under changing wind conditions and where no linear measurement distances are possible.