Context and objectives
Ammonia (NH3) is one of the most important gaseous pollutants, contributing to the formation of secondary inorganic aerosol, and upon deposition, very detrimental to the environment. Despite its importance, knowledge of its emissions is subject to large uncertainties. The goal of this project is to better quantify and understand the sources and processes driving atmospheric ammonia (NH3) agricultural and industrial emissions and subsequent deposition in Belgium. To achieve this objective, the project will exploit a unique set of complementary measurement techniques, consisting of in-situ measurements on ground and infrared remote sensing from ground, aircraft and satellites. State of the art modelling at very high spatial resolution will allow upscaling and bridging the different spatial and temporal scales. The results of this project will directly benefit the quality of the Belgian emission inventories, and on a wider scale the top-down emissions that can be derived from current (IASI, CrIS) and future satellite sounders (IRS, Nitrosat). The tools developed will also strongly support policy making processes aiming at reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture and nitrogen pollution in Belgium.
Project outcome
Expected scientific results
Scientific Objective 1 To develop an NH3 dataset at high spatial (6-7 km) and temporal (daily, every 30 minutes) resolution over the entire European domain, based on observations of the IRS satellite sounder.
Scientific Objective 2 To characterise the spatiotemporal variations NH3 over Europe, from seasonal to diel variations and from the country to the regional scale.
Scientific Objective 3 To survey regional NH3 at hyperspatial resolution (below 5 metre) over key sites in Belgium and or the Netherlands.
Scientific Objective 4 To provide constraints on NH3 vertical profiles.
Scientific Objective 5 To characterise local source contributions to point source measurements.
Scientific Objective 6 Identify strengths and weaknesses of models in simulating the spatio-temporal distribution of NH3 and related compounds.
Scientific Objective 7 To derive a highly resolved top-down emission inventory over Belgium and the Netherlands.
Expected products and services
- Unprecedented ammonia datasets
- Several peer-reviewed articles (see annex I)
- Publicly available IRS NH3 total column product
- Publicly available top-down NH3 emission inventory
During this project, we will develop already existent but also new ways of monitoring ammonia in the atmosphere. Unprecedented datasets based on satellite, airborne and ground-based instruments will be produced. Modelling at very high spatial and temporal resolution will be improved. The expected scientific results are well summarized by the scientific objectives presented above.
| Project leader(s): | ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles) | |||||
| Belgian partner(s) |
|
|||||
| International partner(s) |
|
|||||
| Location: |
Continent:
Country:
Region:
|
|||||
| Related presentations: | ||||||
| Website: | https://beam.ulb.be | |||||