Name: Hella van Asperen
Institute: University of Bremen
Department: Remote Sensing
Phone: +49-(0)421-218 62115
Email: v_asperen(at)iup.physik.uni-bremen.de
Weblink: http://www.iup.uni-bremen.de/
PhD project title: The use of FTIR-spectrometry for quantifying greenhouse fluxes between the biosphere and the atmosphere
Understanding and qualifying greenhouse gas exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere is important for our knowledge of greenhouse gas dynamics and necessary for improving climate models. Important natural greenhouse gases are CO2, CH4 and N2O. Also CO should be considered as an important indirect greenhouse gas. Fluxes between the biosphere and atmosphere of these gases are not all well known, especially not for remote areas. Nowadays, most flux data is derived from atmospheric measurements using inverse modelling and usually obtained for only one gas species at the time. Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometry has the advantage of being able to measure gas concentration of different gases simultaneously. Furthermore, it is possible to apply FTIR-spectrometry to different measurement techniques, such as the eddy flux correlation method or the flux chamber method. In combination with suitable software, FTIR is capable of independently executing measurements for longer time periods with minimum manual maintenance. Besides, because of the mobility of the FTIR-spectrometer, it is possible to quantify greenhouse gas fluxes in remote areas. One of the main targets of this PhD-project is to successfully apply FTIR-spectrometry for quantifying greenhouse gas exchange fluxes between the biosphere and the atmosphere. Research areas still have to be determined.
Start of doctoral thesis: 1 September 2011
PhD Committee:
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Notholt
Co-Supervisor: Dr. Warneke
Further Members: Prof. Dr. Kurzbach
Committee Meetings: 03.04.12
Conferences:
Helmholtz Research School on Earth System Science, Annual Retreat 2012, Bremerhaven, “Deutsches Auswandererhaus“, Talk: van Asperen, H et al., “Measurement of greenhouse gas emissions in a Northern German Peatland“ 30 November, 2012.