According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the calculation error in the carbon balance estimates of northern ecosystems is significant, even of the same order of magnitude as the entire annual carbon balance of the ecosystem.
According to a new study, the carbon sinks in the northern regions have been calculated too small and the emissions too high. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the calculation error is significant, even of the same order of magnitude as the entire annual carbon balance of the ecosystem.
To correct the error, the new study used a new method based on machine learning, which is already in use at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Vekuri says that the magnitude of the measurement error is a few tens of grams of coal per square meter.
– In swamps, fields and certain forests, the carbon balance can be several tens of grams per square meter. In these situations, a carbon emission can turn into a carbon sink. In addition, it is important that even larger carbon balance forests are measured correctly, says Vekuri.
The new method is more accurate than before and does not cause a systematic error. In addition, the old patching method was modified to better suit northern conditions.
– It may be that the new method is moved through the corrected old method. The correction is easy to make and it at least reduces the error significantly, says Vekuri.
Vekuri emphasizes that the error does not apply to Finland’s current carbon balance inventory. Incorrect results have been used in the basic study.
– In the future, these measurements can be used to refine national carbon balance estimates, says Vekuri.
The error is in completing the missing results
An error has been found in completing the missing measurement results.
Some of the measurements have to be rejected due to unsuitable measurement conditions. Outages also occur as a result of equipment failures. Estimating missing measurements to complete time series is an essential part of calculating carbon balances.
In a new study, for the first time, how the patching methods of carbon dioxide measurements affect the evaluation of carbon balances of ecosystems at northern latitudes was investigated.
The study showed that the most common patching method used by international measurement networks causes a systematic error specifically in the carbon balances of northern ecosystems.
The error is caused by the strongly asymmetric distribution of solar radiation at northern latitudes.
Northern ecosystems cover a land area of \u200b\u200b20 million square kilometers.
The results of the new study have been published in Scientific Reports.