Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core record

<p>Atmospheric ammonia (NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>) is a key transboundary air pollutant that contributes to the impacts of nitrogen and acidity on terrestrial ecosystems. Ammonia also contributes to the atmospheric aerosol that affects...

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Main Authors: M. Legrand, M. Vorobyev, D. Bokuchava, S. Kutuzov, A. Plach, A. Stohl, A. Khairedinova, V. Mikhalenko, M. Vinogradova, S. Eckhardt, S. Preunkert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2025-01-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/1385/2025/acp-25-1385-2025.pdf
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author M. Legrand
M. Legrand
M. Vorobyev
D. Bokuchava
S. Kutuzov
S. Kutuzov
A. Plach
A. Stohl
A. Khairedinova
V. Mikhalenko
M. Vinogradova
S. Eckhardt
S. Preunkert
author_facet M. Legrand
M. Legrand
M. Vorobyev
D. Bokuchava
S. Kutuzov
S. Kutuzov
A. Plach
A. Stohl
A. Khairedinova
V. Mikhalenko
M. Vinogradova
S. Eckhardt
S. Preunkert
author_sort M. Legrand
collection DOAJ
description <p>Atmospheric ammonia (NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>) is a key transboundary air pollutant that contributes to the impacts of nitrogen and acidity on terrestrial ecosystems. Ammonia also contributes to the atmospheric aerosol that affects air quality. Emission inventories indicate that NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> was predominantly emitted by agriculture over the 19th and 20th centuries but, up to now, these estimates have not been compared to long-term observations. To document past atmospheric NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> pollution in south-eastern Europe, ammonium (NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="310866e2e55ea172cf2d52bb7208ba35"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00001.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>) was analysed along an ice core extracted from Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus, Russia. The NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M5" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="aa378b71f34a6c23384fc0eb7c6e7621"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00002.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00002.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> ice-core record indicates a 3.5-fold increase in concentrations between 1750 and 1990 CE. Remaining moderate prior to 1950 CE, the increase then accelerated to reach a maximum in 1989 CE. Comparison between ice-core trends and estimated past emissions using state-of-the-art atmospheric transport modelling of submicron-scale aerosols (FLEXPART (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion) model) indicates good agreement with the course of estimated NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> emissions from south-eastern Europe since <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 1750 CE, with the main contributions from south European Russia, Türkiye, Georgia, and Ukraine. Examination of ice deposited prior to 1850 CE, when agricultural activities remained limited, suggests an NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M8" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="a9b2fdba183dceff94210c316afa95ef"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00003.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00003.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> ice concentration related to natural soil emissions representing <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 20 % of the 1980–2009 CE NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M10" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="9837b1bc16c7511343fef307428ed3c8"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00004.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00004.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> level, a level mainly related to current agricultural emissions that almost completely outweigh biogenic emissions from natural soil. These findings on historical NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> emission trends represent a significant contribution to the understanding of ammonia emissions in Europe over the last 250 years.</p>
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spelling doaj-art-db3d4559e4624d72837420b87fc33a0c2025-01-31T11:06:14ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-01-01251385139910.5194/acp-25-1385-2025Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core recordM. Legrand0M. Legrand1M. Vorobyev2D. Bokuchava3S. Kutuzov4S. Kutuzov5A. Plach6A. Stohl7A. Khairedinova8V. Mikhalenko9M. Vinogradova10S. Eckhardt11S. Preunkert12Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE), Grenoble 38400, FranceUniversité Paris Cité and Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, LISA, 75013 Paris, FranceInstitute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119017, RussiaInstitute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119017, RussiaSchool of Earth Sciences, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USAByrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USADepartment of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, AustriaDepartment of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, AustriaInstitute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119017, RussiaInstitute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119017, RussiaInstitute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119017, RussiaDepartment of Atmospheric and Climate Research, NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Lillestrøm 2027, NorwayUniversité Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE), Grenoble 38400, France<p>Atmospheric ammonia (NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span>) is a key transboundary air pollutant that contributes to the impacts of nitrogen and acidity on terrestrial ecosystems. Ammonia also contributes to the atmospheric aerosol that affects air quality. Emission inventories indicate that NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> was predominantly emitted by agriculture over the 19th and 20th centuries but, up to now, these estimates have not been compared to long-term observations. To document past atmospheric NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> pollution in south-eastern Europe, ammonium (NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="310866e2e55ea172cf2d52bb7208ba35"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00001.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>) was analysed along an ice core extracted from Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus, Russia. The NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M5" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="aa378b71f34a6c23384fc0eb7c6e7621"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00002.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00002.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> ice-core record indicates a 3.5-fold increase in concentrations between 1750 and 1990 CE. Remaining moderate prior to 1950 CE, the increase then accelerated to reach a maximum in 1989 CE. Comparison between ice-core trends and estimated past emissions using state-of-the-art atmospheric transport modelling of submicron-scale aerosols (FLEXPART (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion) model) indicates good agreement with the course of estimated NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> emissions from south-eastern Europe since <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 1750 CE, with the main contributions from south European Russia, Türkiye, Georgia, and Ukraine. Examination of ice deposited prior to 1850 CE, when agricultural activities remained limited, suggests an NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M8" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="a9b2fdba183dceff94210c316afa95ef"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00003.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00003.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> ice concentration related to natural soil emissions representing <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 20 % of the 1980–2009 CE NH<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M10" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><msubsup><mi/><mn mathvariant="normal">4</mn><mo>+</mo></msubsup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="9837b1bc16c7511343fef307428ed3c8"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00004.svg" width="8pt" height="15pt" src="acp-25-1385-2025-ie00004.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> level, a level mainly related to current agricultural emissions that almost completely outweigh biogenic emissions from natural soil. These findings on historical NH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>3</sub></span> emission trends represent a significant contribution to the understanding of ammonia emissions in Europe over the last 250 years.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/1385/2025/acp-25-1385-2025.pdf
spellingShingle M. Legrand
M. Legrand
M. Vorobyev
D. Bokuchava
S. Kutuzov
S. Kutuzov
A. Plach
A. Stohl
A. Khairedinova
V. Mikhalenko
M. Vinogradova
S. Eckhardt
S. Preunkert
Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core record
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core record
title_full Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core record
title_fullStr Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core record
title_full_unstemmed Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core record
title_short Measurement Report: Changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south-eastern Europe inferred from an Elbrus (Caucasus, Russia) ice-core record
title_sort measurement report changes in ammonia emissions since the 18th century in south eastern europe inferred from an elbrus caucasus russia ice core record
url https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/1385/2025/acp-25-1385-2025.pdf
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