Eddy covariance equipment to be installed at Carbon Volga polygon

The objective is to measure various ground-level atmospheric parameters.

“Eddy covariance comprises a number of detectors and a 3D anemometer,” says Svetlana Selivanovskaya, Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences. “The system determines concentrations and flows of important atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Thanks to such measurements, we will understand whether the ecosystem has a positive or negative CO2 balance.”

The purchase (40 million rubles) is sponsored by Tatneftekhiminvest-Holding (Tatarstan Petrochemistry Investment Holding), a state-owned local fund disbursing investment to projects in the hydrocarbon and climate industry.

The carbon polygon itself is a major climate monitoring initiative consisting of three subprojects:

• Carbon sequestration by soil and herbaceous vegetation: influence of various factors and development of approaches to increase sequestration;
• Determination of the volume of emission and sink of climatically hazardous gases on the example of aquatic ecosystems of the Middle Volga region;
• Remote Earth sensing methods for the measurements of the emission of climatically hazardous gases in the forest ecosystems of the Middle Volga.

The polygon will be heavily featured in educational programs of all levels to help young people understand the dynamics and impact of greenhouse gases.

The University of Helsinki is a partner institution in this initiative – it has over 30 years of history of dealing with similar polygons. In May 2022, Ivan Mamarella, Professor of the University of Helsinki, will arrive at KFU to give a course about eddy covariance systems.

 

Source text: Larisa Busil

Photo: Svetlana Selivanovskaya

Translation: Yury Nurmeev