Spatiotemporal variability of near-surface CO2 and its affecting factors over Mongolia

We investigate the spatiotemporal variability of near-surface CO2 concentrations in Mongolia from 2010 to 2019 and the factors affecting it over four climate zones of Mongolia based on the Ko & BULL;ppen-Geiger climate classification system, including arid desert climate (BWh), arid steppe climate (BSk), dry climate (Dw), and polar frost climate (ET). Initially, we validate the near-surface CO2 datasets obtained from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) using ground-based CO2 observations obtained from the World Data Center for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG) and found good agreement. The results showed that CO2 concentrations over Mongolia steadily increased from 389.48 ppmv in 2010 to 409.72 ppmv in 2019, with an annual growth rate of 2.24 ppmv/year. Spatially, the southeastern Gobi desert region has the highest annual average CO2 concentration, while the northwestern Alpine and Meadow steppe region exhibits the most significant growth rate. Additionally, significant monthly and seasonal variations were observed in each climate zone, with CO2 levels decreasing to a minimum in summer and reaching a maximum in spring. Furthermore, our findings revealed a negative correlation between CO2 concentrations and vegetation parameters (NDVI, GPP, and LAI) during summer when photosynthesis is at its peak, while a positive correlation was observed during spring and autumn when the capacity for carbon sequestration is lower. Understanding CO2 concentrations in different climate zones and the uptake capacity of vegetation may help improve estimates of carbon sequestration in ecosystems such as deserts, steppes and forests.

Automated summary

We studied the spatiotemporal variability of near-surface CO2 concentrations in Mongolia from 2010 to 2019 across four climate zones. By validating satellite data with ground-based observations, we found that CO2 concentrations in Mongolia steadily increased, with the highest levels in the southeastern desert and the most significant growth in the northwestern steppe. Monthly and seasonal variations were observed in each climate zone, with CO2 levels decreasing in summer and reaching a peak in spring. We also found a negative correlation between CO2 concentrations and vegetation parameters during summer, indicating the potential for carbon sequestration.