The methane emissions from the Hungarian Pannonian Basin are not well qualified, due
to a lack of measurements of CH4 mole fraction and δ13CCH4
in the air. This study reports methane measurements in air samples from Hungary, placing
them in the context of regional and global background data, to investigate the inputs
to the methane burden in Central Europe. CH4 mole fraction and
δ13CCH4 from the Hungarian tall tower station,
Hegyhátsál, and additional data from Mace Head (Ireland) and Zeppelin (Svalbard) are
used with back trajectory modeling to identify central European source areas and their
seasonal variation between the summer vegetation and winter heating periods. Methane
measurements in air masses sampled in the European interior, have significantly higher
maxima and seasonal amplitudes than at the Mace Head and Zeppelin European background
sites. The mean CH4 mole fraction value is about 80 ppb higher
than the comparable marine background, and values above 2,000 ppb were frequently
observed between February 2013 and December 2015. The mean δ13CCH4
value −47.5 ± 0.3‰ (2σ) was comparable to values at all three monitoring sites, but
specific pollution events were detected at Hegyhátsál. Concentration weighted trajectory
modeling, meteorological parameters, stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13CCH4),
and Miller‐Tans analysis show that the main factors influencing CH4
at the Hegyhátsál, apart from diurnal and seasonal changes in the planetary boundary
layer, are emissions from residential heating and industrial CH4
emissions during the winter.
