Investigating the impact of Covid-19 on the atmospheric 14C trend and fossil carbon load at urban and background sites in Hungary

Bibliographic Data

ID6447994
AuthorsBalázs Áron Baráth (0009-0002-6504-0276, corresponding author), Tamás Vargas (0000-0002-2735-1375), István Major (0000-0003-4675-9875), László Haszpra (0000-0002-7747-6475), Danny Vargas (0000-0003-2656-3357), Zoltán Barcza (0000-0002-1278-0636), Miklós Molnár (0000-0003-4382-9508)
Year2025
Volume67
Issue2
Pages251-264
Publication date2025-01-20
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRadiocarbon (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-8222 • E-ISSN: 1945-5755
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/rdc.2024.133
OpenAlexW4406624939
LanguageEN
References cited43

The study analyses in situ CO 2 mole fraction, 14 CO 2 , and fossil based excess CO 2 mole fraction (C foss ) data at Hegyhátsál (HUN) rural monitoring station (Central Europe) supplemented by passive monitoring of 14 C content of tree-rings. Through the observed period (2014–2020) we focused on revealing trends in atmospheric CO 2 and 14 C levels, particularly during the year of the first COVID lockdown, in comparison to the preceding five years. In addition, monthly integrated samples of atmospheric CO 2 and tree-rings from the six years were subjected to 14 C analysis. The passive tree-ring measurements focuses on two major urban areas (Budapest and Debrecen) in Hungary, along with the rural monitoring site. Results show a steady increase in CO 2 levels at HUN between 2014 and 2020. The calculated fossil based excess CO 2 concentrations for the initial year of COVID are in good agreement with the previous five-year averages both at 115 m and 10 m elevations. These results also show seasonal variations of CO 2 mole fractions, peaking in winter and decreasing in summer. Tree-ring results from Debrecen show a good alignment with the results of the atmospheric monitoring station, and it does not show a significant fossil contribution in the urban background area during the vegetation periods. Tree-ring results from Budapest show a stronger fossil contribution compared to the Debrecen ones. Our atmospheric CO 2 results do not show a large decrease in fossil CO 2 atmospheric contribution during the first lockdown. We found that the use of this passive CO 2 monitoring technique can provide a valuable tool for investigating such differences

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Absolute dating · Archaeology · Biology · Carbon fibers · Carbon-14 · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Geography · Nuclear physics · Outbreak · Physical geography · Physics · Radiocarbon dating · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics · COVID-19 impact on air quality · Environmental Science · Materials Science · Virology

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