Investigating the sensitivity of flux maps in simulating radon concentrations at greenhouse gas monitoring sites

Given its unique properties as a radioactive chemically inert gas, radon can act as a valuable atmospheric tracer, for evaluating the performance of atmospheric transport models to calculate the sources of trace gases to the atmosphere. A radon flux map is the scientific starting point for simulating atmospheric radon concentrations using atmospheric transport models. As such, it is important to assess the available high resolution radon flux maps to ensure that simulated concentrations can be accurately interpreted. The spatial fluxes of radon primarily depend on soil and rock types, while temporal variations are influenced by soil moisture content.The recent advancements in generating two high-resolution radon flux maps for Europe using two different soil moisture reanalysis, GLDAS Noah and the ERA5 maps1, have significantly enhanced our understanding of radon flux dynamics. Yet, the radon flux values diverge notably between these two maps and sometimes these variations can be substantial, with differences as large as the absolute radon flux itself.In our work, two available versions of European radon flux maps are coupled with two Lagranian particle dispersion models – the Met Office’s Numerical Atmospheric Modelling Environment (NAME) and the FLEXPART model – are used to simulate radon concentrations measured at four tall tower sites in the United Kingdom: Heathfield, Ridge Hill, Tacolneston and Weybourne. We calculate the differences between the modelled radon concentrations to the observed radon concentrations at these sites and use this to investigate the sensitivity of two radon flux maps: GLDAS Noah and ERA5. References: 12022: https://doi.org/10.18160/2ST9-3NAD