Monthly Satellite-Estimated Dissolved CO2 in Lake Taihu, 2002-2018

Monthly average dissolved carbon dioxide concentrations for China's Lake Taihu were estimated from MODIS satellite data from July 2002 to December 2018. The dataset, created by Tianci Qi of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has a reported coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.84 against field observations. It reveals a significant declining trend of 0.80 μmol L⁻¹ per year and distinct seasonal and spatial patterns in CO₂ levels.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal dynamics of lake CO2 concentrations based on the described low summer/autumn and high winter/spring pattern.
• Studying long-term trends in aquatic carbon emissions based on the reported annual decline of 0.80 μmol L⁻¹ yr⁻¹.
• Comparing satellite-derived water quality estimates with traditional field observations based on the dataset's stated suitability for such analysis.
• Investigating spatial heterogeneity of dissolved gases in large lakes based on the mention of differences between eastern and western regions of Lake Taihu.

Strengths

• Validation metrics are provided, including an R² of 0.84 and RMSE of 11.81 μmol L⁻¹ for daily estimates.
• Covers a substantial time period of over 16 years, from July 2002 to December 2018.
• Includes an uncertainty assessment indicating the product may overestimate concentrations by about 30%.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes a systematic overestimation bias of approximately 30% in the monthly product.

Provenance

Source

Tianci Qi, Chinese Academy of Sciences, via paperswithcode.

Collection Method

Estimated from MODIS-derived chlorophyll-a, lake surface temperature, and photosynthetically active radiation parameters.

Time Range

July 2002 to December 2018

Geography

Lake Taihu, China