CO2 maps

A new, high-resolution, interactive map has been developed that shows the parts of the US where carbon dioxide emissions are the greatest.

'We've been attributing too many emissions to the northeastern US, and it's looking like the southeastern US is a much larger source than we had estimated previously,' said Kevin Gurney, an assistant professor of earth and atmospheric science at Purdue University and leader of the team that developed the map.

The maps and system, called Vulcan, show CO₂ emissions at more than 100 times more detail than was available before. Until now, data on carbon dioxide emissions were reported, in the best cases, monthly at the level of an entire state. The Vulcan model examines CO₂ emissions at local levels on an hourly basis.

Researchers say the maps also are more accurate than previous data because they are based on greenhouse gas emissions instead of estimates based on population in areas of the US.