NASA EarthData hosts annual measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition (13CO2) in the atmosphere at Arrival Heights, Ross Island. SCIOPS collects between 12 to 18 whole air samples per year using a pump system, with data traceable to IAEA standards. The time series began in March 1997.
Use Cases
- Analyzing temporal trends in the 13C/12C isotopic ratio to identify shifts in global carbon cycle processes.
- Modeling regional carbon fluxes by using the 13CO2 measurements as a tracer for biospheric and oceanic exchanges.
- Calibrating or validating global atmospheric models with ground-truth isotopic data from a clean-air Antarctic site.
- Investigating seasonal and interannual variability in atmospheric 13CO2 linked to specific source and sink events.
Strengths
- Long-term time series providing over 25 years of consistent annual measurements since 1997.
- Data collection follows a standardized protocol with 12-18 samples per year, ensuring regular temporal coverage.
- Measurements are traceable to IAEA standards, supporting data comparability and reliability.
Limitations
- Sample resolution is limited to annual collections (12-18 samples/year), missing higher-frequency intra-annual dynamics.
- Geographic coverage is restricted to a single site at Arrival Heights, Ross Island, Antarctica.
- Specific sample counts, row numbers, and data formats are not provided in the input.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA EarthData, provided by organization SCIOPS.
- Collection Method
- Samples collected by a pump system from the clean air sector, dried with magnesium perchlorate, and analyzed for 13C/12C ratio.
- Time Range
- March 1997 to present (ongoing annual collection).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Arrival Heights, Ross Island, Antarctica.