Continuous Greenhouse Gas Measurements from NOAA Tall Towers Since 1992

1992 to present measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), and other trace gases from 8 tall tower sites in North America. The dataset is produced by NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Group and serves as a primary source for the Carbon Tracker data assimilation system. It provides baseline levels, trends, and variability for gases affecting global climate.

Use Cases

• Modeling regional CO2 fluxes and emissions by assimilating continuous tall tower CO2 and CH4 concentration time-series data.
• Analyzing trends and causes of variability in baseline CH4 and CO levels to study continental air pollution sources.
• Calibrating international measurement scales and validating other laboratory data using the reference network's CO2, CH4, CO, and N2O observations.
• Evaluating remote sensing technology performance by comparing satellite data with in-situ tall tower measurements of trace gases.

Strengths

• Long-term temporal coverage spanning over 30 years from 1992 to present.
• Multi-gas measurements including CO2, CH4, CO, and N2O from a network of 8 tall tower sites.
• Data adheres to World Meteorological Organization international calibration scales for key gases.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is limited to 8 tall tower sites in North America, lacking global distribution.
• The ongoing dataset is contingent on sites remaining in operation, introducing potential future gaps.

Provenance

Source

NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Group.

Collection Method

Continuous in-situ sampling from tall towers (TV, radio, cell phone towers) in the continental boundary layer.

Time Range

1992-Present

Freshness

null

Geography

North America (8 tall tower sites)