Aircraft-Based Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Profiles Over North America

Flask-air samples collected via aircraft missions since 1992 measure concentrations of CO2, CH4, N2O, CO, H2, and SF6. The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory's Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Group operates this program, capturing vertical profiles from 500m to 8000m altitude. Data from over 31 missions provide baseline levels and trends for gases affecting global climate.

Use Cases

• Modeling vertical and horizontal transport of CO2 and CH4 using time, location, and altitude data from flask samples.
• Analyzing seasonal trends in N2O and SF6 mixing ratios across the boundary layer and free troposphere.
• Validating regional emission inventories by correlating measured CO concentrations with auxiliary variables like temperature.
• Studying inter-annual variability in atmospheric baseline levels using the multi-decadal time series from 1992 onward.

Strengths

• Multi-decadal temporal coverage from 1992 to present.
• Vertical profile data collected from 500m to 8000m altitude.
• Measures approximately 55 trace gases per air sample.

Limitations

• Geographic bias with sampling focused primarily over North America.
• Sample size per mission is limited, with most flights collecting only 12 flask samples.
• Sampling frequency and height distribution varies between sites.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Air samples collected in flasks via a portable, automated system on aircraft, with time, location, temperature, and humidity logged per sample.

Time Range

1992 - Present

Freshness

null

Geography

Primarily North America, with profiles over specific regional background sites.