Arcturus: Greenhouse Gas Baseline Atmospheric Monitoring Data from Central Queensland

Central Queensland hosts the 'Arcturus' atmospheric monitoring station, commissioned in July 2010 by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research. The station measures concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, isotopic signatures, and meteorological parameters like wind speed and direction. Data is intended as a prototype reference for monitoring carbon capture and geological storage (CCS) sites.

Use Cases

• Modeling local variations in CO2 and CH4 based on meteorological data and point source emissions.
• Establishing a high-quality atmospheric baseline for future CCS site monitoring.
• Analyzing contributions of natural and anthropogenic sources to greenhouse gas variability in a mixed-use region.
• Testing remote operation of atmospheric monitoring stations in subtropical environments.

Strengths

• Data is collected from a purpose-built prototype 'baseline monitoring station' designed for CCS verification.
• Station measures multiple parameters: CO2, CH4, water vapor, isotopic signature (?13C) of CO2, wind speed, and direction.
• Site is located in a region with diverse potential emission sources: cropping, grazing, cattle feedlots, coal mining, and gas production.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-04-28.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia and CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Measured by wavelength scanned cavity ringdown instruments and meteorological sensors at the Arcturus station.

Time Range

Data collection commenced in July 2010.

Freshness

Data collection began in 2010; metadata last updated 2026-04-28.

Geography

Central Queensland, Australia.