River Tay Catchment Water Chemistry and Greenhouse Gas Measurements

Nine sites across Scotland's River Tay catchment provide monthly measurements of dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, nutrients, and greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O). Sampling occurred from February 2009 to December 2010, with sites co-located at existing Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) monitoring stations. The dataset offers a spatially and temporally resolved snapshot of carbon and nutrient dynamics in a major UK river system.

Use Cases

• Estimating riverine greenhouse gas emissions based on dissolved CO2, CH4, and N2O concentrations.
• Analyzing relationships between dissolved organic/inorganic carbon and nutrient levels across a catchment.
• Calibrating or validating hydrological-biogeochemical models for temperate river systems.
• Assessing spatial variability in water chemistry across nine monitored sites.
• Investigating seasonal trends in carbon and nutrient dynamics over a nearly two-year period.

Strengths

• Provides coordinated monthly measurements across nine distinct sites, enabling spatial analysis.
• Covers a nearly two-year time range (Feb 2009 - Dec 2010) for assessing seasonal patterns.
• Integrates multiple analyte types (greenhouse gases, carbon species, nutrients) in one dataset.
• Leverages established SEPA monitoring infrastructure, suggesting standardized sampling protocols.

Limitations

• Column names and specific nutrient parameters are not listed in the provided metadata.
• The dataset's temporal coverage is limited to a 23-month period, restricting long-term trend analysis.
• One platform lists a 'last updated' date far in the future (2026-04-02), indicating a metadata error.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Monthly water sampling at nine sites based on existing SEPA flow gauging and water sampling stations.

Time Range

February 2009 to December 2010

Freshness

2026-04-02 08:36:33.023189 (Note: This future date is likely a metadata error)

Geography

River Tay catchment, Scotland