Concentration and isotopic measurements of radiatively important gases in the southern atmosphere

The CSIRO sampling network represents the most comprehensive, long running Southern hemisphere program. With continuing innovation in measurement and interpretive models, it is ideally positioned to detect possible climate induced regional changes in carbon uptake, as well as monitor global changes. It also provides essential background information to the new challenge of monitoring integrated emissions from the Australian continent.

Data from this project have also been incorporated into State of the Environment Indicator 11, Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gas species. See the link below for further details. The download file contains both the individual flask data measurements and also monthly means derived from these.

The monthly mean data are presented in the State Of Environment indicator linked below. The monthly mean files are labelled sss_mm.xxx where sss is the site code and xxx is the species identifier. An example for Cape Grim for Methane would be cga_mm.ch4.

A number of readme files are also provided in the download for further information. Taken from the 2008-2009 Progress Report: Progress against objectives: Concentrations of CO2, CO, CH4, H2, and N2O, and the isotopes 13C and 18O in CO2, have been made in flask air samples collected at ~2 week intervals at Mawson, Casey, and Macquarie Island. In addition, at Macquarie Island, continuous CO2 measurements and sampling for the O2/N2 ratio and the 14C isotope of CO2 were made.

The data have been calibrated and quality controlled for incorporation into global data sets, for use in detecting spatial and temporal trends and in model inversions to infer fluxes.