UK greenhouse gas monitoring and verification

Atmospheric Monitoring & Verification of the UK’s GHG Inventory

DECC has a programme of atmospheric monitoring of trace gases at Mace Head in the Republic of Ireland, which has been running since 1987. These data are monitored and interpreted on behalf of DECC by the University of Bristol and the Met Office, respectively.

The atmospheric observations derive baseline concentrations and emission estimates for the UK, which are used to help verify the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, as well as feeding into other research programmes, such as NitroEurope and global networks, such as Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE).

The Mace Head site is well positioned to contrast air entering Europe from the Atlantic with emissions leaving Europe towards the Atlantic, thus enabling the Met Office to determine emissions estimates for the UK. 

In 2011, DECC established an expanded programme of atmospheric observations that will deliver increased spatial and temporal resolution in the emissions estimates. This will be achieved through the establishment and adoption of three new observation sites based in: Angus (Scotland), Ridge Hill (Herefordshire) and Tacolneston (Norfolk). Data from these sites will be made public as they are available. 

Further information on DECC’s atmospheric observations network, including project reports, is available on the Met Office: Atmospheric Trends website.

Further information on how this data is used to support verification of the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory is available in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory report.

The Mace Head data are publicly available at The World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG) and Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre (CDIAC) following expert peer review.

The final project report from the University of Bristol and the Met Office is here:

• Long-term atmospheric measurements and interpretation of radiatively active trace gases and ozone depleting substances: final report – Part 1 (University of Bristol & Met Office, 2011)
• Long-term atmospheric measurements and interpretation of radiatively active trace gases and ozone depleting substances: final report – Part 2 (University of Bristol & Met Office, 2011)
• Long-term atmospheric measurements and interpretation of radiatively active trace gases and ozone depleting substances: final report – Part 3 (University of Bristol & Met Office, 2011) 

Further information

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