Regional Atmospheric Continuous CO2 Network in the Rocky Mountains
Regional Atmospheric Continuous CO2 Network in the Rocky Mountains (Rocky RACCOON): Atmospheric Carbon dioxide measurements at Entrada Field Station contribute to our understanding of global fluxes of this greenhouse gas.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that directly influences the surface temperature of the Earth, and rising CO2 is one of the primary causes for observed global warming. CO2 is produced from combustion of carbon containing fuels (such as coal and petroleum), but is also produced in very large quantities by plants and soils. Plants also remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and so biological activities by terrestrial ecosystems are important influences on atmospheric CO2. To predict what CO2 will be like in the future, we must understand the processes (biological, physical, chemical, and socioeconomic) that influence it now.
Much of what we know about atmospheric CO2 comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Monitoring Division Cooperative Air Sampling Network, which samples air in flasks from lots of locations around the world, or from long-term measurements at baseline observatories such as Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. Most of the sampling stations in theses programs are intentionally located away from major sources and sinks of CO2 (such as in the marine boundary layer or the South Pole). Now scientists are joining together to add new sampling stations over the continents, including networks of tall towers, mountaintop, and desert observatories that are closer to sources and sinks.
Since 2007, we have been making high-quality CO2 measurements at Entrada Field Station as part of a larger collaboration of scientists associated with the Regional Atmospheric Continuous CO2 Network in the Rocky Mountains (Rocky RACCOON). In addition to the Entrada Field Station on the Colorado Plateau, we are also measuring CO2 at continental mountaintop locations such as Niwot Ridge and the Storm Peak Lab at Steamboat Ski Area, both in Colorado, as well as at Snowbird Ski Area near Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Entrada Field Station monitoring is a collaborative project between Dr. Britt Stephens of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Dr. Dave Bowling of the University of Utah's Department of Biology. More information about the project, as well as photos and data, can be found at Dr. Stephen's website or by contact Dr. Dave Bowling.
