Evaluation and Optimization of ICOS Atmosphere Station Data As Part of the Labeling Process
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Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 89–116, 2021 https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-89-2021 © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Evaluation and optimization of ICOS atmosphere station data as part of the labeling process Camille Yver-Kwok1, Carole Philippon1, Peter Bergamaschi2, Tobias Biermann3, Francescopiero Calzolari4, Huilin Chen5, Sebastien Conil6, Paolo Cristofanelli4, Marc Delmotte1, Juha Hatakka7, Michal Heliasz3, Ove Hermansen8, Katerinaˇ Komínková9, Dagmar Kubistin10, Nicolas Kumps11, Olivier Laurent1, Tuomas Laurila7, Irene Lehner3, Janne Levula12, Matthias Lindauer10, Morgan Lopez1, Ivan Mammarella12, Giovanni Manca2, Per Marklund13, Jean-Marc Metzger14, Meelis Mölder15, Stephen M. Platt9, Michel Ramonet1, Leonard Rivier1, Bert Scheeren5, Mahesh Kumar Sha11, Paul Smith13, Martin Steinbacher16, Gabriela Vítková9, and Simon Wyss16 1Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE-IPSL), CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France 2European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy 3Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden 4National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Via Gobett 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy 5Centre for Isotope Research (CIO), Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen (ESRIG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands 6DRD/OPE, Andra, 55290 Bure, France 7Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland 8Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Kjeller, Norway 9Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic 10Meteorologisches Observatorium Hohenpeissenberg, Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), 82383 Hohenpeissenberg, Germany 11Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels, Belgium 12Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland 13Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umea, Sweden 14Unité Mixte de Service (UMS 3365), Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers à La Réunion (OSU-R), Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, France 15Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden 16Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology (Empa), Dübendorf, Switzerland Correspondence: Camille Yver-Kwok ([email protected]) Received: 3 June 2020 – Discussion started: 15 July 2020 Revised: 28 October 2020 – Accepted: 17 November 2020 – Published: 5 January 2021 Abstract. The Integrated Carbon Observation System ing steps, as well as the quality controls, used to verify that (ICOS) is a pan-European research infrastructure which pro- the ICOS data (CO2, CH4, CO and meteorological measure- vides harmonized and high-precision scientific data on the ments) attain the expected quality level defined within ICOS. carbon cycle and the greenhouse gas budget. All stations To ensure the quality of the greenhouse gas data, three to four have to undergo a rigorous assessment before being labeled, calibration gases and two target gases are measured: one tar- i.e., receiving approval to join the network. In this paper, get two to three times a day, the other gases twice a month. we present the labeling process for the ICOS atmosphere The data are verified on a weekly basis, and tests on the sta- network through the 23 stations that were labeled between tion sampling lines are performed twice a year. From these November 2017 and November 2019. We describe the label- high-quality data, we conclude that regular calibrations of Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 90 C. Yver-Kwok et al.: ICOS ATC labeling process the CO2, CH4 and CO analyzers used here (twice a month) work is mandatory. As a precise example, Ramonet et al. are important in particular for carbon monoxide (CO) due (2020) show that a strong drought in Europe like the one seen to the analyzer’s variability and that reducing the number of in summer 2018 produces an atmospheric signal of only 1 to calibration injections (from four to three) in a calibration se- 2 ppm. quence is possible, saving gas and extending the calibration During the preparatory phase and the demonstration ex- gas lifespan. We also show that currently, the on-site water periment, standard operating procedures for testing the in- vapor correction test does not deliver quantitative results pos- struments and measuring air in the most precise and unbi- sibly due to environmental factors. Thus the use of a drying ased way were defined. Data management plans were cre- system is strongly recommended. Finally, the mandatory reg- ated and required IT infrastructure such as databases, and ular intake line tests are shown to be useful in detecting arti- the quality control software tools were developed. In addi- facts and leaks, as shown here via three different examples at tion to the monitoring networks and the head office which the stations. is the organizational hub of the entire ICOS research infras- tructure, central facilities have been built to support the pro- duction of high-quality data. This ensures traceability, qual- ity assurance/quality control (QA/QC), instrument testing, 1 Introduction data handling and network support with the aim of stan- dardizing operations and measurement protocols. The cen- Precise greenhouse gas monitoring began in 1957 at the tral facilities are grouped as follows: the Flask and Calibra- South Pole and in 1958 at the Mauna Loa observatory (Keel- tion Laboratory (CAL-FCL, Jena, Germany) for greenhouse ing, 1960; Brown and Keeling, 1965; Pales and Keeling, gas flask and cylinder calibration (linking the ICOS data to 1965). Over these 60 years of data, CO2 levels have risen the WMO calibration scales), the Central Radiocarbon Lab- by about 100 ppm (parts per million) in the atmosphere. CO2 oratory (CAL-CRL, Heidelberg, Germany) for radiocarbon and other greenhouses gases are a major source of climate analysis, and three thematic centers for atmosphere, ecosys- forcing (IPCC, 2014), and following Mauna Loa measure- tem and oceans. ments, several monitoring networks (Prinn et al., 2018; An- The thematic centers are responsible for data processing, drews et al., 2014; Fang et al., 2014; Ramonet et al., 2010) instrument testing and developing protocols in collaboration and coordinating programs (WMO, 2014) have been devel- with station principal investigators (PIs). Regular monitor- oped over time to monitor the increasing mixing ratios in dif- ing station assembly (MSA) meetings facilitate discussions ferent parts of the world and quantify the relative roles of of technical and scientific matters. the biospheric oceanic fluxes and anthropogenic emissions. The Atmosphere Thematic Center (ATC; https://icos-atc. Initially, the goal was to measure greenhouse gases at back- lsce.ipsl.fr/, last access: 28 December 2020) is divided into ground stations to get data representative of large scales. three components: the metrology laboratory (MLab) respon- Later, more and more regional stations and networks were sible for instrument evaluation, protocol definition and PI established in order to get more information on regional to support, the data unit responsible for data processing, code local fluxes. Indeed, this is especially relevant in the context development and graphical tools for PIs, both located in Gif- of monitoring and verifying the international climate agree- sur-Yvette, France, and finally the MobileLab in Helsinki, ments (Bergamaschi et al., 2018). Finland, tasked with the audit of the stations during and after The Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) is a the labeling process. pan-European research infrastructure (https://www.icos-ri. One very important task for the ATC is ensuring that the eu, last access: 28 December 2020) which provides highly stations reach the quality objectives defined within ICOS, compatible, harmonized and high-precision scientific data on which are based on the compatibility goals of the WMO the carbon cycle and greenhouse gas budget. It consists of (WMO, 2018) and detailed in the ICOS atmosphere station three monitoring networks: atmospheric observations, flux specifications (ICOS RI, 2020a). To do so, a so-called “la- measurements within and above ecosystems, and measure- beling process” has been developed to firstly assess the rele- ments of CO2 partial pressure in seawater. Its implementation vance of a new measurement site, as well as the adequacy of included a preparatory phase (2008–2013; EU FP7 project the human and logistical resources available with the ICOS reference 211574) and a demonstration experiment until the requirements. Afterwards, an evaluation of the first months end of 2015 when ICOS officially started as a legal entity. of measurement. is carried out, verifying compliance with ICOS was first designed to serve as a backbone network to the ICOS protocols. The Carbon Portal (https://www.icos-cp. monitor fluxes away from main anthropogenic sources. The eu/, last access: 28 December 2020, Lund, Sweden), which concentration gradients between European sites are typically is responsible for the storage and dissemination of data and of only a few parts per million on seasonal timescales. These elaborated products (such as inversion results or emission small atmospheric signals