This version 24.09 dataset consists of atmospheric trace gas observations made as part of the UK Deriving Emissions linked to Climate Change (DECC) Network. It includes core DECC Network measurements, funded by the UK Government Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (TRN: 5488/11/2021) and through the National Measurement System at the National Physical Laboratory, supplemented by observations funded through other associated projects.
The core DECC network consists of five sites in the UK and Ireland measuring greenhouse and ozone-depleting gases. The four UK-based sites (Ridge Hill, Herefordshire; Tacolneston, Norfolk; Bilsdale, North Yorkshire; and Heathfield, East Sussex) sample air from elevated inlets on tall telecommunications towers. Mace Head, situated on the west coast of Ireland, samples from an inlet 10 metres above ground level and is ideally situated to intercept baseline air from the North Atlantic Ocean. The measurement site at Weybourne, Norfolk, funded by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) and operated by the University of East Anglia, is also affiliated with the network. Mace Head and Weybourne data are archived separately - see links in documentation. Data from the UK DECC network are used to assess atmospheric trends and quantify UK emissions, and feed into other international research programs, including the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) and Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) networks.