Greenhouse and trace gases

For a small group of unassuming buildings nestled amongst the wide-open spaces of the Maniototo, the Lauder Atmospheric Research Station punches well above its weight.

A NIWA-led collaboration is seeing atmospheric measurements taken from Antarctica’s Ross Island added to a highly respected international climate data reference network.

NIWA researchers have helped unlock information trapped in ancient air samples from Greenland and Antarctica that shows the amount of methane humans are emitting into the atmosphere from fossil fuels has been vastly underestimated.

Daily CO2 measurements from NIWA’s atmospheric monitoring station at Baring Head.

Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher is looking to turn the internationally accepted science of monitoring greenhouse gas emissions upside down – and the rest of the world is watching closely.

Project updates

CarbonWatchNZ will address crucial carbon cycle questions in the three landscapes that are most important to New Zealand’s carbon balance: forest, grassland and urban environments.

Climate data and common terms explaining the causes and effects of climate change.

NIWA makes a range of trace gas data freely available on our FTP site.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is measured continuously at Baring Head, providing the longest running record of this type in the Southern hemisphere.

Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2 that is produced by human activities.

CFCs have damaged the ozone layer and led to higher UV levels and increased health risks. Our role is to understand the causes and effects of ozone depletion, to inform the public of the risk.