The Dole-Morita effect (DME) describes the d¹⁸O enrichment of atmospheric O₂ with respect to ocean water [Dole 1935, Morita 1935]. The magnitude of the DME (23.8 ± 0.1‰ at present, Horibe et al. [1973]) varies over geologic time scales, and might have changed as a result of human activity. Such variations are preserved in the air enclosed in polar firn and ice. Here, we explore the potential effects of human activity on the DME. We estimate that global changes in the land biosphere may have led to a decrease in the DME in the order of 0.07‰ over the last 150 years. We then predict profiles of d¹⁸O-O₂ in firn air resulting from a range of atmospheric scenarios using a model [Severinghaus and Battle, submitted] and compare the simulated profiles to measurements of air samples extracted from polar firn.

The measurement results of CO₂ average concentration obtained in the atmospheric column at the Issyk-Kul station (IK) (42.6⁰N, 77.0⁰E, 1650 m a.s.l.) in 1980-2004. A comparison was made with the MBL data (for the IK latitude) presenting mean zonal CO₂ concentrations reduced to the sea level and with the measurement results of CO₂ concentrations obtained at KZD (44.45⁰N, 77.57⁰E, 412 m a.s.l) and KZM (43.25⁰N, 77.88⁰E, 2519 m) sites. The IK station is about 100 km distant from KZM and 220 km distant from KZD.

To know regional-to-continental scale CO₂ fluxes between atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere using an inverse model, the CO₂ measurements on plural towers situated in a thousand square kilometer area of West Siberia have been carried out since 2002. The CO₂ concentrations at 80m of the tower during daytime afternoon well represents those of PBL with its difference in ±3 ppm, and 90% of them in ±2 ppm, in clear sky day, when no strong inversion is occurred in winter. The tower observation expands to five sites to date, and additional four sites will be established in a year.

Existing instruments for measuring atmospheric profiles of carbon dioxide can be very sensitive, but are all large and bulky and must be flown using aircraft or large, research gondolas.  This work reports on the development of a stand-alone, lightweight CO₂ sensor for use on balloon sondes.  This device will have sub part-per-million (ppm) sensitivity and weigh less than 1 kg.

Measurements of concurrent changes in both the atmospheric O₂ and CO₂ mixing ratios have been proven to be useful independent information for the partitioning of anthropogenic CO₂ into its different sinks [e.g. Keeling et al., 1996]. This information is used along with the “classical” partitioning models that make use of CO₂ concentration and (radioactive as well as stable) isotopic composition information [e.g. Keeling et al., 1995]. Global carbon budget reconstruction needs long time series observations of global means. Downscaling to a more regional assessment introduces a closer relation to possible annual and regional variations in prescribed oxidative ratios of biospheric and combustion processes. With the goal of improving the knowledge on the temporal and local variability of the O₂/ CO₂ signal, we present the results of the analysis on an extended data set from the remote station of Lutjewad (The Netherlands) and compare them with the findings of different other sampling stations in Europe, starting from 2001 till present.

Atmospheric Observing Systems, Inc. has developed a new Airborne Analyzer System for autonomous observations of dry mole fraction of Carbon Dioxide from light aircraft. AOS presents an archive of more than 100 vertical profiles to prove its performance. The observed site was Ameriflux (40.734N, 104.301W) in northern Colorado.

We are establishing a continuous CO₂ observing network in the Rocky Mountains, building on technological and modeling advances made during the Carbon in the Mountains Experiment (CME), to improve our understanding of regional carbon fluxes and to fill key gaps in the North American Carbon Program (NACP). We will present a description of the Rocky RACCOON network and early results from the first three sites.

We will present our design of a new autonomous, inexpensive, and robust CO₂ analyzer (AIRCOA), a description of our quality control procedures, and data examples from ongoing deployments.  Our current AIRCOA units require less than $10K (USD) in components, show intercomparability better than 0.1 ppm during laboratory tests, and are designed to run autonomously for months at a time.