The CSIRO archive of Global Atmospheric Sampling Laboratory (GASLAB) Flask Sampling Network archive for the atmospheric trace gas methane (CH4) concentrations. GASLAB principally analyzes air samples that have been captured at eleven fixed geographic sites and one moving (aircraft over bass strait and Cape Grim), but also includes other sites at various locations globally on a less regular or as needed basis. The flask air sample is analyzed for the 5 atmospheric trace gases Methane (CH4), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrogen (H2) and N2O (Nitrous Oxide). Data about the relative concentrations of these are particularly important for global warming studies as CO2 and CH4 are the two most effective anthropogenic greenhouse gases; CO and H2 influencing concentrations of the hydroxyl radical (OH), thereby affecting the main sink for atmospheric CH4. H2 is produced in a sequence of reactions following the reaction of OH with CH4. Measurements of CH4 concentrations are made through the use of 3 Carle gas chromatographs with flame ionisation detection (FID), Carle-1 (C1), Carle-2 (C2) and Carle-3 (C3). There are 6 differant types of flask that are used to store and transport air samples from site and in the labratory:(i) glass 0.5 litre ("G050"), (ii) glass 5.0 litre ("G500"), (iii) glass 0.8 litre ("G080"), (iv) electropolished stainless steel 1.6 litre "Sirocans" ("S160"), (v) glass 2.0 litre, 1 stopcock ("F", "FF", "FA", "FE", "EP", "ALT"), (vi) glass 2.0 litre, 2 stopcocks(“M1”, “S”, “P2”, “TEMP”). Files containing a single species value for each sample are denoted by a filename of the form (XXX_XXXX_event.XXX), for the geographically fixed sites data is also provided in the form of monthly means (e.g. XXX_XXXX_mm.XXX) with all files being in Ascii format.

This collection includes ice cores and associated air samples from Antarctica and Greenland. Ice cores are collected from various sites including Law Dome Antarctica. Data files are kept on depth, age, chemical composition and gas compositions of the ice cores. The ice cores samples are archived and stored at Breeze Logistics (Cold Storage), Clayton, VIC. These samples are part of a series including Australian Antarctic Division Ice Cores (Hobart)and Greenland Ice Cores (Copenhagen). The data associated with this collection can be accessed through the World Data Center(WDC) for Paleoclimatology http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/wdc/usa/paleo.html.

The CSIRO archive of the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (GAGE) datasets which were designed to determine accurately the atmospheric concentrations of the five halocarbons CFCl3, CF2Cl2, CH3CCl3, CCl4 and CCL2FCCLF2 and also of N2O & CH4 with emphasis on measurement of their long-term trends in the atmosphere. Comparison of these concentrations and trends for the five halocarbons with estimates of their industrial emission rates then enabled calculations of their global circulation rates and globally averaged atmospheric lifetimes. The GAGE project was the continuation and expansion of the ALE (Atmospheric Life Experiment) and precursor to the AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment) global observing system that has been continuously measuring the composition of the atmosphere since. This particular dataset represents measurements taken utilizing automated dual-column electron-capture gas chromatographs which sample the background air about 12 times daily at the following globally distributed sites: Adrigole, Ireland; Cape Meares, Oregon; Ragged Point, Barbados; Cape Matatula, American Samoa; and Cape Grim, Tasmania. Officially GAGE ran for the time period from 1981-1985, although data was continued to be logged until 1996 and is available in yearly files either in Ascii (.txt), Ascii decimal date(.dat) or binary file decimal date format(.dat.bin).

The CSIRO archive of the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) datasets. The AGAGE project is part of the powerful global observing system that has been continuously measuring the composition of the atmosphere at high frequency from chosen coastal sites around the world, providing accurate measurements of trace gases whose lifetimes are long compared to global atmospheric circulation times. This particular dataset represents measurements taken utilizing GC-MD (Gas Chromatograph Multiple Detector) type of instrumentation which contains Electron Capture Detectors (ECD), Flame Ionization Detector (FID) & Mercuric oxide Reduction Detector (MRD). Utilising these it is possible to accurately measure the five biogenic/anthropogenic gases (CH4,N2O,CHCl3,CO & H2) and five anthropogenic gases (CCl3F, CCl2F2, CH3CCl3, CCl2FCClF2 & CCl4). This coupled with the GC-MS dataset covers almost all of the important trace gas species in the Montreal Protocol (e.g. halocarbons such as bromocarbons, CFCs and HCFCs) to protect the ozone layer and almost all of the significant non-CO2 gases in the Kyoto Protocol (e.g. HFCs, methane, and nitrous oxide) to mitigate climate change. AGAGE is the expansion and continuation of the Atmospheric Life Experiment(ALE) 1978-1981 and the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment(GAGE) 1981-1985. Participating AGAGE stations include Cape Grim (Tasmania), Mace Head (Ireland), Ragged Point (Barbados), Cape Matatula (Samoa) & Trinidad Head (California), with urban stations at SIO (La Jolla, California) and CMAR(Aspendale, Australia). Data is available in yearly files either in Ascii (.C), Ascii decimal date(.C.Dat) or binary file format(.bin). It is also available in a processed form (Courtesy of the Georgia Institute of Technology) to include a Polluted data flag in the decimal date version only. AGAGE also collaborates with the System for Observation of Halogenated Greenhouse Gases in Europe (SOGE), through transfer of AGAGE calibrations and sharing of AGAGE technology, placing AGAGE and SOGE data on common calibration scales with comparable precisions, accuracy and measurement frequency. Soge contributing stations are Monte Simone (Italy), Jungfraujoch (Switzerland), & Ny-Alesund-zeppelin (Norway). AGAGE's network also includes Hateruma Island Japan through a co-operative agreement with the Japanese National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). The other two collaborative stations are at Shangdianzi, China and Gosan, Jeju Island, South Korea. Shangdianzi started measuring ozone-depleting trace gases and greenhouses gases in 2006, and is a part of SOGE-A project. The Gosan station, started in late 2007, is operated by Seoul National University (SNU).