Summary

• Coordinates: 51°25’30 N, 0°34’2.0 W
• Height: 15 m
• Base level: 45 m ASL
• Country: United Kingdom
• InGOS observations: Isotope laboratory
• Responsible partner: Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL)
• Responsible PI: Dave Lowry (d.lowry@es.rhul.ac.uk)
• Request TNA: access request page

General

The greenhouse gas laboratory at RHUL contains the isotope measurement facility. This has two systems capable of measuring carbon isotopes of methane and carbon and oxygen isotopes of CO₂ to high precsion. The facility also has a Picarro G1301 measuring CH₄ and CO₂ concentrations to high precision and accuracy, LGR EGGA instruments measuring CH₄, CO₂, CO and N2O, a Peak Performer for measurement of H₂ and CO, and a Heidelberg University 222Rn detector. Additionally the group makes vehicle-mounted mobile measurements of CH₄ and CO₂ across the UK using a Picarro G2301. The facility currently makes methane isotopic and mixing ratio measurements in the lab on samples collected at a wide range of sites arou
nd the world, from the high Arctic sites of Zeppelin and Alert, down to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. The infrastructure also provides calibration services to the London Air Quality Network of CO₂ analysers, and analytical services for the internal postgraduate Masters course on Environmental Diagnosis and Management.

Infrastructure and facilities

Access can be provided to the Greenhouse Gas laboratory for analytical and training purposes, and to the high level air-sampling inlet or the surrounding campus for sample collection. The unit of usage will be one day of access to the facilities, in particular for junior scientists, and the availability of laboratory staff to provide assistance and training.

Support offered under TNA2 falls into three main categories:
• Access to the laboratory to make mixing ratio and isotopic measurements on the users own samples.
• Access to collect samples from the site for later measurement, or for users to set up their own equipment and make direct measurements.
• Access for a comparative study of new isotopic techniques with the well-established high precision methodology used at RHUL, particularly during the large diurnal variations sometimes experienced on site.

Our site is an excellent base for urban emissions monitoring. We are 10 km SW of one of the busiest airports in the world, Heathrow, and 3 km WSW of one ofthe busiest roads in Europe, the 10-lane stretch of the M25 motorway. Both are significant sourcesof emissions to atmosphere. In addition the centre of the city of London is only 32 km to the ENE.The university has hotel facilities within 200 m of our laboratory.