Unique sensor network for measuring greenhouse gases

Munich is home to the world's first fully automated sensor network for measuring urban greenhouse gas emissions based on ground-based remote sensing of the atmosphere. Now, anyone can view the measurement data via an Internet platfor

The sensor network MUCCnet (Munich Urban Carbon Column network) consists of five high-precision optical instruments that analyze the sun's light spectra. They measure the concentration of the gases carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO). Since each gas has its own unique spectral "fingerprint," concentrations of these gases can be determined in the columns of air between the instruments and the sun.

"By measuring a vertical column of the atmosphere, local disturbances, such as the disproportionate influence of neighboring stacks, can be removed. Therefore, this type of greenhouse gas balancing is considered particularly robust and accurate," says Prof. Jia Chen.

Under the Paris Climate Agreement, atmospheric measurements are not required to meet emissions targets. "Instead, the emissions numbers we hear in the news are based on calculations," explains Prof. Chen.

Among other things, this makes it impossible to detect so far unknown sources -- such as leaks in gas pipelines. Therefore, Prof. Jia Chen's team and project leader Florian Dietrich created MUCCnet to measure emissions with high precision, which can reduce inaccuracies in calculations.