The Consortium
The consortium brings together the leading European NMIs in the fields of isotope measurements.
PTB will coordinate the project and lead WP1 and WP5. PTB brings in infrastructure to measure the δ13C composition of CH4 and expertise in applying OIRS instruments to atmospheric research including engineering research e.g., gas handling and calibration. PTB has metrological expertise in IR-spectrometric gas metrology as well as experience with calibration chains and strategies to avoid fractionation effects. Further, PTB brings in expertise with interpreting FTIR-based spectral data to support WP2.
ENEA has experience in gas (specially radon and thoron) metrology and in techniques used to measure under standard condition radioactive gas concentration. It also holds a new CO2 cryogenic separator built in collaboration with the AIR Liquide company. ENEA will participate in WP1 on the state of art in traceability of reference materials for isotopes ratio measurements of CO2, it will also participate in WP2 by leading the activity in characterizing performance of the instrumental setups and procedures for CO2 preconcentration. Finally, it will contribute to the dissemination of the outputs of the project (WP4).
INRiM has experience in the gas metrology field and maintains capabilities and facilities for the realisation of gaseous certified reference materials (CRMs) by primary methods. It also holds instrumentation (NDIR, FTIR, CRDS) devoted to CO2 amount fraction and isotopic composition determination. INRiM will participate in the development of primary reference mixtures for assuring traceable measurements of δ13C-CO2 (WP1); it will participate in the activities for the improvement of CRDS- based methodologies for the determination of δ13C-CO2 (WP2); finally, it will participate in the dissemination of the outputs of the projects (WP4).
VSL will bring together particular experience in gravimetric preparation of high accuracy gas reference materials and in laser spectroscopy. VSL will focus on the development of CH4 reference materials within this project.
VTT has vast experience in developing field-deployable gas sensing instruments based on laser spectroscopy and practical experience in Δ14CO2 in-situ monitoring at NPP. VTT will use their expertise and connections with the industry to advance the work in WP2.
NPL has experience in preparation of gas reference materials and atmospheric monitoring of greenhouse gases. They have expertise in preparation of multi-component reference materials with amount fractions relevant to atmospheric composition. They have also been involved in establishing the traceability and uncertainty in reference materials, including quantification of fractionation effects in the isotopic composition. NPL maintains a WMO-GAW regional atmospheric monitoring station where continuous measurements are made of the abundance of the major greenhouse gases for emissions monitoring applications. Isotope ratio measurements of CH4 are also made at this site. This broad expertise in reference material preparation and instrument field deployment will be used in leadership of WP1 and WP3.
TUBITAK will lend their experience on isotopic gas measurements. Their measurements using existing IRMS facilities will support the work on isotope composition of CH4 in WP1.
External beneficiaries
The Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) is a leading Norwegian independent non-profit research institute focused on energy research and environmental technologies. The IFE Geochemistry Laboratory specializes in stable isotope analysis of gases like CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O, utilizing advanced instruments, some funded by ECCSEL ERIC. IFE collaborates in the project with The Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) with the ICOS Birkenes station.
UHEI will contribute to WP1, WP2 and WP3. UHEI has expertise in characterization and running in-situ ORIS analyser for δ13 CH4 and δ13CO2 as well as N2O isotopes. Long term experiences of continuous δ13CH4 measurements at Heidelberg station can help to develop and improve measurement protocols. UHEI is hosting the Central Radiocarbon Laboratory (CRL) of the European Research Infrastructure ICOS. ICOS-CRL will provide 14CO2 analysis on the set of reference materials in WP1 and comparison measurements to the in-situ 14CO2 analysis in WP3.
TUBS has large experience in airborne operations and meteorological measurements in the field. It will contribute to investigating the uncertainty of the measurements resulting from atmospheric properties (variability of wind field, temperature inversion, changes in ambient operating conditions) in WP1, and field measurements to bring newly developed or characterized sensors into field applications in WP3.
CEA notably through the ICOS Atmosphere Thematic Centre (ATC) has more than 10 years of expertise in atmospheric in situ measurements of GHGs and stable isotopes. It operates the ATC metrology lab that is involved in developing protocols and thorough testing of OIRS instruments to evaluate their performances and the uncertainties associated of their measurements. The ATC also hosts the ICOS database for atmospheric GHG measurements with its dedicated system of quality control. CEA will support work mostly in WP2 and WP3.
TUW Institute for Physical Chemistry of the Atmosphere at the Technische Universität Wien studies bioaerosol ice nucleation, the aging and atmospheric transformation of urban gas emissions. The institute analyzes atmospheric processes using advanced techniques such as FTIR, Raman, fluorescence microscopy, and mass spectrometry. Together with Empa, TUW will support in WP1 by matrix-isolation FTIR spectroscopy to develop an alternative route of N₂O isotope ratio analysis.
UU is specialised in measurements of the isotopic composition of atmospheric constituents. It operates a large isotope laboratory with multiple analytical systems for all of the species covered in MetHIR and also provides isotope measurements to the community. The UU group has been involved in a large number of intercalibration and intercomparison exercises and currently leads a CH4 isotope intercomparison between leading labs worldwide. The group operates two mobile IRMS systems for the isotopic composition of CH4 that can run autonomously at field stations and will be used in the project for i) characterisation of reference materials, ii) intercomparison with OIRS instruments iii) deployment at measurement stations. The group will also contribute to identification, sampling and analysis of under-represented sources. The high resolution IRMS 253 Ultra is available for measuring clumped isotopes in CH4. UU has a large database of atmospheric δ13C and δ2H measurements that will be provided to the European database established in this project. UU will support work in WP2 and WP3.
RUG is the Centre for Isotope Research (CIO) at the University of Groningen. Besides carbon cycle research, the group is active in the production of stable isotope reference materials, and in characterisation and improvement of instrumentation. It has been operating the ICOS-certified atmospheric monitoring station Lutjewad on the Dutch Wadden Sea coast since 2001, producing continuous measurements on greenhouse gas concentrations and related tracers (such as the isotopes of carbon dioxide). The group owns several IRMS instruments and preparation systems, such as a line for complete extraction of atmospheric carbon dioxide which will be essential in validating the reference materials in WP1. The group also owns a state-of-the-art commercial laser-optical instrument for carbon dioxide isotope analysis in air that will play a key role in WP2&3.
