In a quiet corner of western Hungary, the Hegyhátsál Atmosphere Station sits alone among open fields and scattered woodlands, its tower rising high above the trees. Few people visit this secluded site each year, but for nearly three decades, it has been quietly collecting data on greenhouse gases, offering a unique view into Europe’s changing climate.
The Hegyhátsál Atmosphere Station is located in a remote town in western Hungary. In mid-summer, the station’s primary soundscape is filled with the chirping of swallows nesting in the tower’s structure. Built by a telecommunications company Antenna Hungaria in the early 1990’s, the tower reaches up to 135 meters, with the highest monitoring level at 115 meters above the ground.
We are greeted by Dr László Haszpra, the station’s Principal Investigator, responsible for conducting the measurements and processing raw data. Haszpra established the station over 30 years ago, in 1993.