The ICOS Saclay station is located between Paris and the more rural area of Île-de-France. The area around the tower is protected and some of the trees there have been gifted to the French president by other heads of state from across the world. With over 10 million inhabitants, Paris makes a total of 12.5 percent of the human-produced greenhouse gases in France. Depending on the wind conditions, the Saclay station can measure very different variations of greenhouse gases.
The ICOS Saclay station is located between Paris and a more rural area of Île-de-France. The area around the tower is protected and some of the trees there have been gifted to the French president by other heads of state from across the world. Paris, with its 10,5 million inhabitants, makes a total of 12.5 percent of the human-produced greenhouse gases in France. Depending on the wind conditions, the Saclay station can measure very different variations of greenhouse gases.
Saclay is an important station in understanding urban emissions and further developing the network of urban ICOS stations. Also, the closeness to the ICOS Atmosphere Thematic Centre allows Saclay to test new measuring procedures. In a local scale, Saclay plays a role in tackling urban pollution. Moreover, the station can help verify international greenhouse gas limits in France, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.
ICOS Saclay station is part of the ICOS Atmosphere Network measuring the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations in Europe. At Saclay, ICOS measurements cover the most important greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO), which are all known as so-called radiative forcers leading to perturbations in the Earth’s climate.