A Framework for the Datasets of CRDS CO₂ and CH₄ Stable Carbon Isotope Measurements in the Atmosphere

Accessible datasets of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations help defining long term trends on a global scale, and also provide significant information on the variability of emission sources and sinks. The integration of stable carbon isotope data of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) can significantly increase the accuracy and reliability of source apportionment efforts, due to the isotopic fractionation processes and fingerprint that characterize each mechanism. Via isotopic parameters such as δ13C, the ratio of 13C to 12C compared to an international standard, it is in fact possible to discriminate, for example, between thermogenic and microbial sources of CH4, thus ensuring a more detailed understanding of global balances. A number of stations within the Italian network of atmospheric observation sites have been equipped with Picarro G2201-i CRDS (Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometry) analyzers capable of measuring the stable carbon isotopic ratios of CO2 and CH4. The first dataset (Lamezia Terme, Calabria) resulting from these measurements was released, and a second dataset (Potenza, Basilicata) from another station was also released, relying on the same format to effectively standardize this new type of datasets. This work provides details on the data, format, and methods used to generate these products, and describes a framework for the format and processing of similar data products based on CRD spectroscopy.