The ICOS Central Analytical Laboratories (CALs) play a central role in assuring the accuracy of atmospheric observations within ICOS. This involves the central provision of reference gases to the ICOS atmospheric network and calibrating these standards based on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) calibration scales. A quality control strategy for the ICOS atmospheric measurements has been described within the Atmospheric Station Specification document [ATC 2020]. In this report the quality control measures are described that are made by the ICOS-CAL Flask and Calibration Laboratory (FCL) to characterize the performance of their calibration of ICOS reference gases. It updates and replaces the QC 2023 report following the same assessment scheme with only minor changes and some few corrections. The results of these activities of the recent years are presented in detail for each of the ICOS core components for in-situ observations (CO2, CH4, CO) and N2O. The results are then assessed and used to substantiate estimates of the measurement uncertainties of the different tracers and to quantify different uncertainty contributions. This involves an evaluation of the uncertainty of the reference values of calibration standard gases ("scale link uncertainty") and the measurement uncertainty related to the respective analyzer’s precision or response stability over time. For CO2 and CH4, the first analyzer named Picarro2 replaced Picarro1 in February 2024 (refer to section 2 and Annex I), thus the two different uncertainty terms values.
@article{https://doi.org/10.18160/v2ns-9wxh,
doi = {10.18160/V2NS-9WXH},
url = {https://meta.icos-cp.eu/objects/JHg2gKn0ffLv83qdLx4BkE5r},
author = {Jordan, Armin and Damak, Fadwa},
keywords = {Quality Control, Calibration, Measurement uncertainty, Greenhouse Gases},
title = {ICOS CAL - Quality Control Report 2024},
publisher = {ICOS CAL},
year = {2025},
copyright = {Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International}
}
TY - RPRT
T1 - ICOS CAL - Quality Control Report 2024
AU - Jordan, Armin
AU - Damak, Fadwa
DO - 10.18160/V2NS-9WXH
UR - https://meta.icos-cp.eu/objects/JHg2gKn0ffLv83qdLx4BkE5r
AB - The ICOS Central Analytical Laboratories (CALs) play a central role in assuring the accuracy of atmospheric
observations within ICOS. This involves the central provision of reference gases to the ICOS atmospheric
network and calibrating these standards based on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) calibration
scales. A quality control strategy for the ICOS atmospheric measurements has been described within the
Atmospheric Station Specification document [ATC 2020].
In this report the quality control measures are described that are made by the ICOS-CAL Flask and Calibration
Laboratory (FCL) to characterize the performance of their calibration of ICOS reference gases. It updates and
replaces the QC 2023 report following the same assessment scheme with only minor changes and some few
corrections. The results of these activities of the recent years are presented in detail for each of the ICOS core
components for in-situ observations (CO2, CH4, CO) and N2O. The results are then assessed and used to
substantiate estimates of the measurement uncertainties of the different tracers and to quantify different
uncertainty contributions. This involves an evaluation of the uncertainty of the reference values of calibration
standard gases ("scale link uncertainty") and the measurement uncertainty related to the respective analyzer’s
precision or response stability over time. For CO2 and CH4, the first analyzer named Picarro2 replaced Picarro1
in February 2024 (refer to section 2 and Annex I), thus the two different uncertainty terms values.
KW - Quality Control
KW - Calibration
KW - Measurement uncertainty
KW - Greenhouse Gases
PY - 2025
PB - ICOS CAL
ER -