Giovanni Manca, Peter Bergamaschi, Ignacio Goded, Carsten Gruening
100 m tower with platforms every 20 m; equipped with elevator; excellent infrastructure with station building (approx. 270 m2) including dedicated GHG laboratory (30 m2) , Radon laboratory (10 m2) and the remaining space used for air quality monitoring activities and infrastructure.
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Energy, Transport and Climate.
Easy accessible via paved road (within JRC premises).
http://abc-is.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Direct internet connection via the JRC Ispra site network.
The station is located within the premises of the Joint Research Centre Ispra, at the border of the village of Ispra (5300 inhabitants). Smaller cities in the surroundings (<15 km) are Arona (14000 inhabitants, 8 km SW of the station), Stresa (5000 inhabitants, 11 km NW), Verbania (31000 inhabitants, 15 km NNW), Sesto Calende (11000 inhabitants, 9 km S). Larger cities in the further surroundings (~15-100 km) are Locarno (16000 inhabitants, 41 km NNE of the station), Bellinzona (42000 inhabitants, 53 km NE), Lugano (64000 inhabitants, 33 km NE), Varese (81000 inhabitants, 17 km E), Como (84000 inhabitants, 36 km E), Bergamo (119000 inhabitants, 83 km E), Gallarate (53000 inhabitants, 22 km SE), Busto Arsizio (83000 inhabitants, 28 km SE), Legnano (60000 inhabitants, 33 km SE), Monza (123000 inhabitants, 55 km SE), Milano (1346000 inhabitants, 59 km SE), Pavia (73000 inhabitants, 81 km SE), Vigevano (63000 inhabitants, 57 km SSE), Novara (104000 inhabitants, 40 km S), Vercelli (47000 inhabitants, 55 km SSW), Alessandria (94000 inhabitants, 99 km S), Biella (45000 inhabitants, 51 km SW, Torino (890000 inhabitants, 109 km SW).
There are two cement factories: (1) COLACEM S.P.A., Caravate, reported CO2 emissions (E-PRTR): 544 kt CO2/yr (2014); 8.4 km NNE of the station; HOLCIM SPA, Comabbio, reported CO2 emissions (E-PRTR): 584 kt CO2/yr (2014); 5.1 km SE of the station.
Close to the stations there are some agricultural activities (horses, cows), which can impact the CH4 measurements at the station in case of stagnant weather conditions (with wind speeds < ~1 m/s). The CH4 measurements at the station (since 12/2016) and simultaneous measurements at ~1km distance showed that these events can be filtered out (poster presented at ICOS MSA Lund, 14-16 March 2017).
Via E. Fermi, 2749
I-21027 Ispra (VA)
Italy
The station / tower is located at Ispra, at the South-Eastern border of Lake Maggiore in a semi-rural area at the North-Western edge of the Po Valley. Ispra is at a distance of 60-100 km from the main mountain crests of the alpine arc bordering Lake Maggiore (Plateau Rosa ~60 km west northwest (WNW) of the station). The nearer surrounding region (~30 km radius) is characterized by several mountains of up to ~2200 m altitude west and north of the station, while toward south the landscape merges into the Po valley.
EMEP, GAW, ACTRIS, InGOS (2011-2015; GHG measurements at 15 m mast located approx. 900 m SSW).