Total Carbon Column Observing Network

Total Carbon Column Observing Network

Caltech Lamont Park Falls
Abbreviation	TCCON
Formation	26 May 2004 (2004-05-26)
Type	International collaborative network
Products	column GHG measurements
Methods	near-IR solar spectroscopy
Chair	Debra Wunch (2020-23)
Co-chair (Europe / Africa)	Thorsten Warneke (2020-23)
Co-chair (W. Pacific / Asia)	Nicholas Deutscher (2020-23)

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The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a global network of Fourier transform instruments that measure the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and other trace gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The TCCON (/ˈtiːkɒn/ TEE-kon) began in 2004 with the installation of the first instrument in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA, and has since grown to 30 sites as of July 2023.

The TCCON is designed to investigate several things, including the flow (or flux) of carbon between the atmosphere, land, and ocean (the so-called carbon budget or carbon cycle). This is achieved by measuring the atmospheric mass of carbon (the airborne fraction). The TCCON measurements have improved the scientific community's understanding of the carbon cycle, and urban greenhouse gas emissions.

The TCCON supports several satellite instruments by providing an independent measurement to compare (or validate) the satellite measurements of the atmosphere over the TCCON site locations. The TCCON provides the primary measurement validation dataset for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) mission, and has been used to validate other space-based measurements of carbon dioxide.

Cartoon oversimplification of column gas measurements by TCCON & satellite. O₂ & the gas of interest are measured & ratioed for a column averaged amount.