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Data Science

Analysing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: From Field Data to Insights

Analysing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: From Field Data to Insights

Greenhouse gas (GHG) flux measurements are notoriously noisy. Sensors drift, weather disrupts sampling, and the relationship between soil conditions and gas emissions is non-linear. This post walks through the analytical approach used in environmental GHG research projects, using data from the EucFACE experiment as a reference.

What Are We Measuring?

The primary gases of interest in soil flux studies are:

  • CO₂ — produced by microbial respiration and root activity
  • CH₄ — consumed or produced by methanotrophic/methanogenic bacteria
  • N₂O — produced during nitrification and denitrification

Fluxes are typically measured in µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ (CO₂) or nmol m⁻² s⁻¹ (CH₄, N₂O).