The measurements are carried out by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) and are financed by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT).

Participation in international monitoring networks
Air measurements are being conducted at the Zeppelin Station to investigate concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), halons and aerosols in the atmosphere. 

Long series of continuous measurements are important for identifying possible changes in concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and the measurements being conducted at the observatory form part of several global, regional and national monitoring networks. 

Identifying the countries in which emissions originate
The monitoring of greenhouse gases at the Zeppelin Mountain Station in 2002 revealed increasingly high concentrations of most greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For instance, concentrations of HFC-125 and HFC-134a rose about 20 per cent from 2001 to 2002. This is probably a consequence of the phasing-out of ozone-depleting CFCs controlled by the Montreal Protocol, as HFCs have been introduced as substitutes for CFCs.

The data for 2003 are only preliminary, but they indicate that the concentrations continue to grow at the same speed.

Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases
The monitoring of greenhouse gases at the Zeppelin Mountain Station in 2002 revealed increasingly high concentrations of most greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For instance, concentrations of HFC-125 and HFC-134a rose about 20 per cent from 2001 to 2002. This is probably a consequence of the phasing-out of ozone-depleting CFCs controlled by the Montreal Protocol, as HFCs have been introduced as substitutes for CFCs. 

More CO2 in the atmosphere
Even though global emissions of CFCs have been reduced considerably over the last few years, no noticeable reduction in the concentration of CFCs has been registered – on the contrary, there seems to have been a slight increase. This is probably due to the fact that these gases have very long lifetimes in the atmosphere. As for CO2, measurements show a rising trend, with an increase in concentration of 8 per cent over the last 20 years. The results from the observatory at Svalbard closely match those found at other monitoring observatories around the world. 

Measurements are important for studying the consequences of climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) expects climate change to be among the largest and most rapid of any region of the Earth. What’s more, the natural environment, fauna and flora in the Arctic are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This makes it very important to verify the effects of climate change on the Arctic, and the measurements from the Zeppelin Station play a significant role here. 

Read more about:

• Greenhouse gas monitoring at the Zeppelin station: Annual report 2002 (PDF document, 3774kB)      
• Measurements at the Zeppelin Station at Svalbard (NILU)

For enquiries, please contact:

• SFT: Adviser Marit Viktoria Pettersen, Section for Climate and Energy
  tel. +47 22 57 37 25, e-mail: marit-viktoria.pettersen@sft.no        
• NILU: Professor Frode Stordal, tel. +47 95 17 89 17