Dataset for evaluating N2O analyzers for urban monitoring: evidence for underestimated emissions
Data files
Jul 03, 2026 version files 75.90 MB
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Aeris_MIRA_Ultra_1_hour_data_FBF_and_Rutgers.csv
2.04 MB
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Aerodyne_QCLS_1_hour_data_CUNY.csv
3.36 MB
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Aerodyne_QCLS_5_minute_data_CUNY.csv
13.36 MB
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allan_variance.csv
1.04 MB
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calibration_data.csv
64.14 KB
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humidity_test.csv
1.08 MB
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README.md
11.98 KB
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TEEMS_drive.csv
736.86 KB
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Tower_comparison_1_second.csv
54.19 MB
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Wards_Island_drive.csv
6.75 KB
Abstract
Nitrous oxide (N2O) accounts for 6% of anthropogenic global warming to date. Urban areas represent only 42% of anthropogenic N2O emissions and research focuses on agriculture, the largest anthropogenic source. We tested threeN2O analyzers for their suitability to urban tower and mobile measurements. All three analyzers (the Aerodyne SuperDUAL, Aeris MIRA Ultra, and LI-COR LI-7820) have sufficient precision for urban measurements but require different amounts of calibration and attention for best results. Using these analyzers, we found tower-level enhancements at least 3 times larger than predicted from the best available inventory for the NYC region. Co-measurement of carbon monoxide (available on all but the LI-7820) enabled us to distinguish combustion-related enhancements from biogenic enhancements and conclude that combustion accounts for a smaller fraction of emissions than predicted in the inventory. Mobile driving confirmed that wastewater treatment is the most likely source for the discrepancy between tower-level measurements and inventories.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.n5tb2rcbd
Files and variables
File: calibration_data.csv
Description: Raw values for each analyzer during the calibration tank runs for the month of side by side tower measurements.
Variables
- UTC_time: Time in UTC
- N2O_qcls: Mean nitrous oxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS during the last 60 seconds of the calibration, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_qcls: Mean carbon monoxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS during the last 60 seconds of the calibration, in parts per billion by volume
- N2O_aeris: Mean nitrous oxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra during the last 60 seconds of the calibration, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_aeris: Mean carbon monoxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra during the last 60 seconds of the calibration, in parts per billion by volume
- N2O_licor: Mean nitrous oxide measurement from the LI-COR LI-7820 during the last 60 seconds of the calibration, in parts per billion by volume
- valid_qcls: Flag denoting whether the calibration was determined to be valid for the Aerodyne QCLS
- valid_aeris: Flag denoting whether the calibration was determined to be valid for the Aeris MIRA Ultra
- valid_licor: Flag denoting whether the calibration was determined to be valid for the LI-COR LI-7820
- tank_N2O: Nitrous oxide mole fraction in the tank calibrated to the NOAA-2006A scale
- tank_CO: Carbon monoxide mole fraction in the tank calibrated to the WMO-X2014A scale
- tank_type: Flag for whether this is a high span (HS), low span (LS), or compressed air (CA) tank
File: allan_variance.csv
Description: Raw values for each analyzer during the Allan-Werle variance test
Variables
- time_qcls: Time since start of the Allan-Werle variance test as reported on the Aerodyne QCLS, in seconds
- N2O_qcls: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_qcls: Raw carbon monoxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in parts per billion by volume
- time_aeris: Time since start of the Allan-Werle variance test as reported on the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in seconds
- N2O_aeris: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_aeris: Raw carbon monoxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume
- time_licor: Time since start of the Allan-Werle variance test as reported on the LI-COR LI-7820, in seconds
- N2O_licor: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the LI-COR LI-7820, in parts per billion by volume
File: humidity_test.csv
Description: Raw values for the analyzer while sampling the same compressed air tank and varying the humidity. The results for the Aerodyne QCLS presented here come from a separate test performed after re-doing the etalon fit.
Variables
- N2O_qcls: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_qcls: Raw carbon monoxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_qcls: Raw water vapor measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in percent
- N2O_aeris: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_aeris: Raw carbon monoxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_aeris: Raw water vapor measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in percent
- N2O_licor: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the LI-COR LI-7820, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_licor: Raw water vapor measurement from the LI-COR LI-7820, in percent
File: Aerodyne_QCLS_1_hour_data_CUNY.csv
Description: Hourly mean data from the Aerodyne QCLS from the deployment at City University of New York (40.8153, -73.9503, 56 m AGL) starting on 2024-07-25.
Variables
- UTC_time: Time in UTC. All data presented are for the hour ending at the listed time
- N2O_ppbv: Mean calibrated nitrous oxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- N2O_sd: Standard deviation of the calibrated nitrous oxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_ppbv: Mean calibrated carbon monoxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_sd: Standard deviation of the calibrated carbon monoxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_pct: Mean water vapor measurement, in percent
- N2O.CO.slope: Slope for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements, in ppbv N2O per ppbv CO
- N2O.CO.intercept: Intercept for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements, in ppbv N2OCO
- N2O.CO.r2: R^2 for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements
- n: Number of 1-Hz measurements included in this hourly period
- EDGAR_convolved_HRRR-STILT: Predicted N2O enhancement, in ppbv, from the convolution of EDGARv2024 with a HRRR-STILT footprint initialized at the stated time
- EDGAR_convolved_NAM3-STILT: Predicted N2O enhancement, in ppbv, from the convolution of EDGARv2024 with a NAM3-STILT footprint initialized at the stated time
- N2O_Background_0.05: N2O background calculated using the 5th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.10: N2O background calculated using the 10th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.15: N2O background calculated using the 15th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.20: N2O background calculated using the 20th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.25: N2O background calculated using the 25th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.30: N2O background calculated using the 30th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.35: N2O background calculated using the 35th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.40: N2O background calculated using the 40th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.30_High: High estimate of the N2O background (used for uncertainty only) calculated using the 30th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.30_Low: Low estimate of the N2O background (used for uncertainty only) calculated using the 30th percentile
File: Aeris_MIRA_Ultra_1_hour_data_FBF_and_Rutgers.csv
Description: Hourly mean data from the Aeris MIRA Ultra from the deployments at Rutgers (40.4623,-74.4293, 20 m AGL) from 2024-05-13 to 2024-09-30 and Floyd Bennett Field (FBF; 40.5818,-73.8887, 4 m AGL) from 2025-06-24 to 2026-01-08.
Variables
- UTC_time: Time in UTC. All data presented are for the hour ending at the listed time
- N2O_ppbv: Mean calibrated nitrous oxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- N2O_sd: Standard deviation of the calibrated nitrous oxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_ppbv: Mean calibrated carbon monoxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_sd: Standard deviation of the calibrated carbon monoxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_pct: Mean water vapor measurement, in percent
- N2O.CO.slope: Slope for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements, in ppbv N2O per ppbv CO
- N2O.CO.intercept: Intercept for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements, in ppbv N2O
- N2O.CO.r2: R^2 for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements
- n: Number of 1-Hz measurements included in this hourly period
- site: Location of the Aeris MIRA Ultra for the measurements, either Rutgers or Floyd Bennett Field (FBF)
- EDGAR_convolved_HRRR-STILT: Predicted N2O enhancement, in ppbv, from the convolution of EDGARv2024 with a HRRR-STILT footprint initialized at the stated time
- EDGAR_convolved_NAM3-STILT: Predicted N2O enhancement, in ppbv, from the convolution of EDGARv2024 with a NAM3-STILT footprint initialized at the stated time
- N2O_Background_0.05: N2O background calculated using the 5th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.10: N2O background calculated using the 10th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.15: N2O background calculated using the 15th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.20: N2O background calculated using the 20th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.25: N2O background calculated using the 25th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.30: N2O background calculated using the 30th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.35: N2O background calculated using the 35th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.40: N2O background calculated using the 40th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.30_High: High estimate of the N2O background (used for uncertainty only) calculated using the 30th percentile
- N2O_Background_0.30_Low: Low estimate of the N2O background (used for uncertainty only) calculated using the 30th percentile
File: Aerodyne_QCLS_5_minute_data_CUNY.csv
Description: 5 minute mean data from the Aerodyne QCLS from the deployment at City University of New York (CUNY; 40.8153, -73.9503, 56 m AGL) starting on 2024-07-25.
Variables
- UTC_time: Time in UTC. All data presented are for the 5 minute period ending at the listed time
- N2O_ppbv: Mean calibrated nitrous oxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- N2O_sd: Standard deviation of the calibrated nitrous oxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_ppbv: Mean calibrated carbon monoxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_sd: Standard deviation of the calibrated carbon monoxide measurement, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_pct: Mean water vapor measurement, in percent
- N2O.CO.slope: Slope for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements, in ppbv N2O per ppbv CO
- N2O.CO.intercept: Intercept for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements, in ppbv N2O
- N2O.CO.r2: R^2 for the OLS best fit between the calibrated nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide measurements
- n: Number of 1-Hz measurements included in this 5 minute period
File: Wards_Island_drive.csv
Description: Data from the mobile deployment of the Aeris MIRA Ultra around Wards Island on Jan 30, 2024.
Variables
- Latitude: Latitude (decimal degrees) at the time of measurement
- Longitude: Longitude (decimal degrees) at the time of measurement
- N2O_aeris: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume, corrected for time lag between inlet and analyzer
File: TEEMS_drive.csv
Description: Data from the TEEMS deployment targeting N2O emissions from traffic on the Upper West Side of NYC on June 6, 2025.
Variables
- Latitude: Latitude (decimal degrees) at the time of measurement
- Longitude: Longitude (decimal degrees) at the time of measurement
- N2O_aeris: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume, corrected for time lag between inlet and analyzer
- N2O_licor: Raw nitrous oxide measurement from the LI-COR LI-7820, in parts per billion by volume, corrected for time lag between inlet and analyzer
File: Tower_comparison_1_second.csv
Description: Calibrated data from all three analyzers for the three week period when they were deployed side by side at CUNY.
Variables
- N2O_qcls: Calibrated nitrous oxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_qcls: Calibrated carbon monoxide measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_qcls: Water vapor measurement from the Aerodyne QCLS, in percent
- N2O_aeris: Calibrated nitrous oxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume
- CO_aeris: Calibrated carbon monoxide measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_aeris: Water vapor measurement from the Aeris MIRA Ultra, in percent
- N2O_licor: Calibrated nitrous oxide measurement from the LI-COR LI-7820, in parts per billion by volume
- H2O_licor: Water vapor measurement from the LI-COR LI-7820, in percent
Code/software
All files are .csv format and can be opened with any spreadsheet software or coding language.