Observation station of the greenhouse gases (Minamitorishima)
In Minamitorishima, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) observe the atmosphere density of greenhouse gases at the part of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) programme of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Please refer to "Observation stations for greenhouse gases" for the observation of the JMA in the GAW programme.
Minamitorishima (MNM)
Minamitorishima is an island located in the eastern-most territory of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean, about 2,000 km southeast of Tokyo (see Figure 1). It is an isolated island formed by a coral reef and with a coast line of about 5.5 km. Its area is about 1.4 km2. The station is located near the eastern coast of the island, which provides suitable conditions for the observation of background pollution in the atmosphere because the prevailing wind is eastward. The residents are limited to people who are involved with JMA and the Ministry of Defense; therefore, there are almost no local sources of pollution, and no significant change in the land use of the island is expected to occur during the next several decades. The above circumstances satisfy the conditions for a GAW Global Station. Table 1 lists the observation parameters and systems used at Minamitorishima Station.
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Figure 1: Location of Minamitorishima station |
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Figure 2: Bird's eye view of Minamitorishima |
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Table 1: Observation parameters, frequency and instruments at Minamitorishima |
| Parameter | Observation start | Frequency | Instruments |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO2 | Mar. 1993 | Continuous |
Non-dispersive Infrared Analyzer (NDIR)
HORIBA, Ltd. VIA510R(Mar. 1993 - Dec. 2009) LI-COR Biosciences, Inc. LI-7000(Jan. 2010 -) |
| CH4 | Jan. 1994 | Continuous |
Non-dispersive Infrared Analyzer (NDIR)
HORIBA, Ltd. GA360-S(Jan. 1994 - Dec. 2009) Gas Chromatograph with FID Round Science Inc. RCG-1(Jan. 2010 -) |
| CO | Jan. 1994 | Continuous |
Non-dispersive Infrared Analyzer (NDIR)
HORIBA, Ltd. GA360-S(Jan. 1994 - Dec. 2009) Gas Chromatograph with RGD Round Science Inc. TRA-1(Jan. 2010 -) |
| O3 | Jan. 1994 | Continuous |
UV Ozone Monitor
EBARA JITSUGYO CO.,LTD. EG-2001F(Jan. 1994 - Dec. 2006) EBARA JITSUGYO CO.,LTD. EG-2001FTP(Jan. 2007 - Dec. 2009) Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 49i(Jan. 2010 -) |
| HFCs | Apr. 2020 | Hourly |
Gas Chromatograph with MS
Agilent Technologies Inc. GCMS-5977 |
| Atmospheric deposition (Terminated in Dec. 2020) |
Jan. 1996 |
Once per
day (precipitation) month (dry deposition) |
Automatic Sampler
Ogasawara Keiki Seisakusho CO.,LTD. |
| Aerosol optical depth | Jan. 1995 | 3 times per day |
Sunphotometer
EKO INSTRUMENTS CO.,LTD. MS-110(Jan. 1995 - Mar. 2007) |
| Continuous |
Sunphotometer
PMOD/WRC Precision Filter Radiometer(Arp. 2007 - Mar. 2018) |
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Skyradiometer
PREDE POM-02(Apr. 2018 -) |
Climate
The climate of Minamitorishima belongs to the subtropical climate zone with the mean monthly temperature in a normal year (1981-2010) exceeding 20 °C throughout the year and the mean annual temperature in a normal year being 25.6 °C. The annual precipitation is about 1,050 mm with a dry season for the island in the months between February and June in a normal year. The island is located on the south side of the Pacific high all the year round, and as such has easterly prevailing winds with a mean speed of about 6 m/s.
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Figure 3: Monthly normal temperature and precipitation at Minamitorishima |
Figure 4 indicates wind rose of annual / monthly mean wind velocity at Minamitorishima in 2013. Wind direction is dominant between east-northeast and east-southeast, annual mean wind speed was 5.4 m/s.
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Figure 4: Wind rose of annual / monthly mean wind velocity at Minamitorishima in 2013 |
References
Information of another observation station for greenhouse gases
