GAGE - Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment dataset, CSIRO Archive - 1981 to 1996

The CSIRO archive of the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (GAGE) datasets which were designed to determine accurately the atmospheric concentrations of the five halocarbons CFCl3, CF2Cl2, CH3CCl3, CCl4 and CCL2FCCLF2 and also of N2O & CH4 with emphasis on measurement of their long-term trends in the atmosphere. Comparison of these concentrations and trends for the five halocarbons with estimates of their industrial emission rates then enabled calculations of their global circulation rates and globally averaged atmospheric lifetimes. The GAGE project was the continuation and expansion of the ALE (Atmospheric Life Experiment) and precursor to the AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment) global observing system that has been continuously measuring the composition of the atmosphere since. This particular dataset represents measurements taken utilizing automated dual-column electron-capture gas chromatographs which sample the background air about 12 times daily at the following globally distributed sites: Adrigole, Ireland; Cape Meares, Oregon; Ragged Point, Barbados; Cape Matatula, American Samoa; and Cape Grim, Tasmania. Officially GAGE ran for the time period from 1981-1985, although data was continued to be logged until 1996 and is available in yearly files either in Ascii (.txt), Ascii decimal date(.dat) or binary file decimal date format(.dat.bin).