Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station
Item
Format
JPEG
Title
Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station
Identifier
VHG0096
Depiction
Picture 1: A dilapidated looking stone building with some of the roof missing
Picture 2: A new looking cottage, painted white, with an electricity pole at the front, in a coastal area with mountains in the background
Picture 3: A new looking one storey building located with a rocky terrain frontage and with water in the background
Picture 4: Two buildings with a tower in between and with the sea and an island in the background
Description
Tom O’ Connor was instrumental in establishing a site on the west coast of Ireland for examining properties of the air. His account of that is described (F. Imbusch, J. Conroy, Asset Id 13591), (F.Imbusch, Asset Id 14679).
Tom O'Connor and colleague Aodhagán Ó Rodaighe organised the Ninth International Conference on Atmospheric Aerosols, Condensation and Ice Nuclei in UCG in Sept., 1977.
The Mace Head Management Committee was set up with members: Tom O’Connor, (Chair), Aodhagán Ó Rodaighe and S. Gerard Jennings (Secretary) which led to the refurbishment of the cottage by the University in 1985.
In 1988, construction of the first shore laboratory took place along with a 23m high sampling tower. Enlargement of the cottage laboratory and construction of a second laboratory near the shore took place in 1990.
Mace Head has been host to several major international campaign based projects including the following up to and including 1995:
GAGE [1987 – 1995] Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment
AEROCE [1988 – 1994] Air Ocean Chemistry Experiment
NOAA [1991 - GHG Flask sampling programme
LSCE-CEA [1992 - CO2, radon continuous programme
BMCAPE [1993 – 1994] Background Maritime Contribution to Atmospheric Pollution in Europe
AGAGE [1995 - Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment
Mace Head has achieved International Organisational Status as:
- A WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Station since 1994 – GAW’s remit includes long-term trends of aerosols and greenhouse gases
- A European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) designated supersite – a research based Level-3 site (including campaigns)
- One of 5 global sites studying the lifetimes of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases in the atmosphere as part of the Advanced Global Gases Experiment (AGAGE)
- Continuous Carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements in collaboration with CNRS, France since 1994.
Mace Head has become a centre for international collaborations involving scientists from around the world who have participated in intensive long-term measurement campaigns, shorter term projects and international workshops. The research work performed at Mace Head has been documented widely in the international scientific literature. Data from Mace Head is used by climatologists around the world to predict global climate change, is central to several international research networks, and is a baseline station for the Global Atmosphere Watch of the World Meteorological Organization.
Tom O'Connor and colleague Aodhagán Ó Rodaighe organised the Ninth International Conference on Atmospheric Aerosols, Condensation and Ice Nuclei in UCG in Sept., 1977.
The Mace Head Management Committee was set up with members: Tom O’Connor, (Chair), Aodhagán Ó Rodaighe and S. Gerard Jennings (Secretary) which led to the refurbishment of the cottage by the University in 1985.
In 1988, construction of the first shore laboratory took place along with a 23m high sampling tower. Enlargement of the cottage laboratory and construction of a second laboratory near the shore took place in 1990.
Mace Head has been host to several major international campaign based projects including the following up to and including 1995:
GAGE [1987 – 1995] Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment
AEROCE [1988 – 1994] Air Ocean Chemistry Experiment
NOAA [1991 - GHG Flask sampling programme
LSCE-CEA [1992 - CO2, radon continuous programme
BMCAPE [1993 – 1994] Background Maritime Contribution to Atmospheric Pollution in Europe
AGAGE [1995 - Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment
Mace Head has achieved International Organisational Status as:
- A WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Station since 1994 – GAW’s remit includes long-term trends of aerosols and greenhouse gases
- A European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) designated supersite – a research based Level-3 site (including campaigns)
- One of 5 global sites studying the lifetimes of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases in the atmosphere as part of the Advanced Global Gases Experiment (AGAGE)
- Continuous Carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements in collaboration with CNRS, France since 1994.
Mace Head has become a centre for international collaborations involving scientists from around the world who have participated in intensive long-term measurement campaigns, shorter term projects and international workshops. The research work performed at Mace Head has been documented widely in the international scientific literature. Data from Mace Head is used by climatologists around the world to predict global climate change, is central to several international research networks, and is a baseline station for the Global Atmosphere Watch of the World Meteorological Organization.
References
Tom O’Connor, 'Natural Philosophy / Physics' in Tadhg Foley (ed.), From Queen’s College to National University (Dublin, 1999), p. 208.
F. Imbusch, J. Conroy, ‘Relaxing at Halfmace, Carna, 1958’, Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 13591, Archival Record Id VHRS.
F. Imbusch, 'Progress at Halfmace, c. 1958', Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14679, Archival Record Id VHRS.
http://www.icnaa.org/history.html
F. Imbusch, J. Conroy, ‘Relaxing at Halfmace, Carna, 1958’, Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 13591, Archival Record Id VHRS.
F. Imbusch, 'Progress at Halfmace, c. 1958', Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14679, Archival Record Id VHRS.
http://www.icnaa.org/history.html
Contributor
Bibliographic Citation
Tom O’Connor, S.G. Jennings, ‘Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station’, Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14681, Archival Record Id VHRS
Spatial Coverage
Period
1970s
1980s
1990s
Category
colour
off-campus
outdoors
Keywords
Research station
laboratory
field work
Language
English
Publisher
University of Galway Library
Rights
This image may be used for non-commercial purposes under CC BY-NC-SA
see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/