UC Berkeley sensor network tracks city carbon emissions

An air quality sensor network planned by the University of California, Berkeley will give researchers a picture of Oakland’s greenhouse gas emissions at a finer scale than previous city-wide monitoring networks, according to a news release from the university.

A network of 40 sensors across 27 square miles monitor carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, temperature, pressure and humidity, recording measurements every five seconds. The data are available in real-time at the Berkeley Atmospheric CO2 Observation Network, or BEACON, website.

The project will initially focus on the carbon dioxide data. One possible application of the prototype network is to check compliance with California’s state-mandated plans to cut carbon emissions.

Image source: University of California, Berkeley