UCC Joins the IAGOS Network to Advance Global Atmospheric Research

21 Jul 2026

Represented by PI Professor Andy Ruth (Laserspectroscopy Group, School of Physics and Center for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry) University College Cork has recently joined the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) research infrastructure, strengthening international efforts to monitor the Earth's atmosphere and better understand the processes that shape air quality and climate.

As part of this collaboration, UCC will contribute to the CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) section of IAGOS, which uses an instrumented cargo container onboard a commercial aircraft to collect high-quality atmospheric measurements during routine passenger flights around the world. UCC’s contribution will concern the investigation of the nitrogen budget of the upper troposphere through the detection or NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅ and O₃. Some of these species have never been monitored at the cruising altitudes of aircrafts between 10 and 12 km and high quality data are expected from this endeavour.

By joining the IAGOS community, UCC becomes part of a unique global network that provides long-term observations of greenhouse gases, aerosols, trace gases, and other atmospheric constituents across regions that are difficult to monitor using ground-based stations alone. These measurements are essential for improving climate models, validating satellite observations, and advancing our understanding of atmospheric chemistry and long-range pollution transport.

The activity has been funded by Research Ireland’s Strategic Partnership Programme (14/SPPI3010) as well as through a Frontiers for the Future Award (21/FFP-A/8973).