Amazonica: Greenhouse gas profile measurements (CO, CO2, CH4) above the forest canopy at four sites

Profiles of greenhouse gases CO, CO2 and CH4 taken on board a small aircraft descending in a spiral from approximately 4,420m to about 300m a.s.l. (as close to the forest canopy as possible). Samples were taken by semi-automatically filling 12 (for the Tabatinga (TAB 69.7W, 6.0S), Alta Floresta (ALF 56.7W, 8.9S) and Rio Branco (RBA 67.9W, 9.3S) sites) and 17 (for the Santarem (SAN 65.0W, 2.9S) site) 0.7-litre flasks controlled from a microprocessor and contained in one suitcase. The profiles were taken frequently throughout the measurement campaign (2010-2012) between 12:00 and 13:00 local time - at which time, the boundary layer is close to being fully developed. Once a vertical profile had been sampled (one suitcase filled) it was analysed at the IPEN Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory in Sao Paulo, using a replica of the NOAA/ ESRL trace gas analysis system.