A mobile hardware and software device for monitoring carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere

Monitoring and regulating greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere is critically important, as rapid temperature increases at the planet's surface and in the lower atmosphere can lead to unpredictable consequences. Currently, sophisticated stationary instruments are used to measure greenhouse gas concentrations in the ground layer over large areas. However, these instruments are quite expensive and not always available for rapid measurements of carbon dioxide or methane emissions, so compact systems are being actively developed. A previously developed stationary setup based on an optical spectrometer was upgraded to enable rapid remote monitoring of anomalous atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in the 1565–1575 nm and 1602–1612 nm wavelength ranges. As part of the upgrade, the solar tracking system was automated using stepper motors, and a software module was developed. Integral and average values of carbon dioxide concentration near the Earth's surface in the northeastern Moscow region were measured and analyzed. The stepper motor control program accounted for the precise time dependence of the sun's azimuthal and altitude movements throughout the day. The measurement error for carbon dioxide concentrations was analyzed depending on the zenith observation angle. The device's operation was modeled over a wide range of carbon dioxide absorption, where the spectrometer's energy potential increases, improving the accuracy of carbon dioxide concentration measurements and expanding its functionality. The mobile hardware and software device can be used to monitor carbon dioxide levels near the Earth's surface and detect leaks from storage facilities or industrial facilities to prevent hazardous consequences, as well as to predict climate change.