Cowan, N.; Hanlon, M.; Bezanger, A.; Di Marco, C.; Carole, H.; Nemitz, E.; Drewer, J.

Hydrogen soil flux measurements using the aerodynamic gradient technique at a grassland in central Scotland, August 2024-September 2025

https://doi.org/10.5285/077fecc1-6244-4fd7-9d41-6f98763f5f14
Download/Access
This dataset is under embargo and will be made available by 4 January 2027 at the latest   Find out more »
Measurements were conducted at a long-term environmental monitoring site at Easter Bush Farm in Midlothian, central Scotland. The aerodynamic gradient (AG) flux method was used to measure gas fluxes of H2, and also of CO2. A mast with four inlet heights (0.55, 0.90, 1.70 and 3.05 m) was positioned within an enclosure between two grazed grassland fields. An eddy covariance (EC) mast was erected also in the enclosure adjacent to the AG mast to provide a reference measurement against which to assess the performance of the AG method. Continuous measurements of soil temperature and soil volumetric water content (VWC) were made throughout the measurement period at 5, 10, 20 and 50 cm depth in the soil using buried CS655 water content reflectometers and CS109 temperature probes (both Campbell Scientific, Utah, USA). Air temperature and relative humidity were measured by a HMP60 Humidity and Temperature Probe (Vaisala, Vantaa, Finland) at a height of 1.85 m.
Publication date: 2026-07-16

Format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

Spatial information

Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
OSGB 1936 / British National Grid

Temporal information

Temporal extent
2024-08-01    to    2025-09-30

Provenance & quality

Several stages of data filtering were applied to improve the quality of retained AG flux data. Initial filtering was based on wind conditions for which data was discarded when u_* < 0.1 m s-1, L < ± 2 m, the variance in vertical wind speed > 1 m s-1 or wind was from the direction obscured by the cabin (130 - 150 ˚N) or fence line between the fields (305 - 315 ˚N). As EC data was used to quality check AGM fluxes, all data was discarded when CO2 flux data was flagged using the 0-1-2 quality flagging system. Where quality flags for sensible heat (H), momentum ( 𝜏) or CO2 flux were >1, data was discarded from the analysis. Plausible limits on CO2 flux at the site were deemed to be within -50 to 25 µmol m-2 s-1. Any EC flux data beyond these limits was also used to discard data. A further filtering of the H2 data was applied based on the comparison of CO2 flux measured between the AG and EC methods. Periods when measured CO2 fluxes by both AG and EC methods differed by more than ± 10 µmol m-2 s-1 were taken as indicative that conditions for AGM calculations were not ideal, thus flux data was discarded from the analysis. After data filtering, approximately 38 % of measured H2 flux data remained.

Licensing and constraints

This dataset is under embargo and will be made available by 4 January 2027 at the latest   Find out more »

This dataset will be available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

Cite this dataset as:
Cowan, N.; Hanlon, M.; Bezanger, A.; Di Marco, C.; Carole, H.; Nemitz, E.; Drewer, J. (2026). Hydrogen soil flux measurements using the aerodynamic gradient technique at a grassland in central Scotland, August 2024-September 2025. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/077fecc1-6244-4fd7-9d41-6f98763f5f14

Correspondence/contact details

Nicholas Cowan
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
 enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

Authors

Cowan, N.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Hanlon, M.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Bezanger, A.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Di Marco, C.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Carole, H.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Nemitz, E.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Drewer, J.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Other contacts

Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk
Rights holder
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk

Additional metadata

Topic categories
climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere
environment
INSPIRE theme
Environmental Monitoring Facilities
Keywords
Carbon dioxide , Climate and climate change , Gas Flux , Hydrogen gas , Micrometeorological flux measurement
Funding
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/X013456/1