Greenhouses gases up close: Public talk, expert panel, & lab tours at INSTAAR

Meet the scientists and explore the laboratories behind INSTAAR's greenhouse gas research. Posters and refreshments start at 5:00pm, talk at 6:00pm.

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For more than 30 years, scientists at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) have been measuring greenhouse gases and their isotopes — helping to build an exceptionally precise, long-term record of our changing atmosphere. These measurements enable researchers to trace where carbon dioxide and methane come from, where they go, and how the global carbon cycle is changing. Today, INSTAAR’s data support dozens of research projects around the world and help form the basis of intergovernmental reports and policies.

Join INSTAAR on the evening of October 15 for a behind-the-scenes look at this work. Learn how and why INSTAAR scientists measure greenhouse gases, meet the researchers behind the science, and tour our Radiocarbon (C-14) Lab and Stable Isotope Lab (SIL).

5:00 pm — Refreshments and poster showcase about INSTAAR's labs (not just C-14 & SIL).
6:00 pm — Greenhouse gas research at INSTAAR, with Sylvia Michel.
6:20 pm — Q&A panel with Sylvia Michel, Scott Lehman, and Pieter Tans.
6:40 pm — Guided tours of the Stable Isotope and Radiocarbon labs, with posters and refreshments continuing.

Speakers and panelists

Sylvia Michel leads the INSTAAR Stable Isotope Lab team that measures stable isotopes of carbon dioxide and methane from the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network.

Scott Lehman is the Emeritus Director of INSTAAR’s Laboratory for AMS Radiocarbon Preparation and Research.

Pieter Tans led the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group from 1985 until 2019, and is now a Fellow Emeritus of INSTAAR.

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Talks are available on Zoom, but not tours. Tickets are not needed for Zoom attendees.

Learn more about the work of Lehman and Tans in a recent INSTAAR news story:
A Q&A with the scientists who built a decades-long record of Earth’s atmosphere

The evening is a part of INSTAAR's 75th anniversary event series.

Sorry, but paid parking only

The SEEC building is located at 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303. Use the front entrance, shown as a red star on the above map.

You can park in visitor lots 550 or 544. Both have hourly rates that can be paid using the ParkMobile app on your phone or with your credit card at an adjacent pay station. Rates are about $2 per hour until 7 pm and $1 per hour after. For the fastest parking, consider downloading the ParkMobile app at home before the event and launching it upon arrival.

Lot 550 is the closest parking and located on the southwest side of SEEC. If using ParkMobile, the lot should show as zone 63550. Once parked, walk about 2 minutes to get to the front entrance of the SEEC building.

If Lot 550 is full, go to Lot 544 on the south side of the Space Science Building (3665 Discovery Drive). If using ParkMobile, the lot should show as zone 63541. Once parked, walk about 6 minutes to get to the front entrance of the SEEC building.

Make sure you pay for enough time to cover the full event, which runs from 5:00 pm to approximately 8:00 or 8:30 pm, including the posters, talk, Q&A, and lab tours. If you used the ParkMobile app initially, you can later extend your parking time without needing to return to your car. Lots 550 and 544 are enforced 24 hours a day by CU Boulder Parking Services.

ADA-accessible spaces are available in the circle directly in front of the SEEC building as well as in Lot 550.

For quick drop-offs, use the circle near the front entrance of the SEEC building. If necessary, there are a few free 15-minute only spaces there that might be available.

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Photo in the background: Rachel Edie changes gas flasks on an INSTAAR mass spectrometer that measures stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen in atmospheric CO2, primarily from the NOAA CMDL Cooperative Air Sampling Network. (Ethan Welty)

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