OBSERVATION AND INVESTIGATION OF VARIABILITIES OF BASELINE CO_2 CONCENTRATION OVER WALIGUAN MOUNTAIN IN QINGHAI PROVINCE OF CHINA

In-situ measurement of atmospheric CO_2 was made at the top of the Waliguan Mountain(36°17′N,100°54′E,3816m asl).where the air is not directly affected by the local anthropogenic and natural sources,by using a nondispersiveinfrared(NDIR)analyzer and following the procedures proposed by WMO.The CO_2 in the flask samples collected onthe mountain was also analyzed in a laboratory.The measurements uncover the daily,monthly and seasonal variabilitiesand the baseline level of the CO_2 in the air over the“clean”area of Chinese hinterland.Results suggest that theCO_2 concentration over the East Asia continent has evident periodical variation,similar to that of global distribution.In1992,an annual mean baseline CO_2 concentration of 356.4 ppm over the continent was obtained.The annual mean val-ue was 357.2 ppm for 1993.Some relationships between the CO_2 concentration at Waliguan and the weather conditions,especially,wind speed and direction are found through the observation.