PRESS RELEASE: Measuring Change: Hearing From the Scientists Capturing Earth’s Atmospheric Truths from Tasmania’s Remote Coast
Perched on a windswept cliff at the north-western tip of Tasmania, the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station quietly watches over the air of the Southern Hemisphere. One of only three premier stations in the World Meteorological Organisation’s Global Atmosphere Watch network, it measures critical data that underpins our global understanding of greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting substances, and atmospheric aerosols. During my visit, I was given rare insight into our planet’s changing atmosphere.
I was struck by the calm precision of the scientists who dedicate their lives to understanding the air we all depend on.
The site carries profound cultural and scientific importance. The Peerapper people first called this area Kennaook, long before Matthew Flinders named it Cape Grim in 1798. Since 1976, it has formed part of Australia’s early commitment to global climate observation under the United Nations Environment Program. Jointly managed by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, the station provides world-leading data that guides Australia’s progress toward international climate goals.
Soon after the station’s establishment, scientists began preserving samples of air that would become the Cape Grim Air Archive. This priceless library lets us look back through decades of atmospheric change. Each record contains the composition of clean, baseline air from the edge of the world, creating a timeline of human impact.
By analysing these samples, researchers can identify when new pollutants first appeared, refine climate models, and link modern air data with ancient ice-core records. These insights underpin global reports from the IPCC and shape the science that guides international climate action.
What began as a few flasks of air collected on a lonely cliff would go on to shape the world’s understanding of atmospheric change. Dr Paul Fraser, who founded the Cape Grim Air Archive in 1978, still remembers the bottles of air he held, which now tell a story far too important to lose.
“When we began collecting those first samples all those years ago, I never imagined they would become a cornerstone of global climate science,” Dr Fraser said.
“It soon seemed to me that the information they held about atmospheric trends was too valuable to discard by venting, so I kept them, and we’ve continued, year after year, building a record that I am proud to see shared with some of the world’s best atmospheric laboratories and scientists.
I’m also deeply aware of the essential contributions of my Bureau of Meteorology colleagues and the CSIRO scientists who have made the concept a reality.”
To date, the archive data have contributed to more than 150 CSIRO and international peer-reviewed publications on climate change.
As I toured the facility, the data on display painted a confronting picture of humanity’s footprint on the air we breathe. Since the 18th century, carbon dioxide has risen by 50 per cent, methane by more than 170 per cent, and nitrous oxide by 25 per cent, levels unprecedented in human history. These changes trace back to the Industrial Revolution, when burning coal and other fossil fuels began releasing vast quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Paul Krummel, Lead Scientist at Kennaook / Cape Grim for the Greenhouse Gas and Ozone-Depleting Substances Program, said the records clearly show humanity’s influence.
“Human activity has significantly impacted the atmosphere through the ever-increasing levels of major greenhouse gases and the destruction of the ozone layer by ozone-depleting substances,” Mr Krummel said.
He added that it is both heartening and sobering to see the dual stories told by the data.
“The decline in CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances shows progress is possible, yet the continued rise of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide reminds us how much work remains.”
The rising concentrations are not just numbers on a chart; they represent a fundamental shift in the planet’s balance. The excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases is warming oceans, intensifying bushfires, disrupting rainfall, and melting glaciers at record rates. Sea levels are rising, coral reefs are weakening, and weather extremes are becoming more personal, touching health, homes, and livelihoods around the world.
“But the good news is that when we work together, we can reverse some of that damage. The Montreal Protocol remains the best example of what coordinated global action can achieve,” Mr Krummel said.
Kylie Farrelley, General Manager of Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA), says that while the scientists at Kennaook / Cape Grim measure what’s already in the atmosphere, RRA is working to change what goes into it.
“Since its inception, RRA has safely destroyed over 10,000 tonnes of refrigerants, preventing the emission of more than 20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent and protecting more than 11 million tonnes of stratospheric ozone,” Farrelley said.
“Funded by an industry levy, we work together with technicians nationwide to collect and safely eliminate contaminated, surplus, and unwanted gases. In partnership with CSIRO, our work builds on Cape Grim’s research to better understand refrigerant emissions and reduce their impact.”
The collaboration between CSIRO, Bureau of Meteorology, RRA and stakeholders’ bridges science and industry, deepening understanding of how refrigerant gases contribute to Australia’s emissions profile. Data from Kennaook / Cape Grim continues to inform real-world solutions for emissions reduction and environmental stewardship.
The visit reinforced that measurement and action must go hand in hand. The same gases first identified in Kennaook / Cape Grim clean-air records now drive Australia’s refrigerant stewardship model, proof that accountability and innovation can coexist.
By capturing and safely destroying synthetic greenhouse gases, Australia sets a global benchmark aligned with insights. The scientists in Tasmania and the technicians on the ground reclaiming refrigerant nationwide all share one goal: to protect the air we breathe, today and for generations to come.
