The Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif., is forming a partnership with a private company to establish a new network of carbon dioxide and methane monitoring stations worldwide.

The Earth Networks Greenhouse Gas Observation Network is a project by Scripps and Earth Networks, formerly AWS Convergence Technologies and the owner and operator of the popular WeatherBug® products. Scripps said the new network will dramatically expand existing coverage globally.

Only a few dozen continuously operating CO₂ observing stations exist around the world. The new network will initially deploy 100 greenhouse gas observing stations, beginning with 50 in the continental United States. Deployments in Europe and other areas are to follow.

The higher density of observing stations will allow researchers to “quantify and map more localized GHG emissions and uptakes (sinks), and importantly, their changes over time,” Scripps said in announcing the new partnership.