The Vulcan Project quantifies all fossil fuel CO2 emissions for the entire United States at high space- and time-resolution with details on economic sector, fuel, and combustion process. It was created by the research team of Dr. Kevin Robert Gurney at Northern Arizona University.
A multiagency (NASA, DOE, NOAA, NIST) funded effort spawned under the North American Carbon Program, Vulcan seeks to quantify North American fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions at space and time scales much finer than has been achieved in the past. The purpose is to aid in quantification of the North American carbon budget, to support inverse estimation of carbon sources and sinks, and to support the demands posed by higher resolution FFCO2 observations (in situ and remotely sensed). The detail and scope of the Vulcan FFCO2 inventory has also made it a valuable tool for policymakers, demographers, social scientists and the public at large.
While Vulcan has been used primarily by scientists, its researchers have made it publicly available in order to help cities across the country accurately and consistently measure their emissions.