Cap, why not trap the soil CO2 in an alkaline solution rather than freezing everything? That should avoid all the problems with hydrocarbons. This technique has been used by quite some people, and has been continuously improved over the years. It also has the advantage of easy CO2 storage for a long time as precipitated carbonate. Cheers, Frank ---------------------------- Frank Pawellek Stable Isotope Laboratory Department of Geography University of Wales, Swansea Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP Wales / GB Tel. +44 1792 295148 Fax. +44 1792 205556 ------------------------(;->