Articles | Volume 12, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1277-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1277-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Feb 2019
Research article |
| 27 Feb 2019
| 27 Feb 2019
A broadband cavity-enhanced spectrometer for atmospheric trace gas measurements and Rayleigh scattering cross sections in the cyan region (470–540 nm)
Nick Jordan
Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive
NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Connie Z. Ye
Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive
NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Satyaki Ghosh
Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive
NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Rebecca A. Washenfelder
Earth System Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
Steven S. Brown
Earth System Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive
NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
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Nick Jordan and Hans D. Osthoff
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 273–285, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-273-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-273-2020, 2020
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We describe a new spectrometer for quantification of HONO and NO2 in ambient air, called HODOR. The instrument uses an LED and two highly reflective mirrors to increase the effective optical absorption path to ~6 km. The accuracy of concentration retrievals was validated using parallel measurements by a single wavelength cavity ring-down spectrometer of laboratory-generated gas mixtures. The instrument's precision suffices for quantification of HONO and NO2 in an urban environment.
John W. Halfacre, Lewis Marden, Marvin D. Shaw, Lucy J. Carpenter, Emily Matthews, Thomas J. Bannan, Hugh Coe, Scott C. Herndon, Joseph R. Roscioli, Christoph Dyroff, Tara I. Yacovitch, Patrick R. Veres, Michael A. Robinson, Steven S. Brown, and Pete M. Edwards
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3799–3818, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3799-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3799-2025, 2025
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Nitryl chloride (ClNO2) is a reservoir of chlorine atoms and nitrogen oxides, both of which play important roles in atmospheric chemistry. However, all ambient ClNO2 observations so far have been made by a single technique, mass spectrometry, which needs complex calibrations. Here, we present a laser-based method that detects ClNO2 (TD-TILDAS – thermal dissociation–tunable infrared laser direct absorption spectrometry) without the need for complicated calibrations. The results show excellent agreement between these two methods from both laboratory and ambient samples.
Christopher D. Holmes, Joshua P. Schwarz, Charles H. Fite, Anxhelo Agastra, Holly K. Nowell, Katherine Ball, T. Paul Bui, Johnathan Dean-Day, Zachary C. J. Decker, Joshua P. DiGagni, Glenn S. Diskin, Emily M. Gargulinski, Hannah Halliday, Shobha Kondragunta, John B. Nowak, David A. Peterson, Michael A. Robinson, Amber J. Soja, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Chuanyu Xu, and Robert J. Yokelson
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-307, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-307, 2025
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Smoke age is an important factor in the chemical and physical evolution of smoke. Two methods for determining the age of smoke are applied to the NASA-NOAA FIREX-AQ field campaign: one based on wind speed and distance, and another using an ensemble of modeled air parcel trajectories. Both methods are evaluated, with the trajectory method, which includes plume rise and uncertainty estimates, proving more accurate.
Hendrik Fuchs, Aaron Stainsby, Florian Berg, René Dubus, Michelle Färber, Andreas Hofzumahaus, Frank Holland, Kelvin H. Bates, Steven S. Brown, Matthew M. Coggon, Glenn S. Diskin, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Christopher M. Jernigan, Jeff Peischl, Michael A. Robinson, Andrew W. Rollins, Nell B. Schafer, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Patrick R. Veres, Carsten Warneke, Eleanor M. Waxman, Lu Xu, Kristen Zuraski, Andreas Wahner, and Anna Novelli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 881–895, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-881-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-881-2025, 2025
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Significant improvements have been made to the instruments used to measure OH reactivity, which is equivalent to the sum of air pollutant concentrations. Accurate and precise measurements with a high time resolution have been achieved, allowing use on aircraft, as demonstrated during flights in the USA.
Chelsea E. Stockwell, Matthew M. Coggon, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Colin Harkins, Bert Verreyken, Congmeng Lyu, Qindan Zhu, Lu Xu, Jessica B. Gilman, Aaron Lamplugh, Jeff Peischl, Michael A. Robinson, Patrick R. Veres, Meng Li, Andrew W. Rollins, Kristen Zuraski, Sunil Baidar, Shang Liu, Toshihiro Kuwayama, Steven S. Brown, Brian C. McDonald, and Carsten Warneke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1121–1143, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1121-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1121-2025, 2025
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In urban areas, emissions from everyday products like paints, cleaners, and personal care products, along with non-traditional sources such as cooking, are increasingly important and impact air quality. This study uses a box model to evaluate how these emissions impact ozone in the Los Angeles Basin and quantifies the impact of gaseous cooking emissions. Accurate representation of these and other anthropogenic sources in inventories is crucial for informing effective air quality policies.
Fernando Chouza, Thierry Leblanc, Patrick Wang, Steven S. Brown, Kristen Zuraski, Wyndom Chace, Caroline C. Womack, Jeff Peischl, John Hair, Taylor Shingler, and John Sullivan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 405–419, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-405-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-405-2025, 2025
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The JPL lidar group developed the SMOL (Small Mobile Ozone Lidar), an affordable ozone differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system covering all altitudes from 200 m to 10 km a.g.l. The comparison with airborne in situ and lidar measurements shows very good agreement. An additional comparison with nearby surface ozone measuring instruments indicates unbiased measurements by the SMOL lidars down to 200 m a.g.l.
Andrew O. Langford, Raul J. Alvarez II, Kenneth C. Aikin, Sunil Baidar, W. Alan Brewer, Steven S. Brown, Matthew M. Coggan, Patrick D. Cullis, Jessica Gilman, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Detlev Helmig, Bryan J. Johnson, K. Emma Knowland, Rajesh Kumar, Aaron D. Lamplugh, Audra McClure-Begley, Brandi J. McCarty, Ann M. Middlebrook, Gabriele Pfister, Jeff Peischl, Irina Petropavlovskikh, Pamela S. Rickley, Andrew W. Rollins, Scott P. Sandberg, Christoph J. Senff, and Carsten Warneke
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1938, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1938, 2024
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High ozone (O3) formed by reactions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can harm human health and welfare. High O3 is usually associated with hot summer days, but under certain conditions, high O3 can also form under winter conditions. In this study, we describe a high O3 event that occurred in Colorado during the COVID-19 quarantine that was caused in part by the decrease in traffic, and in part by a shallow inversion created by descent of stratospheric air.
Edward J. Strobach, Sunil Baidar, Brian J. Carroll, Steven S. Brown, Kristen Zuraski, Matthew Coggon, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Lu Xu, Yelena L. Pichugina, W. Alan Brewer, Carsten Warneke, Jeff Peischl, Jessica Gilman, Brandi McCarty, Maxwell Holloway, and Richard Marchbanks
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9277–9307, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9277-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9277-2024, 2024
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Large-scale weather patterns are isolated from local patterns to study the impact that different weather scales have on air quality measurements. While impacts from large-scale meteorology were evaluated by separating ozone (O3) exceedance (>70 ppb) and non-exceedance (<70 ppb) days, we developed a technique that allows direct comparisons of small temporal variations between chemical and dynamics measurements under rapid dynamical transitions.
Qindan Zhu, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Matthew Coggon, Colin Harkins, Jordan Schnell, Jian He, Havala O. T. Pye, Meng Li, Barry Baker, Zachary Moon, Ravan Ahmadov, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Bryan Place, Paul Wooldridge, Benjamin C. Schulze, Caleb Arata, Anthony Bucholtz, John H. Seinfeld, Carsten Warneke, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Lu Xu, Kristen Zuraski, Michael A. Robinson, J. Andrew Neuman, Patrick R. Veres, Jeff Peischl, Steven S. Brown, Allen H. Goldstein, Ronald C. Cohen, and Brian C. McDonald
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5265–5286, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5265-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5265-2024, 2024
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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) fuel the production of air pollutants like ozone and particulate matter. The representation of VOC chemistry remains challenging due to its complexity in speciation and reactions. Here, we develop a chemical mechanism, RACM2B-VCP, that better represents VOC chemistry in urban areas such as Los Angeles. We also discuss the contribution of VOCs emitted from volatile chemical products and other anthropogenic sources to total VOC reactivity and O3.
Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Matthew M. Coggon, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Hannah Allen, Eric C. Apel, Megan M. Bela, Donald R. Blake, Ilann Bourgeois, Steven S. Brown, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Jason M. St. Clair, James H. Crawford, John D. Crounse, Douglas A. Day, Joshua P. DiGangi, Glenn S. Diskin, Alan Fried, Jessica B. Gilman, Hongyu Guo, Johnathan W. Hair, Hannah S. Halliday, Thomas F. Hanisco, Reem Hannun, Alan Hills, L. Gregory Huey, Jose L. Jimenez, Joseph M. Katich, Aaron Lamplugh, Young Ro Lee, Jin Liao, Jakob Lindaas, Stuart A. McKeen, Tomas Mikoviny, Benjamin A. Nault, J. Andrew Neuman, John B. Nowak, Demetrios Pagonis, Jeff Peischl, Anne E. Perring, Felix Piel, Pamela S. Rickly, Michael A. Robinson, Andrew W. Rollins, Thomas B. Ryerson, Melinda K. Schueneman, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Joshua P. Schwarz, Kanako Sekimoto, Vanessa Selimovic, Taylor Shingler, David J. Tanner, Laura Tomsche, Krystal T. Vasquez, Patrick R. Veres, Rebecca Washenfelder, Petter Weibring, Paul O. Wennberg, Armin Wisthaler, Glenn M. Wolfe, Caroline C. Womack, Lu Xu, Katherine Ball, Robert J. Yokelson, and Carsten Warneke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 929–956, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-929-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-929-2024, 2024
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This study reports emissions of gases and particles from wildfires. These emissions are related to chemical proxies that can be measured by satellite and incorporated into models to improve predictions of wildfire impacts on air quality and climate.
Lisa Azzarello, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Michael A. Robinson, Alessandro Franchin, Caroline C. Womack, Christopher D. Holmes, Steven S. Brown, Ann Middlebrook, Tim Newberger, Colm Sweeney, and Cora J. Young
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15643–15654, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15643-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15643-2023, 2023
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We present a molecular size-resolved offline analysis of water-soluble brown carbon collected on an aircraft during FIREX-AQ. The smoke plumes were aged 0 to 5 h, where absorption was dominated by small molecular weight molecules, brown carbon absorption downwind did not consistently decrease, and the measurements differed from online absorption measurements of the same samples. We show how differences between online and offline absorption could be related to different measurement conditions.
John W. Halfacre, Jordan Stewart, Scott C. Herndon, Joseph R. Roscioli, Christoph Dyroff, Tara I. Yacovitch, Michael Flynn, Stephen J. Andrews, Steven S. Brown, Patrick R. Veres, and Pete M. Edwards
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 1407–1429, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1407-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1407-2023, 2023
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This study details a new sampling method for the optical detection of hydrogen chloride (HCl). HCl is an important atmospheric reservoir for chlorine atoms, which can affect nitrogen oxide cycling and the lifetimes of volatile organic compounds and ozone. However, HCl has a high affinity for interacting with surfaces, thereby preventing fast, quantitative measurements. The sampling technique in this study minimizes these surface interactions and provides a high-quality measurement of HCl.
Philip T. M. Carlsson, Luc Vereecken, Anna Novelli, François Bernard, Steven S. Brown, Bellamy Brownwood, Changmin Cho, John N. Crowley, Patrick Dewald, Peter M. Edwards, Nils Friedrich, Juliane L. Fry, Mattias Hallquist, Luisa Hantschke, Thorsten Hohaus, Sungah Kang, Jonathan Liebmann, Alfred W. Mayhew, Thomas Mentel, David Reimer, Franz Rohrer, Justin Shenolikar, Ralf Tillmann, Epameinondas Tsiligiannis, Rongrong Wu, Andreas Wahner, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, and Hendrik Fuchs
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3147–3180, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3147-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3147-2023, 2023
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The investigation of the night-time oxidation of the most abundant hydrocarbon, isoprene, in chamber experiments shows the importance of reaction pathways leading to epoxy products, which could enhance particle formation, that have so far not been accounted for. The chemical lifetime of organic nitrates from isoprene is long enough for the majority to be further oxidized the next day by daytime oxidants.
Kevin D. Easterbrook, Mitchell A. Vona, Kiana Nayebi-Astaneh, Amanda M. Miller, and Hans D. Osthoff
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 311–322, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-311-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-311-2023, 2023
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The trace gas peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN) is generated in photochemical smog, phytotoxic, a strong eye irritant, and possibly mutagenic. Here, its solubility and reactivity in water and in octanol were investigated using a bubble flow apparatus, yielding its Henry's law constant and octanol–water partition coefficient (Kow). The results allow the fate of PPN to be more accurately constrained in atmospheric chemical transport models, including its uptake on clouds, organic aerosol, and leaves.
Lu Xu, Matthew M. Coggon, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Jessica B. Gilman, Michael A. Robinson, Martin Breitenlechner, Aaron Lamplugh, John D. Crounse, Paul O. Wennberg, J. Andrew Neuman, Gordon A. Novak, Patrick R. Veres, Steven S. Brown, and Carsten Warneke
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 7353–7373, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7353-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7353-2022, 2022
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We describe the development and operation of a chemical ionization mass spectrometer using an ammonium–water cluster (NH4+·H2O) as a reagent ion. NH4+·H2O is a highly versatile reagent ion for measurements of a wide range of oxygenated organic compounds. The major product ion is the cluster with NH4+ produced via ligand-switching reactions. The instrumental sensitivities of analytes depend on the binding energy of the analyte–NH4+ cluster; sensitivities can be estimated using voltage scanning.
Caroline C. Womack, Steven S. Brown, Steven J. Ciciora, Ru-Shan Gao, Richard J. McLaughlin, Michael A. Robinson, Yinon Rudich, and Rebecca A. Washenfelder
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6643–6652, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6643-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6643-2022, 2022
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We present a new miniature instrument to measure nitrogen dioxide (NO2) using cavity-enhanced spectroscopy. NO2 contributes to the formation of pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter, and its concentration can vary widely near sources. We developed this lightweight (3.05 kg) low-power (<35 W) instrument to measure NO2 on uncrewed aircraft vehicles (UAVs) and demonstrate that it has the accuracy and precision needed for atmospheric field measurements.
Ilann Bourgeois, Jeff Peischl, J. Andrew Neuman, Steven S. Brown, Hannah M. Allen, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Matthew M. Coggon, Joshua P. DiGangi, Glenn S. Diskin, Jessica B. Gilman, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Hongyu Guo, Hannah A. Halliday, Thomas F. Hanisco, Christopher D. Holmes, L. Gregory Huey, Jose L. Jimenez, Aaron D. Lamplugh, Young Ro Lee, Jakob Lindaas, Richard H. Moore, Benjamin A. Nault, John B. Nowak, Demetrios Pagonis, Pamela S. Rickly, Michael A. Robinson, Andrew W. Rollins, Vanessa Selimovic, Jason M. St. Clair, David Tanner, Krystal T. Vasquez, Patrick R. Veres, Carsten Warneke, Paul O. Wennberg, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Elizabeth B. Wiggins, Caroline C. Womack, Lu Xu, Kyle J. Zarzana, and Thomas B. Ryerson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4901–4930, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4901-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4901-2022, 2022
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Understanding fire emission impacts on the atmosphere is key to effective air quality management and requires accurate measurements. We present a comparison of airborne measurements of key atmospheric species in ambient air and in fire smoke. We show that most instruments performed within instrument uncertainties. In some cases, further work is needed to fully characterize instrument performance. Comparing independent measurements using different techniques is important to assess their accuracy.
Michael A. Robinson, J. Andrew Neuman, L. Gregory Huey, James M. Roberts, Steven S. Brown, and Patrick R. Veres
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4295–4305, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4295-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4295-2022, 2022
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Iodide chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) is commonly used in atmospheric chemistry laboratory studies and field campaigns. Deployment of the NOAA iodide CIMS instrument in the summer of 2021 indicated a significant and overlooked temperature dependence of the instrument sensitivity. This work explores which analytes are influenced by this phenomena. Additionally, we recommend controls to reduce this effect for future field deployments.
Andrew O. Langford, Christoph J. Senff, Raul J. Alvarez II, Ken C. Aikin, Sunil Baidar, Timothy A. Bonin, W. Alan Brewer, Jerome Brioude, Steven S. Brown, Joel D. Burley, Dani J. Caputi, Stephen A. Conley, Patrick D. Cullis, Zachary C. J. Decker, Stéphanie Evan, Guillaume Kirgis, Meiyun Lin, Mariusz Pagowski, Jeff Peischl, Irina Petropavlovskikh, R. Bradley Pierce, Thomas B. Ryerson, Scott P. Sandberg, Chance W. Sterling, Ann M. Weickmann, and Li Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 1707–1737, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1707-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1707-2022, 2022
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The Fires, Asian, and Stratospheric Transport–Las Vegas Ozone Study (FAST-LVOS) combined lidar, aircraft, and in situ measurements with global models to investigate the contributions of stratospheric intrusions, regional and Asian pollution, and wildfires to background ozone in the southwestern US during May and June 2017 and demonstrated that these processes contributed to background ozone levels that exceeded 70 % of the US National Ambient Air Quality Standard during the 6-week campaign.
Jin Liao, Glenn M. Wolfe, Reem A. Hannun, Jason M. St. Clair, Thomas F. Hanisco, Jessica B. Gilman, Aaron Lamplugh, Vanessa Selimovic, Glenn S. Diskin, John B. Nowak, Hannah S. Halliday, Joshua P. DiGangi, Samuel R. Hall, Kirk Ullmann, Christopher D. Holmes, Charles H. Fite, Anxhelo Agastra, Thomas B. Ryerson, Jeff Peischl, Ilann Bourgeois, Carsten Warneke, Matthew M. Coggon, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Kanako Sekimoto, Alan Fried, Dirk Richter, Petter Weibring, Eric C. Apel, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Steven S. Brown, Caroline C. Womack, Michael A. Robinson, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Patrick R. Veres, and J. Andrew Neuman
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 18319–18331, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-18319-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-18319-2021, 2021
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Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important oxidant precursor and affects the formation of O3 and other secondary pollutants in wildfire plumes. We disentangle the processes controlling HCHO evolution from wildfire plumes sampled by NASA DC-8 during FIREX-AQ. We find that OH abundance rather than normalized OH reactivity is the main driver of fire-to-fire variability in HCHO secondary production and estimate an effective HCHO yield per volatile organic compound molecule oxidized in wildfire plumes.
Zachary C. J. Decker, Michael A. Robinson, Kelley C. Barsanti, Ilann Bourgeois, Matthew M. Coggon, Joshua P. DiGangi, Glenn S. Diskin, Frank M. Flocke, Alessandro Franchin, Carley D. Fredrickson, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Samuel R. Hall, Hannah Halliday, Christopher D. Holmes, L. Gregory Huey, Young Ro Lee, Jakob Lindaas, Ann M. Middlebrook, Denise D. Montzka, Richard Moore, J. Andrew Neuman, John B. Nowak, Brett B. Palm, Jeff Peischl, Felix Piel, Pamela S. Rickly, Andrew W. Rollins, Thomas B. Ryerson, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Kanako Sekimoto, Lee Thornhill, Joel A. Thornton, Geoffrey S. Tyndall, Kirk Ullmann, Paul Van Rooy, Patrick R. Veres, Carsten Warneke, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Andrew J. Weinheimer, Elizabeth Wiggins, Edward Winstead, Armin Wisthaler, Caroline Womack, and Steven S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16293–16317, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16293-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16293-2021, 2021
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To understand air quality impacts from wildfires, we need an accurate picture of how wildfire smoke changes chemically both day and night as sunlight changes the chemistry of smoke. We present a chemical analysis of wildfire smoke as it changes from midday through the night. We use aircraft observations from the FIREX-AQ field campaign with a chemical box model. We find that even under sunlight typical
nighttimechemistry thrives and controls the fate of key smoke plume chemical processes.
Quanfu He, Zheng Fang, Ofir Shoshanim, Steven S. Brown, and Yinon Rudich
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14927–14940, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14927-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14927-2021, 2021
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Rayleigh scattering and absorption cross sections for CO2, N2O, SF6, O2, and CH4 were measured between 307 and 725 nm. New dispersion relations for N2O, SF6, and CH4 in the UV–vis range were derived. This study provides refractive index dispersion relations, scattering, and absorption cross sections which are highly needed for accurate instrument calibration and for improved accuracy of Rayleigh scattering parameterizations for major greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere.
Linghan Zeng, Amy P. Sullivan, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Jack Dibb, Eric Scheuer, Teresa L. Campos, Joseph M. Katich, Ezra Levin, Michael A. Robinson, and Rodney J. Weber
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6357–6378, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6357-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6357-2021, 2021
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Three online systems for measuring water-soluble brown carbon are compared. A mist chamber and two different particle-into-liquid samplers were deployed on separate research aircraft targeting wildfires and followed a similar detection method using a long-path liquid waveguide with a spectrometer to measure the light absorption from 300 to 700 nm. Detection limits, signal hysteresis and other sampling issues are compared, and further improvements of these liquid-based systems are provided.
Yangang Ren, Li Zhou, Abdelwahid Mellouki, Véronique Daële, Mahmoud Idir, Steven S. Brown, Branko Ruscic, Robert S. Paton, Max R. McGillen, and A. R. Ravishankara
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13537–13551, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13537-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13537-2021, 2021
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Aromatic aldehydes are a family of compounds emitted into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources that are formed from the degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Their atmospheric degradation may impact air quality. We report on their atmospheric degradation through reaction with NO3, which is useful to estimate their atmospheric lifetimes. We have also attempted to elucidate the mechanism of these reactions via studies of isotopic substitution and quantum chemistry.
Teles C. Furlani, Patrick R. Veres, Kathryn E. R. Dawe, J. Andrew Neuman, Steven S. Brown, Trevor C. VandenBoer, and Cora J. Young
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5859–5871, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5859-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5859-2021, 2021
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This study characterized and validated a commercial spectroscopic instrument for the measurement of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in the atmosphere. Near the Earth’s surface, HCl acts as the dominant reservoir for other chlorine-containing reactive chemicals that play an important role in atmospheric chemistry. The properties of HCl make it challenging to measure. This instrument can overcome many of these challenges, enabling reliable HCl measurements.
Rongrong Wu, Luc Vereecken, Epameinondas Tsiligiannis, Sungah Kang, Sascha R. Albrecht, Luisa Hantschke, Defeng Zhao, Anna Novelli, Hendrik Fuchs, Ralf Tillmann, Thorsten Hohaus, Philip T. M. Carlsson, Justin Shenolikar, François Bernard, John N. Crowley, Juliane L. Fry, Bellamy Brownwood, Joel A. Thornton, Steven S. Brown, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Andreas Wahner, Mattias Hallquist, and Thomas F. Mentel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10799–10824, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10799-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10799-2021, 2021
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Isoprene is the biogenic volatile organic compound with the largest emissions rates. The nighttime reaction of isoprene with the NO3 radical has a large potential to contribute to SOA. We classified isoprene nitrates into generations and proposed formation pathways. Considering the potential functionalization of the isoprene nitrates we propose that mainly isoprene dimers contribute to SOA formation from the isoprene NO3 reactions with at least a 5 % mass yield.
Amy Hrdina, Jennifer G. Murphy, Anna Gannet Hallar, John C. Lin, Alexander Moravek, Ryan Bares, Ross C. Petersen, Alessandro Franchin, Ann M. Middlebrook, Lexie Goldberger, Ben H. Lee, Munkh Baasandorj, and Steven S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 8111–8126, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8111-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8111-2021, 2021
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Wintertime air pollution in the Salt Lake Valley is primarily composed of ammonium nitrate, which is formed when gas-phase ammonia and nitric acid react. The major point in this work is that the chemical composition of snow tells a very different story to what we measured in the atmosphere. With the dust–sea salt cations observed in PM2.5 and particle sizing data, we can estimate how much nitric acid may be lost to dust–sea salt that is not accounted for and how much more PM2.5 this could form.
Caroline C. Womack, Katherine M. Manfred, Nicholas L. Wagner, Gabriela Adler, Alessandro Franchin, Kara D. Lamb, Ann M. Middlebrook, Joshua P. Schwarz, Charles A. Brock, Steven S. Brown, and Rebecca A. Washenfelder
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7235–7252, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7235-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7235-2021, 2021
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Microscopic particles interact with sunlight and affect the earth's climate in ways that are not fully understood. Aerosols from wildfire smoke present particular challenges due to their complexity in shape and composition. We demonstrate that we can experimentally measure aerosol optical properties for many types of smoke particles, using measurements of smoke from controlled burns, but that the method does not work well for smoke with high soot content.
Melodie Lao, Leigh R. Crilley, Leyla Salehpoor, Teles C. Furlani, Ilann Bourgeois, J. Andrew Neuman, Andrew W. Rollins, Patrick R. Veres, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Caroline C. Womack, Cora J. Young, and Trevor C. VandenBoer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 5873–5890, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5873-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5873-2020, 2020
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Nitrous acid (HONO) is a key intermediate in the generation of oxidants and fate of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. High-purity calibration sources that produce stable atmospherically relevant levels under field conditions have not been made to date, reducing measurement accuracy. In this study a simple salt-coated tube humidified with water vapor is demonstrated to produce pure stable low levels of HONO, with modifications allowing the generation of higher amounts.
Li Zhang, Meiyun Lin, Andrew O. Langford, Larry W. Horowitz, Christoph J. Senff, Elizabeth Klovenski, Yuxuan Wang, Raul J. Alvarez II, Irina Petropavlovskikh, Patrick Cullis, Chance W. Sterling, Jeff Peischl, Thomas B. Ryerson, Steven S. Brown, Zachary C. J. Decker, Guillaume Kirgis, and Stephen Conley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 10379–10400, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10379-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10379-2020, 2020
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Measuring and quantifying the sources of elevated springtime ozone in the southwestern US is challenging but relevant to the implications for control policy. Here we use intensive field measurements and two global models to study ozone sources in the region. We find that ozone from the stratosphere, wildfires, and Asia is an important source of high-ozone events in the region. Our analysis also helps understand the uncertainties in ozone simulations with individual models.
Patrick Dewald, Jonathan M. Liebmann, Nils Friedrich, Justin Shenolikar, Jan Schuladen, Franz Rohrer, David Reimer, Ralf Tillmann, Anna Novelli, Changmin Cho, Kangming Xu, Rupert Holzinger, François Bernard, Li Zhou, Wahid Mellouki, Steven S. Brown, Hendrik Fuchs, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 10459–10475, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10459-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10459-2020, 2020
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We present direct measurements of NO3 reactivity resulting from the oxidation of isoprene by NO3 during an intensive simulation chamber study. Measurements were in excellent agreement with values calculated from measured isoprene amounts and the rate coefficient for the reaction of NO3 with isoprene. Comparison of the measurement with NO3 reactivities from non-steady-state and model calculations suggests that isoprene-derived RO2 and HO2 radicals account to ~ 50 % of overall NO3 losses.
Nicholas J. Gingerysty and Hans D. Osthoff
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4159–4167, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4159-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4159-2020, 2020
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The generation of clean calibration gases is critical for accurate ambient air measurements. Here, we describe a source of HONO vapour dynamically generated from reaction of HCl and NaNO2. The output was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermal-dissociation cavity ring-down spectroscopy (TD-CRDS) and was stable, tuneable, and > 95 % pure. We show how generation of unwanted side products (NO, NO2, and ClNO) can be avoided.
James M. Roberts, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Robert J. Yokelson, Joost de Gouw, Yong Liu, Vanessa Selimovic, Abigail R. Koss, Kanako Sekimoto, Matthew M. Coggon, Bin Yuan, Kyle J. Zarzana, Steven S. Brown, Cristina Santin, Stefan H. Doerr, and Carsten Warneke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8807–8826, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8807-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8807-2020, 2020
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We measured total reactive nitrogen, Nr, in lab fires from western North American fuels, along with measurements of individual nitrogen compounds. We measured the amount of N that gets converted to inactive compounds (avg. 70 %), and the amount that is accounted for by individual species (85 % of remaining N). We provide guidelines for how the reactive nitrogen is distributed among individual compounds such as NOx and ammonia. This will help estimates and predictions of wildfire emissions.
Andrew W. Rollins, Pamela S. Rickly, Ru-Shan Gao, Thomas B. Ryerson, Steven S. Brown, Jeff Peischl, and Ilann Bourgeois
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2425–2439, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2425-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2425-2020, 2020
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Nitric oxide (NO) is a key atmospheric constituent controlling atmospheric oxidation chemistry and tropospheric ozone formation. Existing instrumentation capable of quantifying NO at very low mixing ratios is uncommon and typically relies on chemiluminescence. We describe and demonstrate a new laser-based technique (LIF) with significant practical and technical advantages to CL. This technique is expected to allow for advances in understanding of atmospheric radical chemistry.
Chuan Yu, Zhe Wang, Men Xia, Xiao Fu, Weihao Wang, Yee Jun Tham, Tianshu Chen, Penggang Zheng, Hongyong Li, Ye Shan, Xinfeng Wang, Likun Xue, Yan Zhou, Dingli Yue, Yubo Ou, Jian Gao, Keding Lu, Steven S. Brown, Yuanhang Zhang, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 4367–4378, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4367-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4367-2020, 2020
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This study provides a holistic picture of N2O5 heterogeneous uptake on ambient aerosols and the influencing factors under various climatic and chemical conditions in China, and it proposes an observation-based empirical parameterization. The empirical parameterization can be used in air quality models to improve the prediction of PM2.5 and photochemical pollution in China and similar polluted regions of the world.
Zoë Y. W. Davis, Udo Frieß, Kevin B. Strawbridge, Monika Aggarwaal, Sabour Baray, Elijah G. Schnitzler, Akshay Lobo, Vitali E. Fioletov, Ihab Abboud, Chris A. McLinden, Jim Whiteway, Megan D. Willis, Alex K. Y. Lee, Jeff Brook, Jason Olfert, Jason O'Brien, Ralf Staebler, Hans D. Osthoff, Cristian Mihele, and Robert McLaren
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 1129–1155, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1129-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1129-2020, 2020
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Here, we evaluate a ground-based remote sensing method (MAX-DOAS) for measuring total pollutant loading and vertical profiles of pollution in the lower atmosphere by comparing our method to a variety of other measurement methods (lidar, sunphotometer, active DOAS, and aircraft measurements). Measurements were made in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in Alberta, Canada. The complex dataset provided a rare opportunity to evaluate the performance of MAX-DOAS under varying atmospheric conditions.
Nick Jordan and Hans D. Osthoff
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 273–285, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-273-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-273-2020, 2020
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We describe a new spectrometer for quantification of HONO and NO2 in ambient air, called HODOR. The instrument uses an LED and two highly reflective mirrors to increase the effective optical absorption path to ~6 km. The accuracy of concentration retrievals was validated using parallel measurements by a single wavelength cavity ring-down spectrometer of laboratory-generated gas mixtures. The instrument's precision suffices for quantification of HONO and NO2 in an urban environment.
Alexander Moravek, Jennifer G. Murphy, Amy Hrdina, John C. Lin, Christopher Pennell, Alessandro Franchin, Ann M. Middlebrook, Dorothy L. Fibiger, Caroline C. Womack, Erin E. McDuffie, Randal Martin, Kori Moore, Munkhbayar Baasandorj, and Steven S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 15691–15709, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15691-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15691-2019, 2019
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Ammonium nitrate is a major component of fine particulate matter of wintertime air pollution in the Great Salt Lake Region (UT, USA). We investigate the sources of ammonia in the region by using aircraft observations and comparing them to modelled ammonia mixing ratios based on emission inventory estimates. The results suggest that ammonia emissions are underestimated, specifically in regions with high agricultural activity, while ammonia in Salt Lake City is mainly of local origin.
Matthew M. Coggon, Christopher Y. Lim, Abigail R. Koss, Kanako Sekimoto, Bin Yuan, Jessica B. Gilman, David H. Hagan, Vanessa Selimovic, Kyle J. Zarzana, Steven S. Brown, James M. Roberts, Markus Müller, Robert Yokelson, Armin Wisthaler, Jordan E. Krechmer, Jose L. Jimenez, Christopher Cappa, Jesse H. Kroll, Joost de Gouw, and Carsten Warneke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14875–14899, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14875-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14875-2019, 2019
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Wildfire emissions significantly contribute to adverse air quality; however, the chemical processes that lead to hazardous pollutants, such as ozone, are not fully understood. In this study, we describe laboratory experiments where we simulate the atmospheric chemistry of smoke emitted from a range of biomass fuels. We show that certain understudied compounds, such as furans and phenolic compounds, are significant contributors to pollutants formed as a result of typical atmospheric oxidation.
Jiajue Chai, David J. Miller, Eric Scheuer, Jack Dibb, Vanessa Selimovic, Robert Yokelson, Kyle J. Zarzana, Steven S. Brown, Abigail R. Koss, Carsten Warneke, and Meredith Hastings
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6303–6317, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6303-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6303-2019, 2019
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Isotopic analysis offers a potential tool to distinguish between sources and interpret transformation pathways of atmospheric species. We applied recently developed techniques in our lab to characterize the isotopic composition of reactive nitrogen species (NOx, HONO, HNO3, pNO3-) in fresh biomass burning emissions. Intercomparison with other techniques confirms the suitability of our methods, allowing for future applications of our techniques in a variety of environments.
Alex K. Y. Lee, Max G. Adam, John Liggio, Shao-Meng Li, Kun Li, Megan D. Willis, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, Travis W. Tokarek, Charles A. Odame-Ankrah, Hans D. Osthoff, Kevin Strawbridge, and Jeffery R. Brook
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 12209–12219, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12209-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12209-2019, 2019
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This work provides the first direct field evidence that anthropogenic organo-nitrate contributed up to half of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass that was freshly produced within the emission plumes of oil sands facilities in Alberta, Canada. The findings illustrate the central role of organo-nitrate in SOA production from the oil and gas industry, with relevance for other urban and industrial regions with significant intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOCs) and NOx emissions.
Erin E. McDuffie, Caroline C. Womack, Dorothy L. Fibiger, William P. Dube, Alessandro Franchin, Ann M. Middlebrook, Lexie Goldberger, Ben H. Lee, Joel A. Thornton, Alexander Moravek, Jennifer G. Murphy, Munkhbayar Baasandorj, and Steven S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 9287–9308, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9287-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9287-2019, 2019
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Populated mountain basins, including the Salt Lake Valley (SLV) in Utah, suffer from wintertime stagnation events that trap emissions near the surface and cause fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations to reach unhealthy levels. Previously limited by a lack of nighttime measurements, this study uses 2017 UWFPS aircraft campaign data, in combination with a box model, to show that nitrogen chemistry above the surface at night is a major source of PM2.5 during a wintertime event in the SLV.
Xin Chen, Dylan B. Millet, Hanwant B. Singh, Armin Wisthaler, Eric C. Apel, Elliot L. Atlas, Donald R. Blake, Ilann Bourgeois, Steven S. Brown, John D. Crounse, Joost A. de Gouw, Frank M. Flocke, Alan Fried, Brian G. Heikes, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Tomas Mikoviny, Kyung-Eun Min, Markus Müller, J. Andrew Neuman, Daniel W. O'Sullivan, Jeff Peischl, Gabriele G. Pfister, Dirk Richter, James M. Roberts, Thomas B. Ryerson, Stephen R. Shertz, Chelsea R. Thompson, Victoria Treadaway, Patrick R. Veres, James Walega, Carsten Warneke, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Petter Weibring, and Bin Yuan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 9097–9123, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9097-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9097-2019, 2019
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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) affect air quality and modify the lifetimes of other pollutants. We combine a high-resolution 3-D atmospheric model with an ensemble of aircraft observations to perform an integrated analysis of the VOC budget over North America. We find that biogenic emissions provide the main source of VOC reactivity even in most major cities. Our findings point to key gaps in current models related to oxygenated VOCs and to the distribution of VOCs in the free troposphere.
Travis W. Tokarek, Charles A. Odame-Ankrah, Jennifer A. Huo, Robert McLaren, Alex K. Y. Lee, Max G. Adam, Megan D. Willis, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, Cristian Mihele, Andrea Darlington, Richard L. Mittermeier, Kevin Strawbridge, Katherine L. Hayden, Jason S. Olfert, Elijah G. Schnitzler, Duncan K. Brownsey, Faisal V. Assad, Gregory R. Wentworth, Alex G. Tevlin, Douglas E. J. Worthy, Shao-Meng Li, John Liggio, Jeffrey R. Brook, and Hans D. Osthoff
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17819–17841, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17819-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17819-2018, 2018
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Measurements of air pollutants at a ground site near Fort McKay in the Athabasca oil sands region in the summer of 2013 are presented. A large number of intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOCs) were observed; these molecules were shown previously to generate atmospheric particles downwind of the region. A principal component analysis was performed to identify major pollution source types, including which source(s) is(are) associated with IVOC emissions (e.g., freshly mined bitumen).
Alessandro Franchin, Dorothy L. Fibiger, Lexie Goldberger, Erin E. McDuffie, Alexander Moravek, Caroline C. Womack, Erik T. Crosman, Kenneth S. Docherty, William P. Dube, Sebastian W. Hoch, Ben H. Lee, Russell Long, Jennifer G. Murphy, Joel A. Thornton, Steven S. Brown, Munkhbayar Baasandorj, and Ann M. Middlebrook
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17259–17276, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17259-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17259-2018, 2018
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We present the results of aerosol and trace gas measurements from airborne and ground-based platforms. The measurements took place in January–February 2017 in northern Utah as part of the Utah Winter Fine Particulate Study (UWFPS). We characterized the chemical composition of PM1 on a regional scale, also probing the vertical dimension. We used a thermodynamic model to study the effectiveness of limiting total ammonium or total nitrate as a strategy to control aerosol concentrations.
Kyle J. Zarzana, Vanessa Selimovic, Abigail R. Koss, Kanako Sekimoto, Matthew M. Coggon, Bin Yuan, William P. Dubé, Robert J. Yokelson, Carsten Warneke, Joost A. de Gouw, James M. Roberts, and Steven S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 15451–15470, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15451-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15451-2018, 2018
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Emissions of glyoxal and methylglyoxal from fuels common to the western United States were measured using cavity-enhanced spectroscopy, which provides a more selective measurement of those compounds than was previously available. Primary emissions of glyoxal were lower than previously reported and showed variability between the different fuel groups. However, emissions of glyoxal relative to formaldehyde were constant across almost all the fuel groups at 6 %–7 %.
James M. Mattila, Patrick Brophy, Jeffrey Kirkland, Samuel Hall, Kirk Ullmann, Emily V. Fischer, Steve Brown, Erin McDuffie, Alex Tevlin, and Delphine K. Farmer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12315–12327, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12315-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12315-2018, 2018
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Molecular acids in the atmosphere have implications for human health and air quality. Measurements of various acidic molecules were performed in the Colorado Front Range. Atmospheric concentrations of many acids increased during the day, indicative of sunlight-related production sources. A surface-level source of many acids persisting throughout day and night was observed. Traffic and agricultural activity were important anthropogenic sources of several acids near the measurement site.
Juliane L. Fry, Steven S. Brown, Ann M. Middlebrook, Peter M. Edwards, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Douglas A. Day, José L. Jimenez, Hannah M. Allen, Thomas B. Ryerson, Ilana Pollack, Martin Graus, Carsten Warneke, Joost A. de Gouw, Charles A. Brock, Jessica Gilman, Brian M. Lerner, William P. Dubé, Jin Liao, and André Welti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11663–11682, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11663-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11663-2018, 2018
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This paper uses measurements made during research aircraft flights through power plant smokestack emissions plumes as a natural laboratory in the field experiment. We investigated a specific source of airborne particulate matter from the combination of human-produced NOx pollutant emissions (the smokestack plumes) with isoprene emitted by naturally by trees in the southeastern United States. These field-based yields appear to be higher than those typically measured in chamber studies.
Youssef M. Taha, Matthew T. Saowapon, Faisal V. Assad, Connie Z. Ye, Xining Chen, Natasha M. Garner, and Hans D. Osthoff
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 4109–4127, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-4109-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-4109-2018, 2018
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Nitrogen oxides are commonly measured by selective thermal dissociation (TD) to NO2, which can be quantified by optical absorption. Quantification of peroxynitrates (RO2NO2) by TD methods, however, is challenging in ambient air since NO2 is usually more abundant than RO2NO2. Here, a method to boost the sensitivity of TD instruments by chemical amplification following addition of ~ 1 % ethane and ~ 1 ppm NO to the inlet is presented. Advantages and disadvantages of the new method are discussed.
Kanako Sekimoto, Abigail R. Koss, Jessica B. Gilman, Vanessa Selimovic, Matthew M. Coggon, Kyle J. Zarzana, Bin Yuan, Brian M. Lerner, Steven S. Brown, Carsten Warneke, Robert J. Yokelson, James M. Roberts, and Joost de Gouw
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 9263–9281, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9263-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9263-2018, 2018
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We found that on average 85 % of the VOC emissions from biomass burning across various fuels representative of the western US (including various coniferous and chaparral fuels) can be explained using only two emission profiles: (i) a high-temperature pyrolysis profile and (ii) a low-temperature pyrolysis profile. The high-temperature profile is quantitatively similar between different fuel types (r2 > 0.84), and likewise for the low-temperature profile.
Neda Amiri, Roya Ghahreman, Ofelia Rempillo, Travis W. Tokarek, Charles A. Odame-Ankrah, Hans D. Osthoff, and Ann-Lise Norman
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7757–7780, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7757-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7757-2018, 2018
Chelsea E. Stockwell, Agnieszka Kupc, Bartłomiej Witkowski, Ranajit K. Talukdar, Yong Liu, Vanessa Selimovic, Kyle J. Zarzana, Kanako Sekimoto, Carsten Warneke, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Robert J. Yokelson, Ann M. Middlebrook, and James M. Roberts
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 2749–2768, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2749-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2749-2018, 2018
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This work investigates the total conversion of particle-bound nitrogen and organic carbon across platinum and molybdenum catalysts followed by NO–O3 chemiluminescence and nondispersive infrared CO2 detection. We show the instrument is an accurate particle mass measurement method and demonstrate its ability to calibrate particle mass measurement instrumentation through comparisons with a calibrated particle-into-liquid sampler coupled to an electrospray ionization source of a mass spectrometer.
Hans D. Osthoff, Charles A. Odame-Ankrah, Youssef M. Taha, Travis W. Tokarek, Corinne L. Schiller, Donna Haga, Keith Jones, and Roxanne Vingarzan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6293–6315, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6293-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6293-2018, 2018
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The nocturnal nitrogen oxides dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) and its heterogeneous uptake product nitryl chloride (ClNO2) can have profound impacts on air quality, yet their abundances and chemistry are only sparsely constrained by field measurements.
Here, we present the first measurements of N2O5 and ClNO2 in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Concentrations were lower than have been observed elsewhere. Morning peaks indicate higher ClNO2 production above the measurement site.
Abigail R. Koss, Kanako Sekimoto, Jessica B. Gilman, Vanessa Selimovic, Matthew M. Coggon, Kyle J. Zarzana, Bin Yuan, Brian M. Lerner, Steven S. Brown, Jose L. Jimenez, Jordan Krechmer, James M. Roberts, Carsten Warneke, Robert J. Yokelson, and Joost de Gouw
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 3299–3319, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3299-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3299-2018, 2018
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Non-methane organic gases (NMOGs) were detected by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF) during an extensive laboratory characterization of wildfire emissions. Identifications for PTR-ToF ion masses are proposed and supported by a combination of techniques. Overall excellent agreement with other instrumentation is shown. Scalable emission factors and ratios are reported for many newly reported reactive species. An analysis of chemical characteristics is presented.
Jingqiu Mao, Annmarie Carlton, Ronald C. Cohen, William H. Brune, Steven S. Brown, Glenn M. Wolfe, Jose L. Jimenez, Havala O. T. Pye, Nga Lee Ng, Lu Xu, V. Faye McNeill, Kostas Tsigaridis, Brian C. McDonald, Carsten Warneke, Alex Guenther, Matthew J. Alvarado, Joost de Gouw, Loretta J. Mickley, Eric M. Leibensperger, Rohit Mathur, Christopher G. Nolte, Robert W. Portmann, Nadine Unger, Mika Tosca, and Larry W. Horowitz
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 2615–2651, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2615-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2615-2018, 2018
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This paper is aimed at discussing progress in evaluating, diagnosing, and improving air quality and climate modeling using comparisons to SAS observations as a guide to thinking about improvements to mechanisms and parameterizations in models.
Katherine M. Manfred, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Nicholas L. Wagner, Gabriela Adler, Frank Erdesz, Caroline C. Womack, Kara D. Lamb, Joshua P. Schwarz, Alessandro Franchin, Vanessa Selimovic, Robert J. Yokelson, and Daniel M. Murphy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 1879–1894, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1879-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1879-2018, 2018
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In this study, we use a new laser imaging nephelometer to measure the bulk aerosol scattering phase function for biomass burning aerosol from controlled fires. By comparing measurements to models for spherical and fractal particles, we demonstrate that the dominant morphology varies by fuel type. This instrument has unique capabilities to directly measure how morphology affects optical properties, and can be used in the future for important validations of remote sensing retrievals.
Lihua Wang, Michael J. Newchurch, Raul J. Alvarez II, Timothy A. Berkoff, Steven S. Brown, William Carrion, Russell J. De Young, Bryan J. Johnson, Rene Ganoe, Guillaume Gronoff, Guillaume Kirgis, Shi Kuang, Andrew O. Langford, Thierry Leblanc, Erin E. McDuffie, Thomas J. McGee, Denis Pliutau, Christoph J. Senff, John T. Sullivan, Grant Sumnicht, Laurence W. Twigg, and Andrew J. Weinheimer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 3865–3876, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3865-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3865-2017, 2017
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Intercomparisons have been made between three TOLNet ozone lidars and between the lidars and other ozone instruments during the 2014 DISCOVER-AQ and FRAPPÉ campaigns in Colorado. Overall, the TOLNet lidars are capable of measuring 5 min tropospheric ozone variations with accuracy better than ±15 % in terms of their vertical resolving capability and better than ±5 % in terms of their column average measurement. These results indicate very good measurement accuracy for the three TOLNet lidars.
Bianca C. Baier, William H. Brune, David O. Miller, Donald Blake, Russell Long, Armin Wisthaler, Christopher Cantrell, Alan Fried, Brian Heikes, Steven Brown, Erin McDuffie, Frank Flocke, Eric Apel, Lisa Kaser, and Andrew Weinheimer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11273–11292, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11273-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11273-2017, 2017
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Ozone production rates were measured using the Measurement of Ozone Production Sensor (MOPS). Measurements are compared to modeled ozone production rates using two different chemical mechanisms. At high nitric oxide levels, observed rates are higher than those modeled, prompting the need to revisit current model photochemistry. These direct measurements can add to our understanding of the ozone chemistry within air quality models and can be used to guide government regulatory strategies.
Abigail Koss, Bin Yuan, Carsten Warneke, Jessica B. Gilman, Brian M. Lerner, Patrick R. Veres, Jeff Peischl, Scott Eilerman, Rob Wild, Steven S. Brown, Chelsea R. Thompson, Thomas Ryerson, Thomas Hanisco, Glenn M. Wolfe, Jason M. St. Clair, Mitchell Thayer, Frank N. Keutsch, Shane Murphy, and Joost de Gouw
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 2941–2968, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-2941-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-2941-2017, 2017
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Oil and gas extraction activity can cause air quality issues through emission of reactive chemicals. VOCs related to extraction operations in the United States were measured by PTR-ToF-MS from aircraft during the SONGNEX campaign in March–April 2015. The detailed analysis in this work provides a guide to interpreting PTR-ToF measurements in oil- and gas-producing regions, and it includes fundamental observations of VOC speciation and mixing ratios.
Christopher Chan Miller, Daniel J. Jacob, Eloise A. Marais, Karen Yu, Katherine R. Travis, Patrick S. Kim, Jenny A. Fisher, Lei Zhu, Glenn M. Wolfe, Thomas F. Hanisco, Frank N. Keutsch, Jennifer Kaiser, Kyung-Eun Min, Steven S. Brown, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Gonzalo González Abad, and Kelly Chance
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8725–8738, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8725-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8725-2017, 2017
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The use of satellite glyoxal observations for estimating isoprene emissions has been limited by knowledge of the glyoxal yield from isoprene. We use SENEX aircraft observations over the southeast US to evaluate glyoxal yields from isoprene in a 3-D atmospheric model. The SENEX observations support a pathway for glyoxal formation in pristine regions that we propose here, which may have implications for improving isoprene emissions estimates from upcoming high-resolution geostationary satellites.
Caroline C. Womack, J. Andrew Neuman, Patrick R. Veres, Scott J. Eilerman, Charles A. Brock, Zachary C. J. Decker, Kyle J. Zarzana, William P. Dube, Robert J. Wild, Paul J. Wooldridge, Ronald C. Cohen, and Steven S. Brown
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1911–1926, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1911-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1911-2017, 2017
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The accurate detection of reactive nitrogen species (NOy) is key to understanding tropospheric ozone production. Typically, NOy is detected by thermal conversion to NO2, followed by NO2 detection. Here, we assess the conversion efficiency of several NOy species to NO2 in a thermal dissociation cavity ring-down spectrometer and discuss how this conversion efficiency is affected by certain experimental conditions, such as oven residence time, and interferences from non-NOy species.
Brett B. Palm, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Douglas A. Day, Amber M. Ortega, Juliane L. Fry, Steven S. Brown, Kyle J. Zarzana, William Dube, Nicholas L. Wagner, Danielle C. Draper, Lisa Kaser, Werner Jud, Thomas Karl, Armin Hansel, Cándido Gutiérrez-Montes, and Jose L. Jimenez
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 5331–5354, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5331-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5331-2017, 2017
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Ambient forest air was oxidized by OH, O3, or NO3 inside an oxidation flow reactor, leading to formation of particulate matter from any gaseous precursors found in the air. Closure was achieved between the amount of particulate mass formed from O3 and NO3 oxidation and the amount predicted from speciated gaseous precursors, which was in contrast to previous results for OH oxidation (Palm et al., 2016). Elemental analysis of the particulate mass formed in the reactor is presented.
Nga Lee Ng, Steven S. Brown, Alexander T. Archibald, Elliot Atlas, Ronald C. Cohen, John N. Crowley, Douglas A. Day, Neil M. Donahue, Juliane L. Fry, Hendrik Fuchs, Robert J. Griffin, Marcelo I. Guzman, Hartmut Herrmann, Alma Hodzic, Yoshiteru Iinuma, José L. Jimenez, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Ben H. Lee, Deborah J. Luecken, Jingqiu Mao, Robert McLaren, Anke Mutzel, Hans D. Osthoff, Bin Ouyang, Benedicte Picquet-Varrault, Ulrich Platt, Havala O. T. Pye, Yinon Rudich, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Manabu Shiraiwa, Jochen Stutz, Joel A. Thornton, Andreas Tilgner, Brent J. Williams, and Rahul A. Zaveri
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 2103–2162, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2103-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2103-2017, 2017
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Oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds by NO3 is an important interaction between anthropogenic
and natural emissions. This review results from a June 2015 workshop and includes the recent literature
on kinetics, mechanisms, organic aerosol yields, and heterogeneous chemistry; advances in analytical
instrumentation; the current state NO3-BVOC chemistry in atmospheric models; and critical needs for
future research in modeling, field observations, and laboratory studies.
Hendrik Fuchs, Zhaofeng Tan, Keding Lu, Birger Bohn, Sebastian Broch, Steven S. Brown, Huabin Dong, Sebastian Gomm, Rolf Häseler, Lingyan He, Andreas Hofzumahaus, Frank Holland, Xin Li, Ying Liu, Sihua Lu, Kyung-Eun Min, Franz Rohrer, Min Shao, Baolin Wang, Ming Wang, Yusheng Wu, Limin Zeng, Yinson Zhang, Andreas Wahner, and Yuanhang Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 645–661, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-645-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-645-2017, 2017
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OH reactivity was measured during a 1-month long campaign at a rural site in the North China Plain in 2014. OH reactivity measurements are compared to calculations using OH reactant measurements. Good agreement is found indicating that all important OH reactants were measured. In addition, the chemical OH budget is analyzed. In contrast to previous campaigns in China in 2006, no significant imbalance between OH production and destruction is found.
Maria Zatko, Joseph Erbland, Joel Savarino, Lei Geng, Lauren Easley, Andrew Schauer, Timothy Bates, Patricia K. Quinn, Bonnie Light, David Morison, Hans D. Osthoff, Seth Lyman, William Neff, Bin Yuan, and Becky Alexander
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 13837–13851, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13837-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13837-2016, 2016
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This manuscript presents chemical and optical observations collected in the air and snow during UBWOS2014 in eastern Utah. These observations are used to calculate fluxes of reactive nitrogen associated with snow nitrate photolysis. Snow-sourced reactive nitrogen fluxes are compared to reactive nitrogen emission inventories to find that snow-sourced reactive nitrogen is a minor contributor to the reactive nitrogen budget, and thus wintertime ground-level ozone formation, in the Uintah Basin.
J. Kaiser, K. M. Skog, K. Baumann, S. B. Bertman, S. B. Brown, W. H. Brune, J. D. Crounse, J. A. de Gouw, E. S. Edgerton, P. A. Feiner, A. H. Goldstein, A. Koss, P. K. Misztal, T. B. Nguyen, K. F. Olson, J. M. St. Clair, A. P. Teng, S. Toma, P. O. Wennberg, R. J. Wild, L. Zhang, and F. N. Keutsch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 9349–9359, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9349-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9349-2016, 2016
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OH reactivity can be used to assess the amount of reactive carbon in an air mass. “Missing” reactivity is commonly found in forested environments and is attributed to either direct emissions of unmeasured volatile organic compounds or to unmeasured/underpredicted oxidation products. Using a box model and measurements from the 2013 SOAS campaign, we find only small discrepancies in measured and calculated reactivity. Our results suggest the discrepancies stem from unmeasured direct emissions.
Carsten Warneke, Michael Trainer, Joost A. de Gouw, David D. Parrish, David W. Fahey, A. R. Ravishankara, Ann M. Middlebrook, Charles A. Brock, James M. Roberts, Steven S. Brown, Jonathan A. Neuman, Brian M. Lerner, Daniel Lack, Daniel Law, Gerhard Hübler, Iliana Pollack, Steven Sjostedt, Thomas B. Ryerson, Jessica B. Gilman, Jin Liao, John Holloway, Jeff Peischl, John B. Nowak, Kenneth C. Aikin, Kyung-Eun Min, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Martin G. Graus, Mathew Richardson, Milos Z. Markovic, Nick L. Wagner, André Welti, Patrick R. Veres, Peter Edwards, Joshua P. Schwarz, Timothy Gordon, William P. Dube, Stuart A. McKeen, Jerome Brioude, Ravan Ahmadov, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Jack J. Lin, Athanasios Nenes, Glenn M. Wolfe, Thomas F. Hanisco, Ben H. Lee, Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker, Joel A. Thornton, Frank N. Keutsch, Jennifer Kaiser, Jingqiu Mao, and Courtney D. Hatch
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 3063–3093, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3063-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3063-2016, 2016
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In this paper we describe the experimental approach, the science goals and early results of the NOAA SENEX campaign, which was focused on studying the interactions between biogenic and anthropogenic emissions to form secondary pollutants.
During SENEX, the NOAA WP-3D aircraft conducted 20 research flights between 27 May and 10 July 2013 based out of Smyrna, TN. The SENEX flights included day- and nighttime flights in the Southeast as well as flights over areas with intense shale gas extraction.
Paul S. Romer, Kaitlin C. Duffey, Paul J. Wooldridge, Hannah M. Allen, Benjamin R. Ayres, Steven S. Brown, William H. Brune, John D. Crounse, Joost de Gouw, Danielle C. Draper, Philip A. Feiner, Juliane L. Fry, Allen H. Goldstein, Abigail Koss, Pawel K. Misztal, Tran B. Nguyen, Kevin Olson, Alex P. Teng, Paul O. Wennberg, Robert J. Wild, Li Zhang, and Ronald C. Cohen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7623–7637, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7623-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7623-2016, 2016
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The lifetime of nitrogen oxides (NOx) is evaluated by analysis of field measurements from the southeastern United States. At warm temperatures in the daytime boundary layer, NOx interconverts rapidly with both PAN and alkyl and multifunctional nitrates (RONO2), and the relevant lifetime is the combined lifetime of these three classes. We find that the production of RONO2, followed by hydrolysis to produce nitric acid, is the dominant pathway for NOx removal in an isoprene dominated forest.
Charles A. Brock, Nicholas L. Wagner, Bruce E. Anderson, Alexis R. Attwood, Andreas Beyersdorf, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Annmarie G. Carlton, Douglas A. Day, Glenn S. Diskin, Timothy D. Gordon, Jose L. Jimenez, Daniel A. Lack, Jin Liao, Milos Z. Markovic, Ann M. Middlebrook, Nga L. Ng, Anne E. Perring, Matthews S. Richardson, Joshua P. Schwarz, Rebecca A. Washenfelder, Andre Welti, Lu Xu, Luke D. Ziemba, and Daniel M. Murphy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4987–5007, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4987-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4987-2016, 2016
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Microscopic pollution particles make the atmosphere look hazy and also cool the earth by sending sunlight back to space. When the air is moist, these particles swell with water and scatter even more sunlight. We showed that particles formed from organic material – which dominates particulate pollution in the southeastern U.S. – does not take up water very effectively, toward the low end of most previous studies. We also found a better way to mathematically describe this swelling process.
Bin Yuan, John Liggio, Jeremy Wentzell, Shao-Meng Li, Harald Stark, James M. Roberts, Jessica Gilman, Brian Lerner, Carsten Warneke, Rui Li, Amy Leithead, Hans D. Osthoff, Robert Wild, Steven S. Brown, and Joost A. de Gouw
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 2139–2153, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2139-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2139-2016, 2016
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We describe high-resolution measurements of nitrated phenols using a time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (ToF-CIMS). Strong diurnal profiles were observed for nitrated phenols, with concentration maxima at night. Box model simulations were able to reproduce the measured nitrated phenols.
K.-E. Min, R. A. Washenfelder, W. P. Dubé, A. O. Langford, P. M. Edwards, K. J. Zarzana, J. Stutz, K. Lu, F. Rohrer, Y. Zhang, and S. S. Brown
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 423–440, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-423-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-423-2016, 2016
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We have developed a two-channel broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectrometer for field measurements of glyoxal, methylglyoxal, nitrous acid, nitrogen dioxide, and water. We have successfully deployed this instrument during two aircraft and two ground-based field campaigns. The demonstrated precision (2σ) for retrievals of CHOCHO, HONO, and NO2 are 34, 350, and 80 parts per trillion (pptv) in 5 s, with accuracy of 5.8, 9.0 and 5.0 %.
R. J. Wild, P. M. Edwards, T. S. Bates, R. C. Cohen, J. A. de Gouw, W. P. Dubé, J. B. Gilman, J. Holloway, J. Kercher, A. R. Koss, L. Lee, B. M. Lerner, R. McLaren, P. K. Quinn, J. M. Roberts, J. Stutz, J. A. Thornton, P. R. Veres, C. Warneke, E. Williams, C. J. Young, B. Yuan, K. J. Zarzana, and S. S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 573–583, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-573-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-573-2016, 2016
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High wintertime ozone levels have been observed in the Uintah Basin, Utah, a sparsely populated rural region with intensive oil and gas operations. The reactive nitrogen budget plays an important role in tropospheric ozone formation, and we find that nighttime chemistry has a large effect on its partitioning. Much of the oxidation of reactive nitrogen during a high-ozone year occurred via heterogeneous uptake onto aerosol at night, keeping NOx at concentrations comparable to a low-ozone year.
R. A. Washenfelder, A. R. Attwood, J. M. Flores, K. J. Zarzana, Y. Rudich, and S. S. Brown
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 41–52, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-41-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-41-2016, 2016
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Formaldehyde is the most abundant aldehyde in the atmosphere and plays an important role in photochemistry. Broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy uses a high finesse cavity to obtain effective path lengths of kilometers. We use a diode-pumped plasma lamp and custom cavity mirrors to extend this technique further into the ultraviolet spectral region, and we achieve detection limits of hundreds of parts per trillion in 1 min for formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide.
B. R. Ayres, H. M. Allen, D. C. Draper, S. S. Brown, R. J. Wild, J. L. Jimenez, D. A. Day, P. Campuzano-Jost, W. Hu, J. de Gouw, A. Koss, R. C. Cohen, K. C. Duffey, P. Romer, K. Baumann, E. Edgerton, S. Takahama, J. A. Thornton, B. H. Lee, F. D. Lopez-Hilfiker, C. Mohr, P. O. Wennberg, T. B. Nguyen, A. Teng, A. H. Goldstein, K. Olson, and J. L. Fry
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 13377–13392, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13377-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13377-2015, 2015
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This paper reports atmospheric gas- and aerosol-phase field measurements from the southeastern United States in summer 2013 to demonstrate that the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds by nitrate radical produces a substantial amount of secondary organic aerosol in this region. This process, driven largely by monoterpenes, results in a comparable aerosol nitrate production rate to inorganic nitrate formation by heterogeneous uptake of HNO3 onto dust particles.
L. Lee, P. J. Wooldridge, J. deGouw, S. S. Brown, T. S. Bates, P. K. Quinn, and R. C. Cohen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 9313–9325, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-9313-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-9313-2015, 2015
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Secondary organic aerosol affects both the environment and human health. We characterized the aerosol composition in Uintah Basin by measuring the concentration of nitrooxy group moiety which is produced through chemical interaction of volatile organic compounds and NOx emitted largely from local human activity. We found nitrooxy compounds to be a persistent, if not dominant, portion of fine aerosol mass. Similar results may be expected from emissions due to traffic in cities.
P. R. Veres, J. M. Roberts, R. J. Wild, P. M. Edwards, S. S. Brown, T. S. Bates, P. K. Quinn, J. E. Johnson, R. J. Zamora, and J. de Gouw
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 8101–8114, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8101-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8101-2015, 2015
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In this paper laboratory work is documented establishing iodide ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (I- CIMS) as a sensitive method for the unambiguous detection of peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2; PNA). A dynamic calibration source for HO2NO2, HO2, and HONO was developed and calibrated using a novel total NOy detector (NOy CaRDS). The ambient observations of HO2NO2 using I- CIMS made during the 2013 and 2014 Uintah Basin Wintertime Ozone Study (UBWOS) are presented.
J. Kaiser, G. M. Wolfe, K. E. Min, S. S. Brown, C. C. Miller, D. J. Jacob, J. A. deGouw, M. Graus, T. F. Hanisco, J. Holloway, J. Peischl, I. B. Pollack, T. B. Ryerson, C. Warneke, R. A. Washenfelder, and F. N. Keutsch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 7571–7583, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7571-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7571-2015, 2015
N. D. Rider, Y. M. Taha, C. A. Odame-Ankrah, J. A. Huo, T. W. Tokarek, E. Cairns, S. G. Moussa, J. Liggio, and H. D. Osthoff
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 2737–2748, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2737-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2737-2015, 2015
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A photochemical source of peroxycarboxylic nitric anhydrides (PANs) in which a dialkyl ketone (acetone, diethyl-, di-isopropyl, or di-n-propyl ketone) in the presence of oxygen and nitric oxide is photodissociated by arrays of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) is described. The source output was analyzed by gas chromatography and thermal dissociation cavity ring-down spectroscopy and modeled using the Master Chemical Mechanism.
P. L. Hayes, A. G. Carlton, K. R. Baker, R. Ahmadov, R. A. Washenfelder, S. Alvarez, B. Rappenglück, J. B. Gilman, W. C. Kuster, J. A. de Gouw, P. Zotter, A. S. H. Prévôt, S. Szidat, T. E. Kleindienst, J. H. Offenberg, P. K. Ma, and J. L. Jimenez
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5773–5801, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5773-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5773-2015, 2015
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(1) Four different parameterizations for the formation and chemical evolution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are evaluated using a box model representing the Los Angeles region during the CalNex campaign.
(2) The SOA formed only from the oxidation of VOCs is insufficient to explain the observed SOA concentrations.
(3) The amount of SOA mass formed from diesel vehicle emissions is estimated to be 16-27%.
(4) Modeled SOA depends strongly on the P-S/IVOC volatility distribution.
A. R. Koss, J. de Gouw, C. Warneke, J. B. Gilman, B. M. Lerner, M. Graus, B. Yuan, P. Edwards, S. S. Brown, R. Wild, J. M. Roberts, T. S. Bates, and P. K. Quinn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5727–5741, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5727-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5727-2015, 2015
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Extraction of natural gas and oil is associated with a range of possible atmospheric environmental issues. Here we present an analysis of gas-phase hydrocarbon measurements taken in an oil and natural gas extraction area in Utah during a period of high wintertime ozone. We are able to constrain important chemical parameters related to emission sources and rates, hydrocarbon photochemistry, and VOC composition.
P. A. Cleary, N. Fuhrman, L. Schulz, J. Schafer, J. Fillingham, H. Bootsma, J. McQueen, Y. Tang, T. Langel, S. McKeen, E. J. Williams, and S. S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5109–5122, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5109-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5109-2015, 2015
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This study examines ozone mixing ratios over Lake Michigan as measured on the Lake Express ferry, by shoreline differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) observations in southeastern Wisconsin, and as predicted by the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Over water, ozone was determined to be an average of 3.8ppb higher than shoreline observations but overpredicted by the CMAQ model by as much as 11-16ppb midday.
B. Yuan, P. R. Veres, C. Warneke, J. M. Roberts, J. B. Gilman, A. Koss, P. M. Edwards, M. Graus, W. C. Kuster, S.-M. Li, R. J. Wild, S. S. Brown, W. P. Dubé, B. M. Lerner, E. J. Williams, J. E. Johnson, P. K. Quinn, T. S. Bates, B. Lefer, P. L. Hayes, J. L. Jimenez, R. J. Weber, R. Zamora, B. Ervens, D. B. Millet, B. Rappenglück, and J. A. de Gouw
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 1975–1993, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1975-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-1975-2015, 2015
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In this work, secondary formation of formic acid at an urban site and a site in an oil and gas production region is studied. We investigated various gas phase formation pathways of formic acid, including those recently proposed, using a box model. The contributions from aerosol-related processes, fog events and air-snow exchange to formic acid are also quantified.
R. Ahmadov, S. McKeen, M. Trainer, R. Banta, A. Brewer, S. Brown, P. M. Edwards, J. A. de Gouw, G. J. Frost, J. Gilman, D. Helmig, B. Johnson, A. Karion, A. Koss, A. Langford, B. Lerner, J. Olson, S. Oltmans, J. Peischl, G. Pétron, Y. Pichugina, J. M. Roberts, T. Ryerson, R. Schnell, C. Senff, C. Sweeney, C. Thompson, P. R. Veres, C. Warneke, R. Wild, E. J. Williams, B. Yuan, and R. Zamora
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 411–429, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-411-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-411-2015, 2015
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High 2013 wintertime O3 pollution events associated with oil/gas production within the Uinta Basin are studied using a 3D model. It's able quantitatively to reproduce these events using emission estimates of O3 precursors based on ambient measurements (top-down approach), but unable to reproduce them using a recent bottom-up emission inventory for the oil/gas industry. The role of various physical and meteorological processes, chemical species and pathways contributing to high O3 are quantified.
C. Warneke, F. Geiger, P. M. Edwards, W. Dube, G. Pétron, J. Kofler, A. Zahn, S. S. Brown, M. Graus, J. B. Gilman, B. M. Lerner, J. Peischl, T. B. Ryerson, J. A. de Gouw, and J. M. Roberts
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10977–10988, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10977-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10977-2014, 2014
T. W. Tokarek, J. A. Huo, C. A. Odame-Ankrah, D. Hammoud, Y. M. Taha, and H. D. Osthoff
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 3263–3283, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-3263-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-3263-2014, 2014
C. Knote, A. Hodzic, J. L. Jimenez, R. Volkamer, J. J. Orlando, S. Baidar, J. Brioude, J. Fast, D. R. Gentner, A. H. Goldstein, P. L. Hayes, W. B. Knighton, H. Oetjen, A. Setyan, H. Stark, R. Thalman, G. Tyndall, R. Washenfelder, E. Waxman, and Q. Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6213–6239, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6213-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6213-2014, 2014
T. P. Riedel, G. M. Wolfe, K. T. Danas, J. B. Gilman, W. C. Kuster, D. M. Bon, A. Vlasenko, S.-M. Li, E. J. Williams, B. M. Lerner, P. R. Veres, J. M. Roberts, J. S. Holloway, B. Lefer, S. S. Brown, and J. A. Thornton
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3789–3800, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3789-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3789-2014, 2014
C. J. Young, R. A. Washenfelder, P. M. Edwards, D. D. Parrish, J. B. Gilman, W. C. Kuster, L. H. Mielke, H. D. Osthoff, C. Tsai, O. Pikelnaya, J. Stutz, P. R. Veres, J. M. Roberts, S. Griffith, S. Dusanter, P. S. Stevens, J. Flynn, N. Grossberg, B. Lefer, J. S. Holloway, J. Peischl, T. B. Ryerson, E. L. Atlas, D. R. Blake, and S. S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3427–3440, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3427-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3427-2014, 2014
C. L. Hagen, B. C. Lee, I. S. Franka, J. L. Rath, T. C. VandenBoer, J. M. Roberts, S. S. Brown, and A. P. Yalin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 345–357, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-345-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-345-2014, 2014
S. S. Brown, W. P. Dubé, R. Bahreini, A. M. Middlebrook, C. A. Brock, C. Warneke, J. A. de Gouw, R. A. Washenfelder, E. Atlas, J. Peischl, T. B. Ryerson, J. S. Holloway, J. P. Schwarz, R. Spackman, M. Trainer, D. D. Parrish, F. C. Fehshenfeld, and A. R. Ravishankara
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 11317–11337, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-11317-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-11317-2013, 2013
P. M. Edwards, C. J. Young, K. Aikin, J. deGouw, W. P. Dubé, F. Geiger, J. Gilman, D. Helmig, J. S. Holloway, J. Kercher, B. Lerner, R. Martin, R. McLaren, D. D. Parrish, J. Peischl, J. M. Roberts, T. B. Ryerson, J. Thornton, C. Warneke, E. J. Williams, and S. S. Brown
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 8955–8971, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8955-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8955-2013, 2013
J. L. Fry, D. C. Draper, K. J. Zarzana, P. Campuzano-Jost, D. A. Day, J. L. Jimenez, S. S. Brown, R. C. Cohen, L. Kaser, A. Hansel, L. Cappellin, T. Karl, A. Hodzic Roux, A. Turnipseed, C. Cantrell, B. L. Lefer, and N. Grossberg
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 8585–8605, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8585-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8585-2013, 2013
H.-P. Dorn, R. L. Apodaca, S. M. Ball, T. Brauers, S. S. Brown, J. N. Crowley, W. P. Dubé, H. Fuchs, R. Häseler, U. Heitmann, R. L. Jones, A. Kiendler-Scharr, I. Labazan, J. M. Langridge, J. Meinen, T. F. Mentel, U. Platt, D. Pöhler, F. Rohrer, A. A. Ruth, E. Schlosser, G. Schuster, A. J. L. Shillings, W. R. Simpson, J. Thieser, R. Tillmann, R. Varma, D. S. Venables, and A. Wahner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 1111–1140, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1111-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1111-2013, 2013
R. A. Washenfelder, J. M. Flores, C. A. Brock, S. S. Brown, and Y. Rudich
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 861–877, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-861-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-861-2013, 2013
J. Brioude, W. M. Angevine, R. Ahmadov, S.-W. Kim, S. Evan, S. A. McKeen, E.-Y. Hsie, G. J. Frost, J. A. Neuman, I. B. Pollack, J. Peischl, T. B. Ryerson, J. Holloway, S. S. Brown, J. B. Nowak, J. M. Roberts, S. C. Wofsy, G. W. Santoni, T. Oda, and M. Trainer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 3661–3677, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-3661-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-3661-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Gases | Technique: Laboratory Measurement | Topic: Instruments and Platforms
The determination of ClNO2 via thermal dissociation–tunable infrared laser direct absorption spectroscopy
Accuracy of tracer-based methane flux quantification: underlying impact of calibrating acetylene measurements
Triple oxygen isotope composition of CO2 in the upper troposphere and stratosphere
Influence of ambient NO and NO2 on the quantification of total peroxy nitrates (ΣPNs) and total alkyl nitrates (ΣANs) by thermal dissociation cavity ring-down spectroscopy (TD-CRDS)
Enhancing forest air sampling using a novel reusable ozone filter design
Identifying key parameters that affect sensitivity of flow tube chemical ionization mass spectrometers
Product ion distributions using H3O+ proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS): mechanisms, transmission effects, and instrument-to-instrument variability
Simultaneous measurement of greenhouse gases (CH4, CO2 and N2O) using a simplified gas chromatography system
A new portable sampler of atmospheric methane for radiocarbon measurements
A relaxed eddy accumulation flask sampling system for 14C-based partitioning of fossil and non-fossil CO2 fluxes
High-precision oxygen isotope (δ18O) measurements of atmospheric dioxygen using optical-feedback cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (OF-CEAS)
Water vapor stable isotope memory effects of common tubing materials
Evaluation of a reduced-pressure chemical ion reactor utilizing adduct ionization for the detection of gaseous organic and inorganic species
Ammonium CI-Orbitrap: a tool for characterizing the reactivity of oxygenated organic molecules
A high-accuracy dynamic dilution method for generating reference gas mixtures of carbonyl sulfide at sub-nanomole-per-mole levels for long-term atmospheric observation
Optimizing the iodide-adduct chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) quantitative method for toluene oxidation intermediates: experimental insights into functional-group differences
Characterization of a new Teflon chamber and on-line analysis of isomeric multifunctional photooxidation products
A versatile water vapor generation module for vapor isotope calibration and liquid isotope measurements
Extraction, purification, and clumped isotope analysis of methane (Δ13CDH3 and Δ12CD2H2) from sources and the atmosphere
Response of protonated, adduct, and fragmented ions in Vocus proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS)
Absorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by polymer tubing: implications for indoor air and use as a simple gas-phase volatility separation technique
A flexible device to produce a gas stream with a precisely controlled water vapour mixing ratio and isotope composition based on microdrop dispensing technology
Revision of an open-split-based dual-inlet system for elemental and isotope ratio mass spectrometers with a focus on clumped-isotope measurements
Characterisation of gaseous iodine species detection using the multi-scheme chemical ionisation inlet 2 with bromide and nitrate chemical ionisation methods
A novel inlet for enriching concentrations of reactive organic gases in low sampling flows
Characterizing the automatic radon flux transfer standard system Autoflux: laboratory calibration and field experiments
Influence of ozone and humidity on PTR-MS and GC-MS VOC measurements with and without a Na2S2O3 ozone scrubber
Laser-induced sublimation extraction for centimeter-resolution multi-species greenhouse gas analysis on ice cores
Ozone reactivity measurement of biogenic volatile organic compound emissions
Comparison of two photolytic calibration methods for nitrous acid
Measurement of enantiomer percentages for five monoterpenes from six conifer species by cartridge-tube-based passive sampling adsorption–thermal desorption (ps-ATD)
Identification, monitoring, and reaction kinetics of reactive trace species using time-resolved mid-infrared quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy: development, characterisation, and initial results for the CH2OO Criegee intermediate
Air pollution monitoring: development of ammonia (NH3) dynamic reference gas mixtures at nanomoles per mole levels to improve the lack of traceability of measurements
Formaldehyde and glyoxal measurement deploying a selected ion flow tube mass spectrometer (SIFT-MS)
Fragmentation inside proton-transfer-reaction-based mass spectrometers limits the detection of ROOR and ROOH peroxides
MULTICHARME: a modified Chernin-type multi-pass cell designed for IR and THz long-path absorption measurements in the CHARME atmospheric simulation chamber
Silicone tube humidity generator
A source for the continuous generation of pure and quantifiable HONO mixtures
Photochemical method for removing methane interference for improved gas analysis
A simulation chamber for absorption spectroscopy in planetary atmospheres
An automated system for trace gas flux measurements from plant foliage and other plant compartments
Simultaneous measurement of δ13C, δ18O and δ17O of atmospheric CO2 – performance assessment of a dual-laser absorption spectrometer
Measurement of iodine species and sulfuric acid using bromide chemical ionization mass spectrometers
A method for resolving changes in atmospheric He ∕ N2 as an indicator of fossil fuel extraction and stratospheric circulation
Application of chemical derivatization techniques combined with chemical ionization mass spectrometry to detect stabilized Criegee intermediates and peroxy radicals in the gas phase
Atomic emission detector with gas chromatographic separation and cryogenic pre-concentration (CryoTrap–GC–AED) for atmospheric trace gas measurements
New technique for high-precision, simultaneous measurements of CH4, N2O and CO2 concentrations; isotopic and elemental ratios of N2, O2 and Ar; and total air content in ice cores by wet extraction
High-precision laser spectrometer for multiple greenhouse gas analysis in 1 mL air from ice core samples
A thermal-dissociation–cavity ring-down spectrometer (TD-CRDS) for the detection of organic nitrates in gas and particle phases
Interference from alkenes in chemiluminescent NOx measurements
John W. Halfacre, Lewis Marden, Marvin D. Shaw, Lucy J. Carpenter, Emily Matthews, Thomas J. Bannan, Hugh Coe, Scott C. Herndon, Joseph R. Roscioli, Christoph Dyroff, Tara I. Yacovitch, Patrick R. Veres, Michael A. Robinson, Steven S. Brown, and Pete M. Edwards
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3799–3818, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3799-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3799-2025, 2025
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Nitryl chloride (ClNO2) is a reservoir of chlorine atoms and nitrogen oxides, both of which play important roles in atmospheric chemistry. However, all ambient ClNO2 observations so far have been made by a single technique, mass spectrometry, which needs complex calibrations. Here, we present a laser-based method that detects ClNO2 (TD-TILDAS – thermal dissociation–tunable infrared laser direct absorption spectrometry) without the need for complicated calibrations. The results show excellent agreement between these two methods from both laboratory and ambient samples.
Adil Shah, Olivier Laurent, Pramod Kumar, Grégoire Broquet, Loïc Loigerot, Timothé Depelchin, Mathis Lozano, Camille Yver Kwok, Carole Philippon, Clément Romand, Elisa Allegrini, Matthieu Trombetti, and Philippe Ciais
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3425–3451, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3425-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3425-2025, 2025
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Acetylene mole fraction measurements from the Picarro G2203 were characterised. Abnormal sensor behaviour was observed in wet conditions. A dry linear calibration was derived, although this was invalid below 1.2 ppb due to unstable measurements. The instrument was used to measure acetylene as a methane tracer at a landfill site. Fluxes were derived from 14 downwind transects using both raw and calibrated acetylene mole fraction, with raw measurements resulting in 8 % flux underestimation.
Getachew Agmuas Adnew, Gerbrand Koren, Neha Mehendale, Sergey Gromov, Maarten Krol, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2701–2719, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2701-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2701-2025, 2025
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This study presents high-precision measurements of ∆′17O(CO2). Key findings include the extension of the N2O–∆′17O correlation to the upper troposphere and the identification of significant differences in the N2O–∆′17O slope in StratoClim samples. Additionally, the ∆′17O measurements are used to estimate global stratospheric production and surface removal of ∆′17O, providing an independent estimate of global vegetation CO2 exchange.
Laura Wüst, Patrick Dewald, Gunther N. T. E. Türk, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1943–1959, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1943-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1943-2025, 2025
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Detection of NO2 via cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) after thermal dissociation (TD) of alkyl and peroxy nitrates can be used to detect total atmospheric organic nitrates originating from the interaction between biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides of anthropogenic origin. Here we present an improved TD-CRDS technique that avoids systematic bias resulting from secondary chemistry in the heated inlets and that can be deployed in regions with strong biogenic emissions.
Robby Rynek, Thomas Mayer, and Helko Borsdorf
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1387, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1387, 2025
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A novel, reusable ozone filter design for the monitoring of biogenic volatile organic compounds using sorbent tubes and multi-tube samplers was evaluated. The ozone filters proved high efficiency in retaining high recovery rates across different environmental relevant levels of relative humidity and ozone concentrations, while safeguarding the sorbent material, both in laboratory and field experiments. The filter design has the advantage of not requiring additional equipment or regular checks.
Sneha Aggarwal, Priyanka Bansal, Yuwei Wang, Spiro Jorga, Gabrielle Macgregor, Urs Rohner, Thomas Bannan, Matthew Salter, Paul Zieger, Claudia Mohr, and Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-696, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-696, 2025
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Chemical ionization mass spectrometers used for trace gas analysis can be operated at various conditions, complicating quantitative comparisons. We evaluate sensitivity dependence on relatively few key instrument parameters and show that when these are held constant, consistent performance is achieved. We show that the maximum sensitivity of a given flow tube reactor across various reagent ion chemistries is a constant, which aids in the quantification of compounds lacking analytical standards.
Michael F. Link, Megan S. Claflin, Christina E. Cecelski, Ayomide A. Akande, Delaney Kilgour, Paul A. Heine, Matthew Coggon, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Andrew Jensen, Jie Yu, Han N. Huynh, Jenna C. Ditto, Carsten Warneke, William Dresser, Keighan Gemmell, Spiro Jorga, Rileigh L. Robertson, Joost de Gouw, Timothy Bertram, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, Nadine Borduas-Dedekind, and Dustin Poppendieck
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1013–1038, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1013-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1013-2025, 2025
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Proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) is widely used for the measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) both indoors and outdoors. An analytical challenge for PTR-MS measurements is the formation of unintended measurement interferences, product ion distributions (PIDs), that may appear in the data as VOCs of interest. We developed a method for quantifying PID formation and use interlaboratory comparison data to put quantitative constraints on PID formation.
Michał Bucha, Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, and Piotr Wójtowicz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 897–908, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-897-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-897-2025, 2025
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We present a method for the determination of greenhouse gases (CH4, CO2, N2O) using a chromatographic system with a barrier ion discharge detector (BID) and a Carboxen 1010 capillary column. The system omits the need for an electron capture detector (ECD) containing radiogenic components for N2O analysis and a flame ionisation detector (FID) with a methaniser for CO2 samples. This simplification reduces analytical costs, facilitates instrument maintenance and improves measurement robustness.
Giulia Zazzeri, Lukas Wacker, Negar Haghipour, Philip Gautschi, Thomas Laemmel, Sönke Szidat, and Heather Graven
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 319–325, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-319-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-319-2025, 2025
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Radiocarbon (14C) is an optimal tracer of methane (CH4) emissions, as 14C measurements enable distinguishing between fossil methane and biogenic methane. However, these measurements are particularly challenging, mainly due to technical difficulties in the sampling procedure. We made the sample extraction much simpler and time efficient, providing a new technology that can be used by any research group, with the goal of expanding 14C measurements for an improved understanding of methane sources.
Ann-Kristin Kunz, Lars Borchardt, Andreas Christen, Julian Della Coletta, Markus Eritt, Xochilt Gutiérrez, Josh Hashemi, Rainer Hilland, Armin Jordan, Richard Kneißl, Virgile Legendre, Ingeborg Levin, Susanne Preunkert, Pascal Rubli, Stavros Stagakis, and Samuel Hammer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3175, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3175, 2025
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We present, to our knowledge, the first relaxed eddy accumulation system explicitly tailored to a radiocarbon (14C)-based partitioning of fossil and non-fossil urban CO2 fluxes. Laboratory tests and in-depth quality and performance checks prove that the system meets the technical requirements. A pilot application on a tall-tower in the city of Zurich, Switzerland, demonstrates the ability to separate fossil and non-fossil CO2 fluxes within the typical precision of 14C measurements.
Clément Piel, Daniele Romanini, Morgane Farradèche, Justin Chaillot, Clémence Paul, Nicolas Bienville, Thomas Lauwers, Joana Sauze, Kévin Jaulin, Frédéric Prié, and Amaëlle Landais
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6647–6658, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6647-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6647-2024, 2024
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This paper introduces a new optical gas analyzer based on an optical-feedback cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (OF-CEAS) technique enabling high-temporal-resolution and high-precision measurements of oxygen isotopes (δ18O) and dioxygen (O2) concentration of atmospheric O2 (respectively 0.06 ‰ and 0.002 % over 10 min integration). The results underscore the good agreement with isotope ratio mass spectrometry measurements and the ability of the instrument to monitor biological processes.
Alexandra L. Meyer and Lisa R. Welp
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6193–6212, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6193-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6193-2024, 2024
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Water molecules stick to air intake tubing wall surfaces, smoothing measurements of fast isotopic variability in the atmosphere. We tested this stickiness and saw small differences in isotopic signal speed between materials, tubing inner dimensions, and isotopic switch direction, although no consistent temperature effects. Researchers can confidently compare measurements across observation systems using different commonly used tubing materials and plan for optimal inlet designs of new systems.
Matthieu Riva, Veronika Pospisilova, Carla Frege, Sebastien Perrier, Priyanka Bansal, Spiro Jorga, Patrick Sturm, Joel A. Thornton, Urs Rohner, and Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5887–5901, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5887-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5887-2024, 2024
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We present a newly designed reduced-pressure chemical ionization reactor for detection of gas-phase organic and inorganic species. The system operates through the combined use of vacuum ultraviolet ionization and photosensitizers to generate numerous adduct ionization schemes. As a result, it offers the ability to simultaneously measure a wide variety of organic and inorganic species in terms of compound volatility and functionality, while being largely independent of changes in sample humidity.
Dandan Li, Dongyu Wang, Lucia Caudillo, Wiebke Scholz, Mingyi Wang, Sophie Tomaz, Guillaume Marie, Mihnea Surdu, Elias Eccli, Xianda Gong, Loic Gonzalez-Carracedo, Manuel Granzin, Joschka Pfeifer, Birte Rörup, Benjamin Schulze, Pekka Rantala, Sébastien Perrier, Armin Hansel, Joachim Curtius, Jasper Kirkby, Neil M. Donahue, Christian George, Imad El-Haddad, and Matthieu Riva
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5413–5428, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5413-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5413-2024, 2024
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Due to the analytical challenges of measuring organic vapors, it remains challenging to identify and quantify organic molecules present in the atmosphere. Here, we explore the performance of the Orbitrap chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CI-Orbitrap) using ammonium ion chemistry. This study shows that ammonium-ion-based chemistry associated with the high mass resolution of the Orbitrap mass analyzer can measure almost all inclusive compounds.
Hideki Nara, Takuya Saito, Taku Umezawa, and Yasunori Tohjima
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5187–5200, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5187-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5187-2024, 2024
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We have developed a high-accuracy dynamic dilution system for generating reference gas mixtures containing carbonyl sulfide (COS). Although COS at ambient levels generally has poor storage stability, our approach involves the dilution of a gas mixture containing micromole-per-mole levels of COS, the stability of which was validated for more than 1 decade. The developed system has excellent dilution performance and will facilitate accurate instrumental calibration for atmospheric COS observation.
Mengdi Song, Shuyu He, Xin Li, Ying Liu, Shengrong Lou, Sihua Lu, Limin Zeng, and Yuanhang Zhang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5113–5127, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5113-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5113-2024, 2024
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We introduce detailed and improved quantitation and semi-quantitation methods of iodide-adduct time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (I-CIMS) to measure toluene oxidation intermediates. We assess the experimental sensitivity of various functional group species and their binding energy with iodide ions in I-CIMS. A novel classification approach was introduced to significantly enhance the accuracy of semi-quantitative methods (improving R2 values from 0.52 to beyond 0.88).
Finja Löher, Esther Borrás, Amalia Muñoz, and Anke Christine Nölscher
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4553–4579, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4553-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4553-2024, 2024
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We constructed and characterized a new indoor Teflon atmospheric simulation chamber. We evaluated wall losses, photolysis rates, and secondary reactions of multifunctional photooxidation products in the chamber. To measure these products on-line, we combined chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses to obtain both isomeric information and a high temporal resolution. For method validation, we studied the formation yields of the main ring-retaining products of toluene.
Hans Christian Steen-Larsen and Daniele Zannoni
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4391–4409, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4391-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4391-2024, 2024
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The water vapor generation module is completely scalable, allowing autonomous calibrations to use N standards and providing integration times only restricted by sample availability. We document improved reproducibility in 17O-excess liquid measurements. This module makes spectroscopy measurements comparable to mass spectrometry. We document that the vapor generation module can be used to analyze instrument performance and for vapor isotope calibration during field campaign measurements.
Malavika Sivan, Thomas Röckmann, Carina van der Veen, and Maria Elena Popa
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2687–2705, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2687-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2687-2024, 2024
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We have set up a measurement system for methane-clumped isotopologues. We have built an extraction and purification system to extract pure methane for these measurements, for samples of various origins, including atmospheric air, for which we need to process about 1000 L of air for one measurement. We report here the technical setup for extraction and measurements, as well as the calibration, and we give an overview of the samples measured so far.
Fangbing Li, Dan Dan Huang, Linhui Tian, Bin Yuan, Wen Tan, Liang Zhu, Penglin Ye, Douglas Worsnop, Ka In Hoi, Kai Meng Mok, and Yong Jie Li
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2415–2427, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2415-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2415-2024, 2024
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The responses of protonated, adduct, and fragmented ions of 21 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated with varying instrument settings and relative humidity (RH) in a Vocus proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). The protonated ions of most VOCs studied show < 15 % variation in sensitivity, except for some long-chain aldehydes. The relationship between sensitivity and PTR rate constant is complicated by the influences from ion transmission and protonated ion fraction.
Melissa A. Morris, Demetrios Pagonis, Douglas A. Day, Joost A. de Gouw, Paul J. Ziemann, and Jose L. Jimenez
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1545–1559, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1545-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1545-2024, 2024
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Polymer absorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is important to characterize for atmospheric sampling setups (as interactions cause sampling delays) and indoor air quality. Here we test different polymer materials and quantify their absorptive capacities through modeling. We found the main polymers in carpets to be highly absorptive, acting as large reservoirs for indoor pollution. We also demonstrated how polymer tubes can be used as a low-cost gas separation technique.
Harald Sodemann, Alena Dekhtyareva, Alvaro Fernandez, Andrew Seidl, and Jenny Maccali
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5181–5203, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5181-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5181-2023, 2023
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We describe a device that allows one to produce a continuous stream of water vapour with a specified level of humidity. As a main innovation, we can mix waters with different water isotope composition. Through a series of tests we show that the performance characteristics of the device are in line with specifications. We present two laboratory applications where the device proves useful, first in characterizing instruments, and second for the analysis of water contained in stalagmites.
Stephan Räss, Peter Nyfeler, Paul Wheeler, Will Price, and Markus Christian Leuenberger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4489–4505, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4489-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4489-2023, 2023
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Due to technological advances clumped-isotope studies have gained importance in recent years. Typically, these studies are performed with high-resolution isotope ratio mass spectrometers (IRMSs) along with a changeover-valve-based dual-inlet system (DIS). We are taking a different approach, namely performing clumped-isotope measurements with a compact low-resolution IRMS with an open-split-based DIS. Currently, we are working with pure-oxygen gas for which we are providing a proof of concept.
Xu-Cheng He, Jiali Shen, Siddharth Iyer, Paxton Juuti, Jiangyi Zhang, Mrisha Koirala, Mikko M. Kytökari, Douglas R. Worsnop, Matti Rissanen, Markku Kulmala, Norbert M. Maier, Jyri Mikkilä, Mikko Sipilä, and Juha Kangasluoma
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4461–4487, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4461-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4461-2023, 2023
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In this study, the upgraded multi-scheme chemical ionisation inlet 2 is presented. Sulfuric acid, hypoiodous acid, iodine, sulfur dioxide, and hydroperoxyl radicals are calibrated, and the improved ion optics allow us to detect sulfuric acid and iodine-containing molecules at as low as a few parts per quadrillion by volume. Additionally, we confirm the reliable detection of iodic acid using both the nitrate and bromide chemical ionisation methods under atmospherically relevant conditions.
Namrata Shanmukh Panji and Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4319–4330, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4319-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4319-2023, 2023
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Measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere is crucial for understanding air quality and environmental impact. Since these compounds are present in low concentrations, preconcentration of samples is often necessary for accurate detection. To address this issue, we have developed a novel inlet that uses selective permeation to concentrate organic gases in small sample flows. This device offers a promising approach for accurately detecting low levels of VOCs in the atmosphere.
Claudia Grossi, Daniel Rabago, Scott Chambers, Carlos Sáinz, Roger Curcoll, Peter P. S. Otáhal, Eliška Fialová, Luis Quindos, and Arturo Vargas
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2655–2672, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2655-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2655-2023, 2023
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The automatic and low-maintenance radon flux system Autoflux, completed with environmental soil and atmosphere sensors, has been theoretically and experimentally characterized and calibrated under laboratory conditions to be used as transfer standard for in situ measurements. It will offer for the first time long-term measurements to validate radon flux maps used by the climate and the radiation protection communities for assessing the radon gas emissions in the atmosphere.
Lisa Ernle, Monika Akima Ringsdorf, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 1179–1194, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1179-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1179-2023, 2023
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Atmospheric ozone can induce artefacts in volatile organic compound measurements. Laboratory tests were made using GC-MS and PTR-MS aircraft systems under tropospheric and stratospheric conditions of humidity and ozone, with and without sodium thiosulfate filter scrubbers. Ozone in dry air produces some carbonyls and degrades alkenes. The scrubber lifetime depends on ozone concentration, flow rate and humidity. For the troposphere with scrubber, no significant artefacts were found over 14 d.
Lars Mächler, Daniel Baggenstos, Florian Krauss, Jochen Schmitt, Bernhard Bereiter, Remo Walther, Christoph Reinhard, Béla Tuzson, Lukas Emmenegger, and Hubertus Fischer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 355–372, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-355-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-355-2023, 2023
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We present a new method to extract the gases from ice cores and measure their greenhouse gas composition. The ice is sublimated continuously with a near-infrared laser, releasing the gases, which are then analyzed on a laser absorption spectrometer. The main advantage over previous efforts is a low effective resolution of 1–2 cm. This capability is crucial for the analysis of highly thinned ice, as expected from ongoing drilling efforts to extend ice core history further back in time.
Detlev Helmig, Alex Guenther, Jacques Hueber, Ryan Daly, Wei Wang, Jeong-Hoo Park, Anssi Liikanen, and Arnaud P. Praplan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5439–5454, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5439-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5439-2022, 2022
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This research demonstrates a new method for determination of the chemical reactivity of volatile organic compounds that are emitted from the leaves and needles of trees. These measurements allow elucidating if and how much of these emissions and their associated reactivity are captured and quantified by currently applicable chemical analysis methods.
Andrew J. Lindsay and Ezra C. Wood
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5455–5464, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5455-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5455-2022, 2022
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Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important source of the main atmospheric oxidant – the hydroxyl radical (OH). Advances in nitrous acid measurement techniques and calibration methods therefore improve our understanding of atmospheric oxidation processes. In this paper, we present two calibration methods based on photo-dissociating water vapor. These calibration methods are useful alternatives to conventional calibrations that involve a reacting hydrogen chloride vapor with sodium nitrite.
Ying Wang, Wentai Luo, Todd N. Rosenstiel, and James F. Pankow
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4651–4661, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4651-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4651-2022, 2022
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A rapid, sensitive, and precise analytical method was developed for measuring the fractional amounts of the (−) and (+) forms of chiral enantiomeric forms of monoterpenes in air containing biogenic plant emissions. The method uses passive air sampling onto adsorption–thermal desorption (ATD) gas sampling cartridge tubes; this is followed by automatable thermal desorption onto a chiral gas chromatography (GC) column, followed by detection with mass spectrometry (MS).
Zara S. Mir, Matthew Jamieson, Nicholas R. Greenall, Paul W. Seakins, Mark A. Blitz, and Daniel Stone
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2875–2887, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2875-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2875-2022, 2022
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In this work we describe the development and characterisation of an experiment using laser flash photolysis coupled with time-resolved mid-infrared (mid-IR) quantum cascade laser (QCL) absorption spectroscopy, with initial results reported for measurements of the infrared spectrum, kinetics, and product yields for the reaction of the CH2OO Criegee intermediate with SO2. This work has significance for the identification and measurement of reactive trace species in complex systems.
Tatiana Macé, Maitane Iturrate-Garcia, Céline Pascale, Bernhard Niederhauser, Sophie Vaslin-Reimann, and Christophe Sutour
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2703–2718, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2703-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2703-2022, 2022
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LNE developed, with the company 2M PROCESS, a gas reference generator to dynamically generate NH3 reference gas mixtures in the air at very low fractions between 1 and 400 nmol/mol. The procedure defined by LNE for calibrating NH3 analyzers used for monitoring air quality guarantees relative expanded uncertainties lower than 2 % for this measurement range. The results of a comparison organized between METAS and LNE allowed the validation of LNE's reference generator and calibration procedure.
Antonia G. Zogka, Manolis N. Romanias, and Frederic Thevenet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2001–2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2001-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2001-2022, 2022
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We emphasize the application of SIFT-MS to detect two important atmospheric pollutants, i.e., formaldehyde (FM) and glyoxal (GL). FM and GL are secondary products formed by volatile organic compound oxidation in indoor and outdoor environments and play a key role in air quality and climate. We show that SIFT-MS is able to monitor these species selectively and in real time, overcoming the limitations of other, classical analytical techniques used to monitor these species in the atmosphere.
Haiyan Li, Thomas Golin Almeida, Yuanyuan Luo, Jian Zhao, Brett B. Palm, Christopher D. Daub, Wei Huang, Claudia Mohr, Jordan E. Krechmer, Theo Kurtén, and Mikael Ehn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1811–1827, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1811-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1811-2022, 2022
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This work evaluated the potential for PTR-based mass spectrometers to detect ROOR and ROOH peroxides both experimentally and through computations. Laboratory experiments using a Vocus PTR observed only noisy signals of potential dimers during α-pinene ozonolysis and a few small signals of dimeric compounds during cyclohexene ozonolysis. Quantum chemical calculations for model ROOR and ROOH systems showed that most of these peroxides should fragment partially following protonation.
Jean Decker, Éric Fertein, Jonas Bruckhuisen, Nicolas Houzel, Pierre Kulinski, Bo Fang, Weixiong Zhao, Francis Hindle, Guillaume Dhont, Robin Bocquet, Gaël Mouret, Cécile Coeur, and Arnaud Cuisset
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1201–1215, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1201-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1201-2022, 2022
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We present a multiple pass system developed for the CHamber for Atmospheric Reactivity and Metrology of the Environment. This multi-pass cell allows monitoring of atmospheric species at trace levels by high-resolution spectroscopy with long interaction path lengths in the IR and for the first time in the terahertz range. Interesting prospects are highlighted in this frequency domain, such as a high degree of selectivity or the possibility to monitor in real-time atmospheric processes.
Robert F. Berg, Nicola Chiodo, and Eric Georgin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 819–832, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-819-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-819-2022, 2022
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We made a humidity generator that adds water vapor to a flowing gas. Its range of humidity is useful for calibrating balloon-borne probes to the Earth's stratosphere. The generator’s novel feature is a saturator that comprises 5 m of silicone tubing immersed in water. The length was enough to ensure that the saturator’s output was independent of the dimensions and permeability of the tube. This simple, low-cost design provides an accuracy that is acceptable for many applications.
Guillermo Villena and Jörg Kleffmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 627–637, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-627-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-627-2022, 2022
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A continuous source for the generation of pure HONO mixtures was developed and characterized, which is based on the Henry's law solubility of HONO in acidic aqueous solutions. The source shows a fast time response and an excellent long-term stability and can be easily adjusted to HONO mixing ratios in the range 0.05–500 ppb. A general equation based on Henry's law is developed, whereby the HONO concentration of the source can be absolutely calculated with an accuracy of better than 10 %.
Merve Polat, Jesper Baldtzer Liisberg, Morten Krogsbøll, Thomas Blunier, and Matthew S. Johnson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 8041–8067, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-8041-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-8041-2021, 2021
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We have designed a process for removing methane from a gas stream so that nitrous oxide can be measured without interference. These are both key long-lived greenhouse gases frequently studied in relation to ice cores, plants, water treatment and so on. However, many researchers are not aware of the problem of methane interference, and in addition there have not been good methods available for solving the problem. Here we present and evaluate such a method.
Marcel Snels, Stefania Stefani, Angelo Boccaccini, David Biondi, and Giuseppe Piccioni
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7187–7197, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7187-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7187-2021, 2021
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A novel simulation chamber, PASSxS (Planetary Atmosphere Simulation System for Spectroscopy), has been developed for absorption measurements with a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) and possibly a cavity ring-down (CRD) spectrometer, with a sample temperature ranging from 100 K up to 550 K, while the pressure of the gas can be varied up to 60 bar. These temperature and pressure ranges cover a significant part of the planetary atmospheres in the solar system and possibly extrasolar planets.
Lukas Kohl, Markku Koskinen, Tatu Polvinen, Salla Tenhovirta, Kaisa Rissanen, Marjo Patama, Alessandro Zanetti, and Mari Pihlatie
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4445–4460, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4445-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4445-2021, 2021
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We present ShoTGa-FluMS, a measurement system designed for continuous and automated measurements of trace gas and volatile organic compound (VOC) fluxes from plant shoots. ShoTGa-FluMS uses transparent shoot enclosures equipped with cooling elements, automatically replaces fixated CO2, and removes transpired water from the enclosure, thus solving multiple technical problems that have so far prevented automated plant shoot trace gas flux measurements.
Pharahilda M. Steur, Hubertus A. Scheeren, Dave D. Nelson, J. Barry McManus, and Harro A. J. Meijer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4279–4304, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4279-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4279-2021, 2021
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For understanding the sources and sinks of atmospheric CO2, measurement of stable isotopes has proven to be highly valuable. We present a new method using laser absorption spectroscopy to simultaneously conduct measurements of three CO2 isotopes, directly on dry-air samples. This new method reduces sample preparation time significantly, compared to the conventional method in which measurements are conducted on pure CO2, and avoids measurement biases introduced by CO2 extraction.
Mingyi Wang, Xu-Cheng He, Henning Finkenzeller, Siddharth Iyer, Dexian Chen, Jiali Shen, Mario Simon, Victoria Hofbauer, Jasper Kirkby, Joachim Curtius, Norbert Maier, Theo Kurtén, Douglas R. Worsnop, Markku Kulmala, Matti Rissanen, Rainer Volkamer, Yee Jun Tham, Neil M. Donahue, and Mikko Sipilä
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4187–4202, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4187-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4187-2021, 2021
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Atmospheric iodine species are often short-lived with low abundance and have thus been challenging to measure. We show that the bromide chemical ionization mass spectrometry, compatible with both the atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure interfaces, can simultaneously detect various gas-phase iodine species. Combining calibration experiments and quantum chemical calculations, we quantify detection sensitivities to HOI, HIO3, I2, and H2SO4, giving detection limits down to < 106 molec. cm-3.
Benjamin Birner, William Paplawsky, Jeffrey Severinghaus, and Ralph F. Keeling
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2515–2527, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2515-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2515-2021, 2021
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The atmospheric helium-to-nitrogen ratio is a promising indicator for circulation changes in the upper atmosphere and fossil fuel burning by humans. We present a very precise analysis method to determine changes in the helium-to-nitrogen ratio of air samples. The method relies on stabilizing the gas flow to a mass spectrometer and continuous removal of reactive gases. These advances enable new insights and monitoring possibilities for anthropogenic and natural processes.
Alexander Zaytsev, Martin Breitenlechner, Anna Novelli, Hendrik Fuchs, Daniel A. Knopf, Jesse H. Kroll, and Frank N. Keutsch
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2501–2513, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2501-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2501-2021, 2021
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We have developed an online method for speciated measurements of organic peroxy radicals and stabilized Criegee intermediates using chemical derivatization combined with chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Chemical derivatization prevents secondary radical reactions and eliminates potential interferences. Comparison between our measurements and results from numeric modeling shows that the method can be used for the quantification of a wide range of atmospheric radicals and intermediates.
Einar Karu, Mengze Li, Lisa Ernle, Carl A. M. Brenninkmeijer, Jos Lelieveld, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 1817–1831, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1817-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1817-2021, 2021
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A gas measurement device was developed to measure trace gases (ppt level) in the air based on an atomic emission detector. It combines a cryogenic pre-concentrator (CryoTrap), a gas chromatograph (GC), and a new high-resolution atomic emission detector (AED). The CryoTrap–GC–AED instrumental setup, limits of detection, and elemental performance are presented and discussed. Two measurement case studies are reported: one in a Finnish boreal forest and the other based on an aircraft campaign.
Ikumi Oyabu, Kenji Kawamura, Kyotaro Kitamura, Remi Dallmayr, Akihiro Kitamura, Chikako Sawada, Jeffrey P. Severinghaus, Ross Beaudette, Anaïs Orsi, Satoshi Sugawara, Shigeyuki Ishidoya, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Kumiko Goto-Azuma, Shuji Aoki, and Takakiyo Nakazawa
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6703–6731, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6703-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6703-2020, 2020
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Air in polar ice cores provides information on past atmosphere and climate. We present a new method for simultaneously measuring eight gases (CH4, N2O and CO2 concentrations; isotopic ratios of N2 and O2; elemental ratios between N2, O2 and Ar; and total air content) from single ice-core samples with high precision.
Bernhard Bereiter, Béla Tuzson, Philipp Scheidegger, André Kupferschmid, Herbert Looser, Lars Mächler, Daniel Baggenstos, Jochen Schmitt, Hubertus Fischer, and Lukas Emmenegger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6391–6406, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6391-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6391-2020, 2020
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The record of past greenhouse gas composition from ice cores is crucial for our understanding of global climate change. Deciphering this archive requires highly accurate and spatially resolved analysis of the very small amount of gas that is trapped in the ice. This is achieved with a mid-IR laser absorption spectrometer that provides simultaneous, high-precision measurements of CH4, N2O, CO2, and δ13C(CO2) and which will be coupled to a quantitative sublimation extraction method.
Natalie I. Keehan, Bellamy Brownwood, Andrey Marsavin, Douglas A. Day, and Juliane L. Fry
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6255–6269, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6255-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6255-2020, 2020
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This paper describes a new instrument (a thermal-dissociation–cavity ring-down spectrometer, TD-CRDS) for the measurement of key atmospheric gaseous and particle-phase molecules containing the nitrate functional group. Several operational considerations affecting the measurements are described, as well as several characterization experiments comparing the TD-CRDS measurements to analogous measurements from other instruments. Examples are given using a TD-CRDS for ambient and laboratory studies.
Mohammed S. Alam, Leigh R. Crilley, James D. Lee, Louisa J. Kramer, Christian Pfrang, Mónica Vázquez-Moreno, Milagros Ródenas, Amalia Muñoz, and William J. Bloss
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 5977–5991, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5977-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5977-2020, 2020
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We report on the interference arising in measurements of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the presence of a range of alkenes in sampled air when using the most widespread air quality monitoring technique for chemiluminescence detection. Interferences of up to 11 % are reported, depending upon the alkene present and conditions used. Such interferences may be of substantial importance for the interpretation of ambient NOx data, particularly for high volatile organic compound and low NOx environments.
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Short summary
A new spectrometer to measure abundances of the atmospheric trace gases nitrogen dioxide and iodine is described. The spectrometer uses a light-emitting diode between 470 and 540 nm and two highly reflective mirrors to yield an effective absorption path of 6.3 km. We remeasured scattering cross sections of common atmospheric gases in the cyan region and present sample NO2 measurements that agreed with those made with a laser-based instrument.
A new spectrometer to measure abundances of the atmospheric trace gases nitrogen dioxide and...
