Articles | Volume 16, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1179-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-16-1179-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
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07 Mar 2023
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 07 Mar 2023
| 07 Mar 2023
Influence of ozone and humidity on PTR-MS and GC-MS VOC measurements with and without a Na2S2O3 ozone scrubber
Lisa Ernle
Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Monika Akima Ringsdorf
Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Jonathan Williams
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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Clara M. Nussbaumer, John N. Crowley, Jan Schuladen, Jonathan Williams, Sascha Hafermann, Andreas Reiffs, Raoul Axinte, Hartwig Harder, Cheryl Ernest, Anna Novelli, Katrin Sala, Monica Martinez, Chinmay Mallik, Laura Tomsche, Christian Plass-Dülmer, Birger Bohn, Jos Lelieveld, and Horst Fischer
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Dirk Dienhart, John N. Crowley, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Achim Edtbauer, Philipp G. Eger, Lisa Ernle, Hartwig Harder, Bettina Hottmann, Monica Martinez, Uwe Parchatka, Jean-Daniel Paris, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Roland Rohloff, Jan Schuladen, Christof Stönner, Ivan Tadic, Sebastian Tauer, Nijing Wang, Jonathan Williams, Jos Lelieveld, and Horst Fischer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17373–17388, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17373-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17373-2021, 2021
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We present the first ship-based in situ measurements of formaldehyde (HCHO), hydroxyl radicals (OH) and the OH reactivity around the Arabian Peninsula. Regression analysis of the HCHO production rate and the related OH chemistry revealed the regional HCHO yield αeff, which represents the different chemical regimes encountered. Highest values were found for the Arabian Gulf (also known as the Persian Gulf), which highlights this region as a hotspot of photochemical air pollution.
Philipp G. Eger, Luc Vereecken, Rolf Sander, Jan Schuladen, Nicolas Sobanski, Horst Fischer, Einar Karu, Jonathan Williams, Ville Vakkari, Tuukka Petäjä, Jos Lelieveld, Andrea Pozzer, and John N. Crowley
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James Weber, Scott Archer-Nicholls, Nathan Luke Abraham, Youngsub M. Shin, Thomas J. Bannan, Carl J. Percival, Asan Bacak, Paulo Artaxo, Michael Jenkin, M. Anwar H. Khan, Dudley E. Shallcross, Rebecca H. Schwantes, Jonathan Williams, and Alex T. Archibald
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The new mechanism CRI-Strat 2 features state-of-the-art isoprene chemistry not previously available in UKCA and improves UKCA's ability to reproduce observed concentrations of isoprene, monoterpenes, and OH in tropical regions. The enhanced ability to model isoprene, the most widely emitted non-methane volatile organic compound (VOC), will allow understanding of how isoprene and other biogenic VOCs affect atmospheric composition and, through biosphere–atmosphere feedbacks, climate change.
Jean-Daniel Paris, Aurélie Riandet, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Marc Delmotte, Antoine Berchet, Jonathan Williams, Lisa Ernle, Ivan Tadic, Hartwig Harder, and Jos Lelieveld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12443–12462, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12443-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12443-2021, 2021
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We measured atmospheric methane and CO2 by ship in the Middle East. We probe the origin of methane with a combination of light alkane measurements and modeling. We find strong influence from nearby oil and gas production over the Arabian Gulf. Comparing our data to inventories indicates that inventories overestimate sources from the upstream gas industry but underestimate emissions from oil extraction and processing. The Red Sea was under a complex mixture of sources due to human activity.
Clara M. Nussbaumer, Ivan Tadic, Dirk Dienhart, Nijing Wang, Achim Edtbauer, Lisa Ernle, Jonathan Williams, Florian Obersteiner, Isidoro Gutiérrez-Álvarez, Hartwig Harder, Jos Lelieveld, and Horst Fischer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7933–7945, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7933-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7933-2021, 2021
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Lightning over continental and coastal areas is frequent and accompanied by deep convection, while lightning over marine areas and particularly in tropical cyclones is rare. This research presents in situ observations of the tropical storm Florence 2018 near Cabo Verde. We show the absence of lightning in the tropical storm despite the occurrence of deep convective processes by atmospheric trace gas measurements of O3, NO, CO, H2O2, DMS and CH2I.
Nils Friedrich, Philipp Eger, Justin Shenolikar, Nicolas Sobanski, Jan Schuladen, Dirk Dienhart, Bettina Hottmann, Ivan Tadic, Horst Fischer, Monica Martinez, Roland Rohloff, Sebastian Tauer, Hartwig Harder, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Nijing Wang, Jonathan Williams, James Brooks, Frank Drewnick, Hang Su, Guo Li, Yafang Cheng, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7473–7498, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7473-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7473-2021, 2021
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Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Nina G. Reijrink, Achim Edtbauer, Akima Ringsdorf, Nora Zannoni, Alessandro Araújo, Florian Ditas, Bruna A. Holanda, Marta O. Sá, Anywhere Tsokankunku, David Walter, Stefan Wolff, Jošt V. Lavrič, Christopher Pöhlker, Matthias Sörgel, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 6231–6256, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6231-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6231-2021, 2021
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Tropical forests are globally significant for atmospheric chemistry. However, the mixture of reactive organic gases emitted by these ecosystems is poorly understood. By comprehensive observations at an Amazon forest site, we show that oxygenated species were previously underestimated in their contribution to the tropical-forest reactant mix. Our results show rain and temperature effects and have implications for models and the understanding of ozone and particle formation above tropical forests.
Wenjie Wang, Jipeng Qi, Jun Zhou, Bin Yuan, Yuwen Peng, Sihang Wang, Suxia Yang, Jonathan Williams, Vinayak Sinha, and Min Shao
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2285–2298, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2285-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2285-2021, 2021
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We designed a new reactor for measurements of OH reactivity (i.e., OH radical loss frequency) based on the comparative reactivity method under
high-NOx conditions, such as in cities. We performed a series of laboratory tests to evaluate the new reactor. The new reactor was used in the field and performed well in measuring OH reactivity in air influenced by upwind cities.
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.
Nijing Wang, Achim Edtbauer, Christof Stönner, Andrea Pozzer, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Lisa Ernle, Dirk Dienhart, Bettina Hottmann, Horst Fischer, Jan Schuladen, John N. Crowley, Jean-Daniel Paris, Jos Lelieveld, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 10807–10829, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10807-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10807-2020, 2020
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Carbonyl compounds were measured on a ship travelling around the Arabian Peninsula in summer 2017, crossing both highly polluted and extremely clean regions of the marine boundary layer. We investigated the sources and sinks of carbonyls. The results from a global model showed a significant model underestimation for acetaldehyde, a molecule that can influence regional air chemistry. By adding a diurnal oceanic source, the model estimation was highly improved.
Achim Edtbauer, Christof Stönner, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Matias Berasategui, David Walter, John N. Crowley, Jos Lelieveld, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 6081–6094, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6081-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6081-2020, 2020
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Marine regions where deep nutrient-rich water is pushed towards the surface are called upwelling regions. In these nutrient-rich waters large algal blooms form which are the basis of the marine food web. We measured methane sulfonamide, a molecule containing sulfur and nitrogen, for the first time in ambient air and could show that the origin of this emission is an algal bloom near the Somalia upwelling. Sulfur-containing compounds from algae can promote particle formation over the oceans.
Timo Keber, Harald Bönisch, Carl Hartick, Marius Hauck, Fides Lefrancois, Florian Obersteiner, Akima Ringsdorf, Nils Schohl, Tanja Schuck, Ryan Hossaini, Phoebe Graf, Patrick Jöckel, and Andreas Engel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 4105–4132, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4105-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4105-2020, 2020
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In this paper we summarize observations of short-lived halocarbons in the tropopause region. We show that, especially during winter, the levels of short-lived bromine gases at the extratropical tropopause are higher than at the tropical tropopause. We discuss the impact of the distributions on stratospheric bromine levels and compare our observations to two models with four different emission scenarios.
Philipp G. Eger, Jan Schuladen, Nicolas Sobanski, Horst Fischer, Einar Karu, Jonathan Williams, Matthieu Riva, Qiaozhi Zha, Mikael Ehn, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Simon Schallhart, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
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Matias Berasategui, Damien Amedro, Achim Edtbauer, Jonathan Williams, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2695–2707, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2695-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2695-2020, 2020
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We have determined the rate coefficient and mechanism for the reaction of the OH radical with methane sulphonamide, a trace gas which has recently been found in the atmosphere. The rate coefficient is 1.4 × 10−13 cm3 molec.−1 s−1, which indicates a tropospheric lifetime of > 2 months. The observation of CO, CO2, SO2, HNO3, HCOOH, and N2O products enabled us to derive a detailed reaction mechanism for the reaction, which proceeds predominantly by H abstraction from the CH3 group.
Tanja J. Schuck, Ann-Katrin Blank, Elisa Rittmeier, Jonathan Williams, Carl A. M. Brenninkmeijer, Andreas Engel, and Andreas Zahn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 73–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-73-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-73-2020, 2020
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Air sample collection aboard aircraft is a tool to measure atmospheric trace gas mixing ratios at altitude. We present results on the stability of 28 halocarbons during storage of air samples collected in stainless-steel flasks inside an automated air sampling unit which is part of the CARIBIC instrument package. Selected fluorinated compounds grew during the experiments while short-lived compounds were depleted. Individual substances were additionally influenced by high mixing ratios of ozone.
Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Nijing Wang, Achim Edtbauer, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, John N. Crowley, Dirk Dienhart, Philipp G. Eger, Lisa Ernle, Horst Fischer, Bettina Hottmann, Jean-Daniel Paris, Christof Stönner, Ivan Tadic, David Walter, Jos Lelieveld, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 11501–11523, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11501-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11501-2019, 2019
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The Arabian Peninsula is a global hot spot of ozone pollution. Our measurements, made on a ship in summer 2017, indicate underlying reasons. Despite being at sea, we observed ozone-forming reactive trace gases (measured as so-called total OH reactivity) comparable to highly populated urban regions in amount and composition. This is due to strong emissions from oil extraction and ship traffic. These emissions were quickly converted to ozone due to intense solar irradiation and high temperatures.
Jonathan Liebmann, Nicolas Sobanski, Jan Schuladen, Einar Karu, Heidi Hellén, Hannele Hakola, Qiaozhi Zha, Mikael Ehn, Matthieu Riva, Liine Heikkinen, Jonathan Williams, Horst Fischer, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 10391–10403, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10391-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10391-2019, 2019
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The formation of alkyl nitrates in the boreal forest was dominated by reactions of the NO3 radical with terpenes, both during the day and the night, with fewer contributions from OH and ozone. The alkyl nitrates formed had lifetimes on the order of 2 h, reflecting efficient loss via uptake to aerosol and deposition.
Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Lisa Ernle, John N. Crowley, Jos Lelieveld, Jean-Daniel Paris, Andrea Pozzer, David Walter, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 7209–7232, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7209-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7209-2019, 2019
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We report on results that demonstrate the utility of non-methane hydrocarbons as source/sink identification tracers while providing their mixing ratios around the Arabian Peninsula. By introducing novel data-analysis approaches, we establish a new method for separating associated and non-associated (with liquids) gases. We formulate a relationship between hydrocarbon oxidative pairs that can be used to evaluate the relative abundance of the hydroxyl and chlorine radicals in the troposphere.
Ralph Dlugi, Martina Berger, Chinmay Mallik, Anywhere Tsokankunku, Michael Zelger, Otávio C. Acevedo, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Andreas Hofzumahaus, Jürgen Kesselmeier, Gerhard Kramm, Daniel Marno, Monica Martinez, Anke C. Nölscher, Huug Ouwersloot, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Franz Rohrer, Sebastian Tauer, Jonathan Williams, Ana-Maria Yáñez-Serrano, Meinrat O. Andreae, Hartwig Harder, and Matthias Sörgel
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2018-1325, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2018-1325, 2019
Publication in ACP not foreseen
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Incomplete mixing (segregation) results in reduced chemical reaction rates compared to those expected from mean values and rate constants. Segregation has been suggested to cause discrepancies between modelled and measured OH radical concentrations. In this work, we summarize the intensities of segregation for the reaction of OH and isoprene for different field and modelling studies and compare those to our results from measurements in a pristine environment.
Guo Li, Yafang Cheng, Uwe Kuhn, Rongjuan Xu, Yudong Yang, Hannah Meusel, Zhibin Wang, Nan Ma, Yusheng Wu, Meng Li, Jonathan Williams, Thorsten Hoffmann, Markus Ammann, Ulrich Pöschl, Min Shao, and Hang Su
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2209–2232, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2209-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2209-2019, 2019
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VOCs play a key role in atmospheric chemistry. Emission and deposition on soil have been suggested as important sources and sinks of atmospheric trace gases. The exchange characteristics and heterogeneous chemistry of VOCs on soil, however, are not well understood. We used a newly designed differential coated-wall flow tube system to investigate the long-term variability of bidirectional air–soil exchange of 13 VOCs at ambient air conditions of an urban background site in Beijing.
John N. Crowley, Nicolas Pouvesle, Gavin J. Phillips, Raoul Axinte, Horst Fischer, Tuukka Petäjä, Anke Nölscher, Jonathan Williams, Korbinian Hens, Hartwig Harder, Monica Martinez-Harder, Anna Novelli, Dagmar Kubistin, Birger Bohn, and Jos Lelieveld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 13457–13479, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13457-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13457-2018, 2018
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Simultaneous observations of PAA, PAN and H2O2 are used to provide insight into processes influencing the HOx chemistry of the boreal forest, including two biomass-burning-impacted periods. A significant contribution from photolytic HOx sources was included in a box model analysis to align model predictions with measurements. The model predicts high levels of organic peroxy radicals, also at night-time.
Chinmay Mallik, Laura Tomsche, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, John N. Crowley, Bettina Derstroff, Horst Fischer, Sascha Hafermann, Imke Hüser, Umar Javed, Stephan Keßel, Jos Lelieveld, Monica Martinez, Hannah Meusel, Anna Novelli, Gavin J. Phillips, Andrea Pozzer, Andreas Reiffs, Rolf Sander, Domenico Taraborrelli, Carina Sauvage, Jan Schuladen, Hang Su, Jonathan Williams, and Hartwig Harder
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10825–10847, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10825-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10825-2018, 2018
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OH and HO2 control the transformation of air pollutants and O3 formation. Their implication for air quality over the climatically sensitive Mediterranean region was studied during a field campaign in Cyprus. Production of OH, HO2, and recycled OH was lower in aged marine air masses. Box model simulations of OH and HO2 agreed with measurements except at high terpene concentrations when model RO2 due to terpenes caused large HO2 loss. Autoxidation schemes for RO2 improved the agreement.
Jonathan Liebmann, Einar Karu, Nicolas Sobanski, Jan Schuladen, Mikael Ehn, Simon Schallhart, Lauriane Quéléver, Heidi Hellen, Hannele Hakola, Thorsten Hoffmann, Jonathan Williams, Horst Fischer, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 3799–3815, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3799-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3799-2018, 2018
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Using a newly developed experimental setup, we have made the first direct measurements (during autumn 2016) of NO3 reactivity in the Finnish boreal forest. The NO3 reactivity was generally very high (maximum value of 0.94/s) so that daytime reaction with organics was a substantial fraction of the NO3 loss. Observations of biogenic hydrocarbons (BVOCs) suggested a dominant role for monoterpenes in determining the NO3 reactivity, which displayed a strong vertical gradient between 8.5 and 25 m.
Ana María Yáñez-Serrano, Anke Christine Nölscher, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Eliane Gomes Alves, Laurens Ganzeveld, Boris Bonn, Stefan Wolff, Marta Sa, Marcia Yamasoe, Jonathan Williams, Meinrat O. Andreae, and Jürgen Kesselmeier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 3403–3418, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3403-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3403-2018, 2018
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This study shows the measurements of concentration of different monoterpene species in terms of height, time of day and season. Speciation seems similar during the dry seasons but changes with season. Furthermore, reactivity with the different oxidants demonstrated that a higher abundance of a monoterpene species does not automatically imply higher reactivity and that the most abundant monoterpene may not be the most atmospheric chemically relevant compound.
Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Frank Helleis, Laura Tomsche, Horst Fischer, Rolf Hofmann, Jos Lelieveld, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 5089–5105, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-5089-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-5089-2017, 2017
Hendrik Fuchs, Anna Novelli, Michael Rolletter, Andreas Hofzumahaus, Eva Y. Pfannerstill, Stephan Kessel, Achim Edtbauer, Jonathan Williams, Vincent Michoud, Sebastien Dusanter, Nadine Locoge, Nora Zannoni, Valerie Gros, Francois Truong, Roland Sarda-Esteve, Danny R. Cryer, Charlotte A. Brumby, Lisa K. Whalley, Daniel Stone, Paul W. Seakins, Dwayne E. Heard, Coralie Schoemaecker, Marion Blocquet, Sebastien Coudert, Sebastien Batut, Christa Fittschen, Alexander B. Thames, William H. Brune, Cheryl Ernest, Hartwig Harder, Jennifer B. A. Muller, Thomas Elste, Dagmar Kubistin, Stefanie Andres, Birger Bohn, Thorsten Hohaus, Frank Holland, Xin Li, Franz Rohrer, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Ralf Tillmann, Robert Wegener, Zhujun Yu, Qi Zou, and Andreas Wahner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4023–4053, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4023-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4023-2017, 2017
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Hydroxyl radical reactivity (k(OH)) is closely related to processes that lead to the formation of oxidised, secondary pollutants such as ozone and aerosol. In order to compare the performances of instruments measuring k(OH), experiments were conducted in the simulation chamber SAPHIR. Chemical conditions were chosen either to be representative of the atmosphere or to test potential limitations of instruments. Overall, the results show that instruments are capable of measuring k(OH).
Heiko Bozem, Andrea Pozzer, Hartwig Harder, Monica Martinez, Jonathan Williams, Jos Lelieveld, and Horst Fischer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11835–11848, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11835-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11835-2017, 2017
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We present a case study of deep convection over Germany in July 2007 within the framework of the HOOVER II project. Airborne in situ measurements within the in- and outflow regions of an isolated thunderstorm provide a unique data set to study the influence of deep convection on the transport efficiency of soluble and insoluble trace gases. Despite their high solubility HCHO and H2O2 show enhanced concentrations in the outflow presumably due to degassing from cloud droplets during freezing.
Bettina Derstroff, Imke Hüser, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, John N. Crowley, Horst Fischer, Sergey Gromov, Hartwig Harder, Ruud H. H. Janssen, Jürgen Kesselmeier, Jos Lelieveld, Chinmay Mallik, Monica Martinez, Anna Novelli, Uwe Parchatka, Gavin J. Phillips, Rolf Sander, Carina Sauvage, Jan Schuladen, Christof Stönner, Laura Tomsche, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9547–9566, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9547-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9547-2017, 2017
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The aim of the study was to examine aged air masses being transported from the European continent towards Cyprus. Longer-lived oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) such as methanol were mainly impacted by long-distance transport and showed higher values in air masses from eastern Europe than in a flow regime from the west. The impact of the transport through the marine boundary layer as well as the influence of the residual layer/free troposphere on OVOCs were studied.
Stephan Keßel, David Cabrera-Perez, Abraham Horowitz, Patrick R. Veres, Rolf Sander, Domenico Taraborrelli, Maria Tucceri, John N. Crowley, Andrea Pozzer, Christof Stönner, Luc Vereecken, Jos Lelieveld, and Jonathan Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8789–8804, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8789-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8789-2017, 2017
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In this study we identify an often overlooked stable oxide of carbon, namely carbon suboxide (C3O2), in ambient air. We have made C3O2 and in the laboratory determined its absorption cross section data and the rate of reaction with two important atmospheric oxidants, OH and O3. By incorporating known sources and sinks in a global model we have generated a first global picture of the distribution of this species in the atmosphere.
Anna Novelli, Korbinian Hens, Cheryl Tatum Ernest, Monica Martinez, Anke C. Nölscher, Vinayak Sinha, Pauli Paasonen, Tuukka Petäjä, Mikko Sipilä, Thomas Elste, Christian Plass-Dülmer, Gavin J. Phillips, Dagmar Kubistin, Jonathan Williams, Luc Vereecken, Jos Lelieveld, and Hartwig Harder
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7807–7826, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7807-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7807-2017, 2017
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The ambient concentration of stabilised Criegee intermediates (SCIs) was estimated for two
environments using field data. The low concentrations predicted indicate that SCIs are
unlikely to have a large impact on atmospheric chemistry. Concurrent measurements of an OH background signal using the Mainz IPI-LIF-FAGE instrument were found to be consistent with the chemistry of SCIs during the measurement campaigns.
Yudong Yang, Min Shao, Stephan Keßel, Yue Li, Keding Lu, Sihua Lu, Jonathan Williams, Yuanhang Zhang, Liming Zeng, Anke C. Nölscher, Yusheng Wu, Xuemei Wang, and Junyu Zheng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7127–7142, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7127-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7127-2017, 2017
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Total OH reactivity is an important parameter to evaluate understanding of atmospheric chemistry, especially the VOC contribution to air pollution. Measured by comparative reactivity methods, total OH reactivity in Beijing and Heshan revealed significant differences between measured and calculated results, such as missing reactivity, which were related to unmeasured primary or secondary species. This missing reactivity would introduce a 21–30 % underestimation for ozone production efficiency.
Nicolas Sobanski, Jim Thieser, Jan Schuladen, Carina Sauvage, Wei Song, Jonathan Williams, Jos Lelieveld, and John N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4115–4130, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4115-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4115-2017, 2017
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We investigated the formation of gas-phase organic nitrates at a forested semi-urban site. This work constitutes the first detailed analysis of the sum of organic nitrate mixing ratios measured by thermal dissociation cavity ring-down spectroscopy in continental Europe. Day (OH-initiated) and night-time (NO3-initiated) production of alkyl nitrates proceed at similar rates.
Hannah Meusel, Uwe Kuhn, Andreas Reiffs, Chinmay Mallik, Hartwig Harder, Monica Martinez, Jan Schuladen, Birger Bohn, Uwe Parchatka, John N. Crowley, Horst Fischer, Laura Tomsche, Anna Novelli, Thorsten Hoffmann, Ruud H. H. Janssen, Oscar Hartogensis, Michael Pikridas, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Bettina Weber, Jos Lelieveld, Jonathan Williams, Ulrich Pöschl, Yafang Cheng, and Hang Su
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14475–14493, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14475-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14475-2016, 2016
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There are many studies which show discrepancies between modeled and measured nitrous acid (HONO, precursor of OH radical) in the troposphere but with no satisfactory explanation. Ideal conditions to study the unknown sources of HONO were found on Cyprus, a remote Mediterranean island. Budget analysis of trace gas measurements indicates a common source of NO and HONO, which is not related to anthropogenic activity and is most likely derived from biologic activity in soils and subsequent emission.
A. M. Yáñez-Serrano, A. C. Nölscher, E. Bourtsoukidis, B. Derstroff, N. Zannoni, V. Gros, M. Lanza, J. Brito, S. M. Noe, E. House, C. N. Hewitt, B. Langford, E. Nemitz, T. Behrendt, J. Williams, P. Artaxo, M. O. Andreae, and J. Kesselmeier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 10965–10984, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10965-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10965-2016, 2016
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This paper provides a general overview of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) ambient observations in different ecosystems around the world in order to provide insights into the sources, sink and role of MEK in the atmosphere.
Jan Zörner, Marloes Penning de Vries, Steffen Beirle, Holger Sihler, Patrick R. Veres, Jonathan Williams, and Thomas Wagner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 9457–9487, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9457-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9457-2016, 2016
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We present a top-down approach to infer and quantify rain-induced emission pulses of nitrogen oxides from soils using satellite-borne measurements of NO2. We found strong enhancements of NO2 induced by the first intense precipitation after prolonged droughts in many semi-arid regions of the world, in particular in the Sahel. Apart from the clear first-day peak, NO2 VCDs are moderately enhanced compared to background over the following 2 weeks suggesting potential further emissions.
N. Sobanski, M. J. Tang, J. Thieser, G. Schuster, D. Pöhler, H. Fischer, W. Song, C. Sauvage, J. Williams, J. Fachinger, F. Berkes, P. Hoor, U. Platt, J. Lelieveld, and J. N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4867–4883, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4867-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4867-2016, 2016
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The nitrate radical (NO3) is an important nocturnal oxidant. By measuring NO3, its precursors (nitrogen dioxide and ozone) and several trace gases with which it reacts, we examined the chemical and meteorological factors influencing the lifetime of NO3 at a semi-rural mountain site. Unexpectedly long lifetimes, approaching 1 h, were observed on several nights and were associated with a low-lying residual layer. We discuss the role of other reactions that convert NO2 to NO3.
M. O. Andreae, O. C. Acevedo, A. Araùjo, P. Artaxo, C. G. G. Barbosa, H. M. J. Barbosa, J. Brito, S. Carbone, X. Chi, B. B. L. Cintra, N. F. da Silva, N. L. Dias, C. Q. Dias-Júnior, F. Ditas, R. Ditz, A. F. L. Godoi, R. H. M. Godoi, M. Heimann, T. Hoffmann, J. Kesselmeier, T. Könemann, M. L. Krüger, J. V. Lavric, A. O. Manzi, A. P. Lopes, D. L. Martins, E. F. Mikhailov, D. Moran-Zuloaga, B. W. Nelson, A. C. Nölscher, D. Santos Nogueira, M. T. F. Piedade, C. Pöhlker, U. Pöschl, C. A. Quesada, L. V. Rizzo, C.-U. Ro, N. Ruckteschler, L. D. A. Sá, M. de Oliveira Sá, C. B. Sales, R. M. N. dos Santos, J. Saturno, J. Schöngart, M. Sörgel, C. M. de Souza, R. A. F. de Souza, H. Su, N. Targhetta, J. Tóta, I. Trebs, S. Trumbore, A. van Eijck, D. Walter, Z. Wang, B. Weber, J. Williams, J. Winderlich, F. Wittmann, S. Wolff, and A. M. Yáñez-Serrano
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 10723–10776, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10723-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10723-2015, 2015
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This paper describes the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO), a new atmosphere-biosphere observatory located in the remote Amazon Basin. It presents results from ecosystem ecology, meteorology, trace gas, and aerosol measurements collected at the ATTO site during the first 3 years of operation.
K. Violaki, J. Sciare, J. Williams, A. R. Baker, M. Martino, and N. Mihalopoulos
Biogeosciences, 12, 3131–3140, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3131-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3131-2015, 2015
D. Mogensen, R. Gierens, J. N. Crowley, P. Keronen, S. Smolander, A. Sogachev, A. C. Nölscher, L. Zhou, M. Kulmala, M. J. Tang, J. Williams, and M. Boy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 3909–3932, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3909-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3909-2015, 2015
A. M. Yáñez-Serrano, A. C. Nölscher, J. Williams, S. Wolff, E. Alves, G. A. Martins, E. Bourtsoukidis, J. Brito, K. Jardine, P. Artaxo, and J. Kesselmeier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 3359–3378, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3359-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3359-2015, 2015
E. Mesarchaki, C. Kräuter, K. E. Krall, M. Bopp, F. Helleis, J. Williams, and B. Jähne
Ocean Sci., 11, 121–138, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-11-121-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-11-121-2015, 2015
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Our article presents successful gas exchange measurements obtained in a large-scale wind-wave tank. The adopted box model methodology, experimental produce and instrumentation are described in detail. For the first time, parallel measurements of total transfer velocities for 14 individual gases within a wide range of solubility have been achieved. Various wind speed conditions and the effect of surfactant layers have been investigated providing exciting results.
R. Oswald, M. Ermel, K. Hens, A. Novelli, H. G. Ouwersloot, P. Paasonen, T. Petäjä, M. Sipilä, P. Keronen, J. Bäck, R. Königstedt, Z. Hosaynali Beygi, H. Fischer, B. Bohn, D. Kubistin, H. Harder, M. Martinez, J. Williams, T. Hoffmann, I. Trebs, and M. Sörgel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 799–813, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-799-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-799-2015, 2015
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Nitrous acid (HONO) is a key species in atmospheric photochemistry since the photolysis leads to the important hydroxyl radical (OH). Although the importance of HONO as a precursor of OH is known, the formation pathways of HONO, especially during daytime, are a major challenge in atmospheric science. We present a detailed analysis of sources and sinks for HONO in the atmosphere for a field measurement campaign in the boreal forest in Finland and wonder if there is really a source term missing.
C. E. Stockwell, P. R. Veres, J. Williams, and R. J. Yokelson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 845–865, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-845-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-845-2015, 2015
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We used a high-resolution proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer to measure emissions from peat, crop residue, cooking fires, etc. We assigned > 80% of the mass of gas-phase organic compounds and much of it was secondary organic aerosol precursors. The open cooking emissions were much larger than from advanced cookstoves. Little-studied N-containing organic compounds accounted for 0.1-8.7% of the fuel N and may influence new particle formation.
T. Behrendt, P. R. Veres, F. Ashuri, G. Song, M. Flanz, B. Mamtimin, M. Bruse, J. Williams, and F. X. Meixner
Biogeosciences, 11, 5463–5492, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5463-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5463-2014, 2014
H. Bozem, H. Fischer, C. Gurk, C. L. Schiller, U. Parchatka, R. Koenigstedt, A. Stickler, M. Martinez, H. Harder, D. Kubistin, J. Williams, G. Eerdekens, and J. Lelieveld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 8917–8931, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8917-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8917-2014, 2014
K. Hens, A. Novelli, M. Martinez, J. Auld, R. Axinte, B. Bohn, H. Fischer, P. Keronen, D. Kubistin, A. C. Nölscher, R. Oswald, P. Paasonen, T. Petäjä, E. Regelin, R. Sander, V. Sinha, M. Sipilä, D. Taraborrelli, C. Tatum Ernest, J. Williams, J. Lelieveld, and H. Harder
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 8723–8747, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8723-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-8723-2014, 2014
P. R. Veres, T. Behrendt, A. Klapthor, F. X. Meixner, and J. Williams
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-11-12009-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-11-12009-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
E. Bourtsoukidis, J. Williams, J. Kesselmeier, S. Jacobi, and B. Bonn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6495–6510, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6495-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6495-2014, 2014
W. Song, M. Staudt, I. Bourgeois, and J. Williams
Biogeosciences, 11, 1435–1447, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-1435-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-1435-2014, 2014
J. A. Adame, M. Martínez, M. Sorribas, P. J. Hidalgo, H. Harder, J.-M. Diesch, F. Drewnick, W. Song, J. Williams, V. Sinha, M. A. Hernández-Ceballos, J. Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, R. Sander, Z. Hosaynali-Beygi, H. Fischer, J. Lelieveld, and B. De la Morena
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 2325–2342, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-2325-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-2325-2014, 2014
A. L. Corrigan, L. M. Russell, S. Takahama, M. Äijälä, M. Ehn, H. Junninen, J. Rinne, T. Petäjä, M. Kulmala, A. L. Vogel, T. Hoffmann, C. J. Ebben, F. M. Geiger, P. Chhabra, J. H. Seinfeld, D. R. Worsnop, W. Song, J. Auld, and J. Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 12233–12256, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-12233-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-12233-2013, 2013
A. L. Vogel, M. Äijälä, A. L. Corrigan, H. Junninen, M. Ehn, T. Petäjä, D. R. Worsnop, M. Kulmala, L. M. Russell, J. Williams, and T. Hoffmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 10933–10950, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10933-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10933-2013, 2013
A.C. Nölscher, E. Bourtsoukidis, B. Bonn, J. Kesselmeier, J. Lelieveld, and J. Williams
Biogeosciences, 10, 4241–4257, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4241-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4241-2013, 2013
M. D. Andrés-Hernández, D. Kartal, J. N. Crowley, V. Sinha, E. Regelin, M. Martínez-Harder, V. Nenakhov, J. Williams, H. Harder, H. Bozem, W. Song, J. Thieser, M. J. Tang, Z. Hosaynali Beigi, and J. P. Burrows
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 5731–5749, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5731-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5731-2013, 2013
A. L. Vogel, M. Äijälä, M. Brüggemann, M. Ehn, H. Junninen, T. Petäjä, D. R. Worsnop, M. Kulmala, J. Williams, and T. Hoffmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 431–443, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-431-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-431-2013, 2013
G. J. Phillips, N. Pouvesle, J. Thieser, G. Schuster, R. Axinte, H. Fischer, J. Williams, J. Lelieveld, and J. N. Crowley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 1129–1139, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1129-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1129-2013, 2013
A. C. Nölscher, V. Sinha, S. Bockisch, T. Klüpfel, and J. Williams
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 5, 2981–2992, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-5-2981-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-5-2981-2012, 2012
Related subject area
Subject: Gases | Technique: Laboratory Measurement | Topic: Instruments and Platforms
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
A new portable sampler of atmospheric methane for radiocarbon measurements
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
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
Calibration of an airborne HOx instrument using the All Pressure Altitude-based Calibrator for HOx Experimentation (APACHE)
Measurement of ammonia, amines and iodine compounds using protonated water cluster chemical ionization mass spectrometry
An instrument for in situ measurement of total ozone reactivity
Portable calibrator for NO based on the photolysis of N2O and a combined NO2∕NO∕O3 source for field calibrations of air pollution monitors
A new instrument for time-resolved measurement of HO2 radicals
Investigation of adsorption and desorption behavior of small-volume cylinders and its relevance for atmospheric trace gas analysis
Towards an understanding of surface effects: testing of various materials in a small volume measurement chamber and its relevance for atmospheric trace gas analysis
Stability of halocarbons in air samples stored in stainless- steel canisters
High-precision atmospheric oxygen measurement comparisons between a newly built CRDS analyzer and existing measurement techniques
Characterisation of the transfer of cluster ions through an atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometer with hexapole ion guides
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).
Giulia Zazzeri, Lukas Wacker, Negar Haghipour, Philip Gautchi, Thomas Laemmel, Sönke Szidat, and Heather Graven
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-123, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-123, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for AMT
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Radiocarbon (14C) is an optimal tracer of methane (CH4) emissions, as 14C measurements enable distinguishing fossil from biogenic methane. However, these measurements are particularly challenging, mainly due to technical difficulties in the sampling procedure. With this work 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.
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.
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.
Daniel Marno, Cheryl Ernest, Korbinian Hens, Umar Javed, Thomas Klimach, Monica Martinez, Markus Rudolf, Jos Lelieveld, and Hartwig Harder
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2711–2731, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2711-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2711-2020, 2020
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In this study, a calibration device for OH and HO2 instruments is characterized at pressures of 275 to 1000 mbar, allowing instrument pressure sensitivity to be quantified to an accuracy of 22 % (1σ). Computational fluid dynamic simulations supporting the understanding of interactions between generated HOx and the instrument inlet led to enhanced determination of factors affecting instrument sensitivity.
Joschka Pfeifer, Mario Simon, Martin Heinritzi, Felix Piel, Lena Weitz, Dongyu Wang, Manuel Granzin, Tatjana Müller, Steffen Bräkling, Jasper Kirkby, Joachim Curtius, and Andreas Kürten
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2501–2522, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2501-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2501-2020, 2020
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Ammonia is an important atmospheric trace gas that affects secondary aerosol formation and, together with sulfuric acid, the formation of new particles. A measurement technique is presented that uses high-resolution mass spectrometry and protonated water clusters for the ultrasensitive detection of ammonia at single-digit parts per trillion by volume levels. The instrument is further capable of measuring amines and a suite of iodine compounds at sub-parts per trillion by volume levels.
Roberto Sommariva, Louisa J. Kramer, Leigh R. Crilley, Mohammed S. Alam, and William J. Bloss
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 1655–1670, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1655-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1655-2020, 2020
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Ozone is a key atmospheric pollutant formed through chemical processing of natural and anthropogenic emissions and removed by reaction with organic compounds emitted by plants. We describe a new instrument – the
Total Ozone Reactivity Systemor TORS – that measures the total loss of ozone in the troposphere. The objective of the TORS instrument is to provide an estimate of the organic compounds emitted by plants which are not measured and thus to improve our understanding of the ozone budget.
John W. Birks, Andrew A. Turnipseed, Peter C. Andersen, Craig J. Williford, Stanley Strunk, Brian Carpenter, and Christine A. Ennis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 1001–1018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1001-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1001-2020, 2020
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We describe a portable calibration source of nitric oxide (NO) based on the photolysis of nitrous oxide. Combining this with a previous photolytic ozone (O3) source yields a calibrator that produces known mixing ratios of NO, O3, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2); NO2 is produced by the reaction of NO with O3. This portable
NO2/NO/O3 calibration source requires no external gas cylinders and can be used as a standard to calibrate O3 and NOx air pollution monitors in the field.
Thomas H. Speak, Mark A. Blitz, Daniel Stone, and Paul W. Seakins
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 839–852, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-839-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-839-2020, 2020
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OH and HO2 radicals are important trace constituents of the atmosphere that are closely coupled via several types of reaction. This paper describes a new laboratory method to simultaneously determine OH kinetics and HO2 yields from chemical processes. The instrument also provides some time resolution on HO2 detection allowing one to separate HO2 produced from the target reaction from HO2 arising from secondary chemistry. Examples of applications are presented.
Ece Satar, Peter Nyfeler, Bernhard Bereiter, Céline Pascale, Bernhard Niederhauser, and Markus Leuenberger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 101–117, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-101-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-101-2020, 2020
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Good-quality measurements of atmospheric trace gases are only possible with regular calibrations and stable measurements from the standard cylinders. This study investigates instabilities due to surface effects on newly built aluminum and steel cylinders. We present measurements over a set of temperature and pressure ranges for the amount fractions of CO2, CO, CH4 and H2O using a commercial and a novel laser spectroscopic analyzer.
Ece Satar, Peter Nyfeler, Céline Pascale, Bernhard Niederhauser, and Markus Leuenberger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 119–130, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-119-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-119-2020, 2020
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To ensure the best preparation and measurement conditions for trace gases, usage of coated materials is in demand in gas metrology and atmospheric measurement communities. In this article, the previously introduced aluminum measurement chamber is used to investigate materials such as glass, aluminum, copper, brass, steel and three different commercially available coatings. Our measurements focus on temperature and pressure dependencies for the species CO2, CO, CH4 and H2O using a CRDS analyzer.
Tanja J. Schuck, Ann-Katrin Blank, Elisa Rittmeier, Jonathan Williams, Carl A. M. Brenninkmeijer, Andreas Engel, and Andreas Zahn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 73–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-73-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-73-2020, 2020
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Air sample collection aboard aircraft is a tool to measure atmospheric trace gas mixing ratios at altitude. We present results on the stability of 28 halocarbons during storage of air samples collected in stainless-steel flasks inside an automated air sampling unit which is part of the CARIBIC instrument package. Selected fluorinated compounds grew during the experiments while short-lived compounds were depleted. Individual substances were additionally influenced by high mixing ratios of ozone.
Tesfaye A. Berhanu, John Hoffnagle, Chris Rella, David Kimhak, Peter Nyfeler, and Markus Leuenberger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6803–6826, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6803-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6803-2019, 2019
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Accurate measurement of variations in atmospheric O2 can provide useful information about atmospheric, biospheric, and oceanic processes, which is a challenge for existing measurement techniques. Here, we introduce a newly built high-precision, stable CRDS analyzer (Picarro G2207) that can measure O2 mixing ratios with a short-term precision of < 1 ppm and only requires calibration every 12 h. Measurements from tower and mountain sites are also presented.
Markus Leiminger, Stefan Feil, Paul Mutschlechner, Arttu Ylisirniö, Daniel Gunsch, Lukas Fischer, Alfons Jordan, Siegfried Schobesberger, Armin Hansel, and Gerhard Steiner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 5231–5246, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5231-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5231-2019, 2019
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We introduce an alternative type of atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometer (APi-TOF) with the main difference of using hexapole instead of quadrupole ion guides. The transfer of cluster ions through the hexapoles was characterised with focus on transmission efficiency, mass range and fragmentation of cluster ions. At the CERN CLOUD experiment we compared the performance of the ioniAPi-TOF with a standard quadrupole APi-TOF under controlled conditions.
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Executive editor
I agree with the handling editor that this paper covers a very good study that would be a very useful for the community, especially for measurements of reactive gases.
I agree with the handling editor that this paper covers a very good study that would be a very...
Short summary
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.
Atmospheric ozone can induce artefacts in volatile organic compound measurements. Laboratory...
