Temporal and seasonal variation of atmospheric concentrations of currently used pesticides in Champagne in the centre of Reims from 2012 to 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villiot, A.; Chrétien, E.; Drab-Sommesous, E.; Rivière, E.; Chakir, A.; Roth, E.

2018-02-01

For four years (2012-2015), pesticides were analyzed in atmospheric samples in the Centre of Reims (France). Among the analyzed substances, 28 have been quantified at least one time during the 4 sampling years. The annual cumulated pesticide concentrations were respectively 158.8, 38.5, 84.5 and 86.6 ng m-3 from 2012 to 2015, showing a great variability in the presence of pesticides in the atmosphere of the Centre of Reims. The top nine pesticides quantified in the atmosphere were cymoxanil, chlorothalonil and prosulfocarb reaching concentrations up to 13-14 ng m-3 and folpel, cyazofamid, fluazinam, pendimethalin, fenpropidin and spiroxamine reaching concentrations between 1 and 5 ng m-3. Among the nine predominant pesticides, seven of them were fungicides especially used against septoriose, mildew and oïdium occurring as well in vineyard and arable crops. Herbicides quantified were those which are used in arable crops. Insecticides especially carbaryl, chlorpyrifos ethyl and lindane were negligible in the atmosphere. The role of meteorological conditions in the development of diseases and the application rates of pesticide was related to the presence of pesticide in the atmosphere.

First retrieval of hourly atmospheric radionuclides just after the Fukushima accident by analyzing filter-tapes of operational air pollution monitoring stations

PubMed Central

Tsuruta, Haruo; Oura, Yasuji; Ebihara, Mitsuru; Ohara, Toshimasa; Nakajima, Teruyuki

2014-01-01

No observed data have been found in the Fukushima Prefecture (FP) for the time-series of atmospheric radionuclides concentrations just after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FD1NPP) accident. Accordingly, current estimates of internal radiation doses from inhalation, and atmospheric radionuclide concentrations by atmospheric transport models are highly uncertain. Here, we present a new method for retrieving the hourly atmospheric 137Cs concentrations by measuring the radioactivity of suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected on filter tapes in SPM monitors which were operated even after the accident. This new dataset focused on the period of March 12–23, 2011 just after the accident, when massive radioactive materials were released from the FD1NPP to the atmosphere. Overall, 40 sites of the more than 400 sites in the air quality monitoring stations in eastern Japan were studied. For the first time, we show the spatio-temporal variation of atmospheric 137Cs concentrations in the FP and the Tokyo Metropolitan Area (TMA) located more than 170 km southwest of the FD1NPP. The comprehensive dataset revealed how the polluted air masses were transported to the FP and TMA, and can be used to re-evaluate internal exposure, time-series radionuclides release rates, and atmospheric transport models. PMID:25335435

The Global Carbon Cycle: It's a Small World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ineson, Philip; Milcu, Alexander; Subke, Jens-Arne; Wildman, Dennis; Anderson, Robert; Manning, Peter; Heinemeyer, Andreas

2010-05-01

Predicting future atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), together with the impacts of these changes on global climate, are some of the most urgent and important challenges facing mankind. Modelling is the only way in which such predictions can be made, leading to the current generation of increasingly complex computer simulations, with associated concerns about embedded assumptions and conflicting model outputs. Alongside analysis of past climates, the GCMs currently represent our only hope of establishing the importance of potential runaway positive feedbacks linking climate change and atmospheric greenhouse gases yet the incorporation of necessary biospheric responses into GCMs markedly increases the uncertainty of predictions. Analysis of the importance of the major components of the global carbon (C) cycle reveals that an understanding of the conditions under which the terrestrial biosphere could switch from an overall carbon (C) sink to a source is critical to our ability to make future climate predictions. Here we present an alternative approach to assessing the short term biotic (plant and soil) sensitivities to elevated temperature and atmospheric CO2 through the use of a purely physical analogue. Centred on the concept of materially-closed systems containing scaled-down ratios of the global C stocks for the atmosphere, vegetation and soil we show that, in these model systems, the terrestrial biosphere is able to buffer a rise of 3oC even when coupled to very strong CO2-temperature positive feedbacks. The system respiratory response appears to be extremely well linked to temperature and is critical in deciding atmospheric concentrations of CO2. Simulated anthropogenic emissions of CO2 into the model systems showed an initial corresponding increase in atmospheric CO2 but, somewhat surprisingly, CO2 concentrations levelled off at ca. 480 p.p.m.v., despite continuing additions of CO2. Experiments were performed in which reversion of atmospheric temperatures, or cessation of CO2 additions, showed rapid and proportionate decreases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The results indicate that short term terrestrial feedbacks are not sufficient to induce a CO2-temperature runaway scenario and suggest that predictions of atmospheric CO2 by current GCMs may under-estimate the CO2 fertilisation effect on plants and, hence, over-estimate future atmospheric CO2 increases. Perhaps, more importantly, the experiments show that the impacts of imposed elevated CO2 and temperature increase can be reversed. Whilst clearly representing a simplified version of terrestrial CO2 dynamics, it is proposed that closed system research represents a new form of test-bed for validation of processes represented within digital global CO2 models.

Effects of elevated CO2 on the swainsonine chemotypes of Astragalus lentiginosus and Astragalus mollissimus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rapid changes in the Earth’s atmosphere and climate associated with human activity can have significant impacts on agricultural and livestock production. CO2 concentrations, representing one of many atmospheric changes, have risen from the industrial revolution to the current time, and are expected...

Compound Specific Concentration and Stable Isotope Ratio Measurements of Atmospheric Particulate Organic Matter and Gas Phase Nitrophenols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busca, R.; Saccon, M.; Moukhtar, S.; Rudolph, J.

2009-05-01

Atmospheric particulate organic matter (POM) adversely affects health and climate. One of the still poorly understood sources of secondary organic matter (SOM) is the formation of secondary POM from the photo- oxidation of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOC). Nitrophenols, which are toxic semi-volatile compounds, are formed in the atmosphere by OH-radical initiated photo-oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene. A method was developed to determine concentrations and stable carbon isotope ratios of particulate methyl nitrophenols in the atmosphere. This method has been used to quantify methyl nitrophenols, specifically 2-methyl-4-nitrophenol and 4-methyl-2-nitrophenol, found in atmospheric PM samples in trace quantities. Using this method, we conducted measurements of methyl nitrophenols in atmospheric PM in rural and suburban areas in Southern Ontario. The results of these measurements showed that the concentration of methyl nitrophenols in atmospheric PM is much lower than expected from the extrapolation of laboratory experiments and measured atmospheric toluene concentrations. In order to better understand the reasons for these findings, an analytical method for the analysis of nitrophenols in the gas phase is currently being developed. Similarly, the measurement technique is modified to allow analysis of other phenolic products of the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons in PM as well as in the gas phase. In this poster, sampling techniques for collection and GC-MS analysis of nitrophenols in gas phase and PM will be presented along with preliminary results from summer 2008 and spring 2009 studies.

Pesticides in the atmosphere; distribution, trends, and governing factors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Majewski, Michael S.; Capel, Paul D.

1995-01-01

A comprehensive review of existing literature on the occurrence and distribution of pesticides in the atmosphere of the United States and adjoining Canadian provinces showed that the atmosphere is an important part of the hydrologic cycle that acts to distribute and deposit pesticides in areas far removed from their application sites. A compilation of existing data shows that pesticides have been detected in the atmosphere throughout the nation. Most of the available information on pesticides in the atmosphere is from small-scale, short-term studies that seldom lasted more than one year. Only two national-scale, multi-year studies were done since the late 1960's that analyzed for a wide variety of pesticides in air that were in current use at the time. Another large-scale study was done during 1990-91, but was limited to the midwestern and northeastern United States and only analyzed for two classes of herbicides in wet deposition. Most of the pesticides analyzed for were detected in either air or rain, and represent about 25 percent of the total number of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in current use. The geographical distribution of studies, and the type of sampling and analysis were highly variable with most of the historical study efforts concentrated in the Great Lakes area and California. Air and rain were the main atmospheric matrices sampled, but pesticides were also detected in fog and snow. Reported pesticide concentrations in air and rain were frequently positively correlated to their regional agricultural use. Deviations from this relation could usually be explained by non-agricultural use of pesticides, sampling and analytical difficulties, and environmental persistence. High concentrations of locally used pesticides were found to occur seasonally, usually in conjunction with spring planting of row crops and warm temperatures, but high concentrations also occurred during winter months in those areas where dormant orchards were sprayed. The environmentally more persistent pesticides were detected in the atmosphere at low concen- trations throughout the year. Deposition of airborne pesticides can have significant effects on water quality, but neither the nature of nor the magnitude of these effects can be determined with certainty on the basis of the type of data currently available. The lack of consistent, long-term regional and national monitoring and study of pesticides in atmospheric matrices severely limits assessment capability.

Terrestrial and Martian weathering signatures of xenon components in shergottite mineral separates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartwright, J. A.; Ocker, K. D.; Crowther, S. A.; Burgess, R.; Gilmour, J. D.

2010-08-01

Xenon-isotopic ratios, step-heating release patterns, and gas concentrations of mineral separates from Martian shergottites Roberts Massif (RBT) 04262, Dar al Gani (DaG) 489, Shergotty, and Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001 lithology B are reported. Concentrations of Martian atmospheric xenon are similar in mineral separates from all meteorites, but more weathered samples contain more terrestrial atmospheric xenon. The distributions of xenon from the Martian and terrestrial atmospheres among minerals in any one sample are similar, suggesting similarities in the processes by which they were acquired. However, in opaque and maskelynite fractions, Martian atmospheric xenon is released at higher temperatures than terrestrial atmospheric xenon. It is suggested that both Martian and terrestrial atmospheric xenon were initially introduced by weathering (low temperature alteration processes). However, the Martian component was redistributed by shock, accounting for its current residence in more retentive sites. The presence or absence of detectable 129Xe from the Martian atmosphere in mafic minerals may correspond to the extent of crustal contamination of the rock's parent melt. Variable contents of excess 129Xe contrast with previously reported consistent concentrations of excess 40Ar, suggesting distinct sources contributed these gases to the parent magma.

Persistent organic pollutants in the Atlantic and southern oceans and oceanic atmosphere.

PubMed

Luek, Jenna L; Dickhut, Rebecca M; Cochran, Michele A; Falconer, Renee L; Kylin, Henrik

2017-04-01

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to cycle through the atmosphere and hydrosphere despite banned or severely restricted usages. Global scale analyses of POPs are challenging, but knowledge of the current distribution of these compounds is needed to understand the movement and long-term consequences of their global use. In the current study, air and seawater samples were collected Oct. 2007-Jan. 2008 aboard the Icebreaker Oden en route from Göteborg, Sweden to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Both air and surface seawater samples consistently contained α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), γ-HCH, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), α-Endosulfan, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Sample concentrations for most POPs in air were higher in the northern hemisphere with the exception of HCB, which had high gas phase concentrations in the northern and southern latitudes and low concentrations near the equator. South Atlantic and Southern Ocean seawater had a high ratio of α-HCH to γ-HCH, indicating persisting levels from technical grade sources. The Atlantic and Southern Ocean continue to be net sinks for atmospheric α-, γ-HCH, and Endosulfan despite declining usage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric monitoring at abandoned mercury mine sites in Asturias (NW Spain).

PubMed

Loredo, Jorge; Soto, Jorge; Alvarez, Rodrigo; Ordóñez, Almudena

2007-07-01

Mercury concentrations are usually significant in historic Hg mining districts all over the world, so the atmospheric environment is potentially affected. In Asturias, northern Spain, past mining operations have left a legacy of ruins and Hg-rich wastes, soils and sediments in abandoned sites. Total Hg concentrations in the ambient air of these abandoned mine sites have been investigated to evaluate the impact of the Hg emissions. This paper presents the synthesis of current knowledge about atmospheric Hg contents in the area of the abandoned Hg mining and smelting works at 'La Peña-El Terronal' and La Soterraña, located in Mieres and Pola de Lena districts, respectively, both within the Caudal River basin. It was found that average atmospheric Hg concentrations are higher than the background level in the area (0.1 microg Nm(-3)), reaching up to 203.7 microg Nm(-3) at 0.2 m above the ground level, close to the old smelting chimney at El Terronal mine site. Data suggest that past Hg mining activities have big influences on the increased Hg concentrations around abandoned sites and that atmospheric transfer is a major pathway for Hg cycling in these environments.

Biomagnetic Monitoring of Atmospheric Pollution: A Review of Magnetic Signatures from Biological Sensors.

PubMed

Hofman, Jelle; Maher, Barbara A; Muxworthy, Adrian R; Wuyts, Karen; Castanheiro, Ana; Samson, Roeland

2017-06-20

Biomagnetic monitoring of atmospheric pollution is a growing application in the field of environmental magnetism. Particulate matter (PM) in atmospheric pollution contains readily measurable concentrations of magnetic minerals. Biological surfaces, exposed to atmospheric pollution, accumulate magnetic particles over time, providing a record of location-specific, time-integrated air quality information. This review summarizes current knowledge of biological material ("sensors") used for biomagnetic monitoring purposes. Our work addresses the following: the range of magnetic properties reported for lichens, mosses, leaves, bark, trunk wood, insects, crustaceans, mammal and human tissues; their associations with atmospheric pollutant species (PM, NO x , trace elements, PAHs); the pros and cons of biomagnetic monitoring of atmospheric pollution; current challenges for large-scale implementation of biomagnetic monitoring; and future perspectives. A summary table is presented, with the aim of aiding researchers and policy makers in selecting the most suitable biological sensor for their intended biomagnetic monitoring purpose.

Geochemistry of coalbed gas - a review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clayton, J.L.

1998-01-01

Coals are both sources and reservoirs of large amounts of gas that has received increasing attention in recent years as a largely untapped potential energy resource. Coal mining operations, such as ventilation of coalbed gas from underground mines, release coalbed CH4 into the atmosphere, an important greehouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere is increasing. Because of these energy and environmental issues, increased research attention has been focused on the geochemistry of coalbed gas in recent years. This paper presents a summary review of the main aspects of coalbed gas geochemistry and current research advances.Coals are both sources and reservoirs of large amounts of gas that has received increasing attention in recent years as a largely untapped potential energy resource. Coal mining operations, such as ventilation of coalbed gas from underground mines, release coalbed CH4 into the atmosphere, an important greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere is increasing. Because of these energy and environmental issues, increased research attention has been focused on the geochemistry of coalbed gas in recent years. This paper presents a summary review of the main aspects of coalbed gas geochemistry and current research advances.

Pesticides in the atmosphere: a comparison of gas-particle partitioning and particle size distribution of legacy and current-use pesticides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degrendele, C.; Okonski, K.; Melymuk, L.; Landlová, L.; Kukučka, P.; Audy, O.; Kohoutek, J.; Čupr, P.; Klánová, J.

2016-02-01

This study presents a comparison of seasonal variation, gas-particle partitioning, and particle-phase size distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) in air. Two years (2012/2013) of weekly air samples were collected at a background site in the Czech Republic using a high-volume air sampler. To study the particle-phase size distribution, air samples were also collected at an urban and rural site in the area of Brno, Czech Republic, using a cascade impactor separating atmospheric particulates according to six size fractions. Major differences were found in the atmospheric distribution of OCPs and CUPs. The atmospheric concentrations of CUPs were driven by agricultural activities while secondary sources such as volatilization from surfaces governed the atmospheric concentrations of OCPs. Moreover, clear differences were observed in gas-particle partitioning; CUP partitioning was influenced by adsorption onto mineral surfaces while OCPs were mainly partitioning to aerosols through absorption. A predictive method for estimating the gas-particle partitioning has been derived and is proposed for polar and non-polar pesticides. Finally, while OCPs and the majority of CUPs were largely found on fine particles, four CUPs (carbendazim, isoproturon, prochloraz, and terbuthylazine) had higher concentrations on coarse particles ( > 3.0 µm), which may be related to the pesticide application technique. This finding is particularly important and should be further investigated given that large particles result in lower risks from inhalation (regardless the toxicity of the pesticide) and lower potential for long-range atmospheric transport.

Recent Greenhouse Gas Concentrations

DOE Data Explorer

Blasing, T. J.

2016-01-01

Gases typically measured in parts per million (ppm), parts per billion (ppb) or parts per trillion (ppt) are presented separately to facilitate comparison of numbers. Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) and atmospheric lifetimes are from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013, Table 8.A.1), except for the atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is explained in footnote 4. Additional material on greenhouse gases can be found in CDIAC's Reference Tools. To find out how CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs, and halons are named, see Name that compound: The numbers game for CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs, and Halons. Concentrations given apply to the lower 75-80 percent of the atmosphere, known as the troposphere. Sources of the current and preindustrial concentrations of the atmospheric gases listed in the table below are given in the footnotes. Investigators at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have provided the recent concentrations. Much of the data provided results from the work of various investigators at institutions other than CDIAC, and represent considerable effort on their part. We ask as a basic professional courtesy that you acknowledge the primary sources, indicated in the footnotes below, or in the links given in the footnotes. Concentrations of ozone and water vapor are spatially and temporally variable due to their short atmospheric lifetimes. A vertically and horizontally averaged water vapor concentration is about 5,000 ppm. Globally averaged water vapor concentration is difficult to measure precisely because it varies from one place to another and from one season to the next. This precludes a precise determination of changes in water vapor since pre-industrial time. However, a warmer atmosphere will likely contain more water vapor than at present. For a more detailed statement on water vapor from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, see the "water vapor" page at http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/gases.html

Investigating Factors that Affect Dissolved Oxygen Concentration in Water

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jantzen, Paul G.

1978-01-01

Describes activities that demonstrate the effects of factors such as wind velocity, water temperature, convection currents, intensity of light, rate of photosynthesis, atmospheric pressure, humidity, numbers of decomposers, presence of oxidizable ions, and respiration by plants and animals on the dissolved oxygen concentration in water. (MA)

Changes in gas exchange characteristics during the life span of giant sequoia: implications for response to current and future concentrations of atmospheric ozone.

PubMed

Grulke, N. E.; Miller, P. R.

1994-01-01

Native stands of giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum Bucholz) are being exposed to relatively high concentrations of atmospheric ozone produced in urban and agricultural areas upwind. The expected change in environmental conditions over the next 100 years is likely to be unprecedented in the life span (about 2,500 years) of giant sequoia. We determined changes in physiological responses of three age classes of giant sequoia (current-year, 12-, and 125-year-old) to differing concentrations of ozone, and assessed age-related differences in sensitivity to pollutants by examining physiological changes (gas exchange, water use efficiency) across the life span of giant sequoia (current-year, 2-, 5-, 20-, 125-, and > 2,000-year-old trees). The CO(2) exchange rate (CER) was greater in current-year (12.1 micro mol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1)) and 2-year-old seedlings (4.8 micro mol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1)) than in all older trees (3.0 micro mol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1), averaged across the four older age classes). Dark respiration was highest for current-year seedlings (-6.5 +/- 0.7 micro mol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1)) and was increased twofold in symptomatic individuals exposed to elevated ozone concentrations. Stomatal conductance (g(s)) was greater in current-year (355 mmol H(2)O m(-2) s(-1)) and 2-year-old seedlings (200 mmol H(2)O m(-2) s(-1)) than in all older trees (50 mmol H(2)O m(-2) s(-1)), indicating that the ozone concentration in substomatal cavities is higher in young seedlings than in trees. Significant changes in water use efficiency, as indicated by C(i)/C(a), occurred in trees between ages 5 and 20 years. We conclude that giant sequoias seedlings are sensitive to atmospheric ozone until they are about 5 years old. Low conductance, high water use efficiency, and compact mesophyll all contribute to a natural ozone tolerance, or defense, or both, in foliage of older trees.

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and the Global Carbon Cycle: The Key Uncertainties

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Peng, T. H.; Post, W. M.; DeAngelis, D. L.; Dale, V. H.; Farrell, M. P.

1987-12-01

The biogeochemical cycling of carbon between its sources and sinks determines the rate of increase in atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations. The observed increase in atmospheric CO{sub 2} content is less than the estimated release from fossil fuel consumption and deforestation. This discrepancy can be explained by interactions between the atmosphere and other global carbon reservoirs such as the oceans, and the terrestrial biosphere including soils. Undoubtedly, the oceans have been the most important sinks for CO{sub 2} produced by man. But, the physical, chemical, and biological processes of oceans are complex and, therefore, credible estimates of CO{sub 2} uptake can probably only come from mathematical models. Unfortunately, one- and two-dimensional ocean models do not allow for enough CO{sub 2} uptake to accurately account for known releases. Thus, they produce higher concentrations of atmospheric CO{sub 2} than was historically the case. More complex three-dimensional models, while currently being developed, may make better use of existing tracer data than do one- and two-dimensional models and will also incorporate climate feedback effects to provide a more realistic view of ocean dynamics and CO{sub 2} fluxes. The instability of current models to estimate accurately oceanic uptake of CO{sub 2} creates one of the key uncertainties in predictions of atmospheric CO{sub 2} increases and climate responses over the next 100 to 200 years.

Do contemporary (1980-2015) emissions determine the elemental carbon deposition trend at Holtedahlfonna glacier, Svalbard?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruppel, Meri M.; Soares, Joana; Gallet, Jean-Charles; Isaksson, Elisabeth; Martma, Tõnu; Svensson, Jonas; Kohler, Jack; Pedersen, Christina A.; Manninen, Sirkku; Korhola, Atte; Ström, Johan

2017-10-01

The climate impact of black carbon (BC) is notably amplified in the Arctic by its deposition, which causes albedo decrease and subsequent earlier snow and ice spring melt. To comprehensively assess the climate impact of BC in the Arctic, information on both atmospheric BC concentrations and deposition is essential. Currently, Arctic BC deposition data are very scarce, while atmospheric BC concentrations have been shown to generally decrease since the 1990s. However, a 300-year Svalbard ice core showed a distinct increase in EC (elemental carbon, proxy for BC) deposition from 1970 to 2004 contradicting atmospheric measurements and modelling studies. Here, our objective was to decipher whether this increase has continued in the 21st century and to investigate the drivers of the observed EC deposition trends. For this, a shallow firn core was collected from the same Svalbard glacier, and a regional-to-meso-scale chemical transport model (SILAM) was run from 1980 to 2015. The ice and firn core data indicate peaking EC deposition values at the end of the 1990s and lower values thereafter. The modelled BC deposition results generally support the observed glacier EC variations. However, the ice and firn core results clearly deviate from both measured and modelled atmospheric BC concentration trends, and the modelled BC deposition trend shows variations seemingly independent from BC emission or atmospheric BC concentration trends. Furthermore, according to the model ca. 99 % BC mass is wet-deposited at this Svalbard glacier, indicating that meteorological processes such as precipitation and scavenging efficiency have most likely a stronger influence on the BC deposition trend than BC emission or atmospheric concentration trends. BC emission source sectors contribute differently to the modelled atmospheric BC concentrations and BC deposition, which further supports our conclusion that different processes affect atmospheric BC concentration and deposition trends. Consequently, Arctic BC deposition trends should not directly be inferred based on atmospheric BC measurements, and more observational BC deposition data are required to assess the climate impact of BC in Arctic snow.

Large Abundances of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Titan's Upper Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez-Puertas, M.; Dinelli, B. M.; Adriani, A.; Funke, B.; Garcia-Comas, M.; Moriconi, M. L.; D'Aversa, E.; Boersma, C.; Allamandola, L. J.

2013-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the strong unidentified emission near 3.28 micron in Titan's upper daytime atmosphere recently discovered by Dinelli et al.We have studied it by using the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), after absorbing UV solar radiation, are able to emit strongly near 3.3 micron. By using current models for the redistribution of the absorbed UV energy, we have explained the observed spectral feature and have derived the vertical distribution of PAH abundances in Titan's upper atmosphere. PAHs have been found to be present in large concentrations, about (2-3) × 10(exp 4) particles / cubic cm. The identified PAHs have 9-96 carbons, with a concentration-weighted average of 34 carbons. The mean mass is approx 430 u; the mean area is about 0.53 sq. nm; they are formed by 10-11 rings on average, and about one-third of them contain nitrogen atoms. Recently, benzene together with light aromatic species as well as small concentrations of heavy positive and negative ions have been detected in Titan's upper atmosphere. We suggest that the large concentrations of PAHs found here are the neutral counterpart of those positive and negative ions, which hence supports the theory that the origin of Titan main haze layer is located in the upper atmosphere.

Altered performance of forest pests under atmospheres enriched by C02 and O3

Treesearch

Kevin E. Percy; Caroline S. Awmack; Richard L. Lindroth; Mark E. Kubiske; Brian J. Kopper; J. G. Isebrands; Kurt S. Pregitzer; George R. Hendrey; Richard E. Dickson; Donald R. Zak; Elina Oksanen; Jaak Sober; Richard Harrington; David F. Karnosky

2002-01-01

Human activity causes increasing background concentrations of the greenhouse gases C02 and O3. Increased levels of C02 can be found in all terrestrial ecosystems. Damaging O3 concentrations currently occur over 29% of the world's temperate and subpolar forests but are...

Estimation of the uncertainty of a climate model using an ensemble simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth, A.; Mathiot, P.; Goosse, H.

2012-04-01

The atmospheric forcings play an important role in the study of the ocean and sea-ice dynamics of the Southern Ocean. Error in the atmospheric forcings will inevitably result in uncertain model results. The sensitivity of the model results to errors in the atmospheric forcings are studied with ensemble simulations using multivariate perturbations of the atmospheric forcing fields. The numerical ocean model used is the NEMO-LIM in a global configuration with an horizontal resolution of 2°. NCEP reanalyses are used to provide air temperature and wind data to force the ocean model over the last 50 years. A climatological mean is used to prescribe relative humidity, cloud cover and precipitation. In a first step, the model results is compared with OSTIA SST and OSI SAF sea ice concentration of the southern hemisphere. The seasonal behavior of the RMS difference and bias in SST and ice concentration is highlighted as well as the regions with relatively high RMS errors and biases such as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and near the ice-edge. Ensemble simulations are performed to statistically characterize the model error due to uncertainties in the atmospheric forcings. Such information is a crucial element for future data assimilation experiments. Ensemble simulations are performed with perturbed air temperature and wind forcings. A Fourier decomposition of the NCEP wind vectors and air temperature for 2007 is used to generate ensemble perturbations. The perturbations are scaled such that the resulting ensemble spread matches approximately the RMS differences between the satellite SST and sea ice concentration. The ensemble spread and covariance are analyzed for the minimum and maximum sea ice extent. It is shown that errors in the atmospheric forcings can extend to several hundred meters in depth near the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Metal concentrations in homing pigeon lung tissue as a biomonitor of atmospheric pollution.

PubMed

Cui, Jia; Halbrook, Richard S; Zang, Shuying; Han, Shuang; Li, Xinyu

2018-03-01

Atmospheric pollution in urban areas is a major worldwide concern with potential adverse impacts on wildlife and humans. Biomonitoring can provide direct evidence of the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of toxic metals in the environment that is not available with mechanical air monitoring. The current study continues our evaluation of the usefulness of homing pigeon lung tissue as a biomonitor of atmospheric pollution. Homing pigeons (1-2, 5-6, and 9-10+ year old (yo)) collected from Guangzhou during 2015 were necropsied and concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) were measured in lung tissue. Lung Cd and Pb concentrations were significantly greater in 9-10+-year-old pigeons compared with those in other age groups, indicating their bioavailability and bioaccumulation. Lung Pb and Cd concentrations measured in 5-yo pigeons collected from Guangzhou during 2015 were significantly lower than concentrations reported in 5-yo homing pigeons collected from Guangzhou during 2011 and correlated with concentrations measured using mechanical air monitoring. In addition to temporal differences, spatial differences in concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Hg reported in ambient air samples and in pigeon lung tissues collected from Beijing and Guangzhou are discussed.

Global average concentration and trend for hydroxyl radicals deduced from ALE/GAGE trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) data for 1978-1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinn, R.; Cunnold, D.; Simmonds, P.; Alyea, F.; Boldi, R.; Crawford, A.; Fraser, P.; Gutzler, D.; Hartley, D.; Rosen, R.

1992-01-01

An optimal estimation inversion scheme is utilized with atmospheric data and emission estimates to determined the globally averaged CH3CCl3 tropospheric lifetime and OH concentration. The data are taken from atmospheric measurements from surface stations of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and show an annual increase of 4.4 +/- 0.2 percent. Industrial emission estimates and a small oceanic loss rate are included, and the OH concentration for the same period (1978-1990) are incorporated at 1.0 +/- 0.8 percent/yr. The positive OH trend is consistent with theories regarding OH and ozone trends with respect to land use and global warming. Attention is given to the effects of the ENSO on the CH3CCl3 data and the assumption of continuing current industrial anthropogenic emissions. A novel tropical atmospheric tracer-transport mechanism is noted with respect to the CH3CCl3 data.

Application of Radioxenon Stack Emission Data in High-Resolution Atmospheric Transport Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusmierczyk-Michulec, J.; Schoeppner, M.; Kalinowski, M.; Bourgouin, P.; Kushida, N.; Barè, J.

2017-12-01

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) has developed the capability to run high-resolution atmospheric transport modelling by employing WRF and Flexpart-WRF. This new capability is applied to simulate the impact of stack emission data on simulated concentrations and how the availability of such data improves the overall accuracy of atmospheric transport modelling. The presented case study focuses on xenon-133 emissions from IRE, a medical isotope production facility in Belgium, and air concentrations detected at DEX33, a monitoring station close to Freiburg, Germany. The CTBTO is currently monitoring the atmospheric concentration of xenon-133 at 25 stations and will further expand the monitoring efforts to 40 stations worldwide. The incentive is the ability to detect xenon-133 that has been produced and released from a nuclear explosion. A successful detection can be used to prove the nuclear nature of an explosion and even support localization efforts. However, xenon-133 is also released from nuclear power plants and to a larger degree from medical isotope production facilities. The availability of stack emission data in combination with atmospheric transport modelling can greatly facilitate the understanding of xenon-133 concentrations detected at monitoring stations to distinguish between xenon-133 that has been emitted from a nuclear explosion and from civilian sources. Newly available stack emission data is used with a high-resolution version of the Flexpart atmospheric transport model, namely Flexpart-WRF, to assess the impact of the emissions on the detected concentrations and the advantage gained from the availability of such stack emission data. The results are analyzed with regard to spatial and time resolution of the high-resolution model and in comparison to conventional atmospheric transport models with and without stack emission data.

High chance that current atmospheric greenhouse concentrations commit to warmings greater than 1.5 °C over land

PubMed Central

Huntingford, Chris; Mercado, Lina M.

2016-01-01

The recent Paris UNFCCC climate meeting discussed the possibility of limiting global warming to 2 °C since pre-industrial times, or possibly even 1.5 °C, which would require major future emissions reductions. However, even if climate is stabilised at current atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, those warming targets would almost certainly be surpassed in the context of mean temperature increases over land only. The reason for this is two-fold. First, current transient warming lags significantly below equilibrium or “committed” warming. Second, almost all climate models indicate warming rates over land are much higher than those for the oceans. We demonstrate this potential for high eventual temperatures over land, even for contemporary GHG levels, using a large set of climate models and for which climate sensitivities are known. Such additional land warming has implications for impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and human well-being. This suggests that even if massive and near-immediate emissions reductions occur such that atmospheric GHGs increase further by only small amounts, careful planning is needed by society to prepare for higher land temperatures in an eventual equilibrium climatic state. PMID:27461560

High chance that current atmospheric greenhouse concentrations commit to warmings greater than 1.5 °C over land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntingford, Chris; Mercado, Lina M.

2016-07-01

The recent Paris UNFCCC climate meeting discussed the possibility of limiting global warming to 2 °C since pre-industrial times, or possibly even 1.5 °C, which would require major future emissions reductions. However, even if climate is stabilised at current atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, those warming targets would almost certainly be surpassed in the context of mean temperature increases over land only. The reason for this is two-fold. First, current transient warming lags significantly below equilibrium or “committed” warming. Second, almost all climate models indicate warming rates over land are much higher than those for the oceans. We demonstrate this potential for high eventual temperatures over land, even for contemporary GHG levels, using a large set of climate models and for which climate sensitivities are known. Such additional land warming has implications for impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and human well-being. This suggests that even if massive and near-immediate emissions reductions occur such that atmospheric GHGs increase further by only small amounts, careful planning is needed by society to prepare for higher land temperatures in an eventual equilibrium climatic state.

High chance that current atmospheric greenhouse concentrations commit to warmings greater than 1.5 °C over land.

PubMed

Huntingford, Chris; Mercado, Lina M

2016-07-27

The recent Paris UNFCCC climate meeting discussed the possibility of limiting global warming to 2 °C since pre-industrial times, or possibly even 1.5 °C, which would require major future emissions reductions. However, even if climate is stabilised at current atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, those warming targets would almost certainly be surpassed in the context of mean temperature increases over land only. The reason for this is two-fold. First, current transient warming lags significantly below equilibrium or "committed" warming. Second, almost all climate models indicate warming rates over land are much higher than those for the oceans. We demonstrate this potential for high eventual temperatures over land, even for contemporary GHG levels, using a large set of climate models and for which climate sensitivities are known. Such additional land warming has implications for impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and human well-being. This suggests that even if massive and near-immediate emissions reductions occur such that atmospheric GHGs increase further by only small amounts, careful planning is needed by society to prepare for higher land temperatures in an eventual equilibrium climatic state.

Laser Doppler systems in atmospheric turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murty, S. S. R.

1976-01-01

The loss of heterodyne signal power for the Marshall Space Flight Center laser Doppler system due to the random changes in the atmospheric index of refraction is investigated. The current status in the physics of low energy laser propagation through turbulent atmosphere is presented. The analysis and approximate evaluation of the loss of the heterodyne signal power due to the atmospheric absorption, scattering, and turbulence are estimated for the conditions of the January 1973 flight tests. Theoretical and experimental signal to noise values are compared. Maximum and minimum values of the atmospheric attenuation over a two way path of 20 km range are calculated as a function of altitude using models of atmosphere, aerosol concentration, and turbulence.

Carbon Cycle Model Linkage Project (CCMLP): Evaluating Biogeochemical Process Models with Atmospheric Measurements and Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heimann, M.; Prentice, I. C.; Foley, J.; Hickler, T.; Kicklighter, D. W.; McGuire, A. D.; Melillo, J. M.; Ramankutty, N.; Sitch, S.

2001-12-01

Models of biophysical and biogeochemical proceses are being used -either offline or in coupled climate-carbon cycle (C4) models-to assess climate- and CO2-induced feedbacks on atmospheric CO2. Observations of atmospheric CO2 concentration, and supplementary tracers including O2 concentrations and isotopes, offer unique opportunities to evaluate the large-scale behaviour of models. Global patterns, temporal trends, and interannual variability of the atmospheric CO2 concentration and its seasonal cycle provide crucial benchmarks for simulations of regionally-integrated net ecosystem exchange; flux measurements by eddy correlation allow a far more demanding model test at the ecosystem scale than conventional indicators, such as measurements of annual net primary production; and large-scale manipulations, such as the Duke Forest Free Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) experiment, give a standard to evaluate modelled phenomena such as ecosystem-level CO2 fertilization. Model runs including historical changes of CO2, climate and land use allow comparison with regional-scale monthly CO2 balances as inferred from atmospheric measurements. Such comparisons are providing grounds for some confidence in current models, while pointing to processes that may still be inadequately treated. Current plans focus on (1) continued benchmarking of land process models against flux measurements across ecosystems and experimental findings on the ecosystem-level effects of enhanced CO2, reactive N inputs and temperature; (2) improved representation of land use, forest management and crop metabolism in models; and (3) a strategy for the evaluation of C4 models in a historical observational context.

Changes in tropospheric composition and air quality due to stratospheric ozone depletion.

PubMed

Solomon, Keith R; Tang, Xiaoyan; Wilson, Stephen R; Zanis, Prodromos; Bais, Alkiviadis F

2003-01-01

Increased UV-B through stratospheric ozone depletion leads to an increased chemical activity in the lower atmosphere (the troposphere). The effect of stratospheric ozone depletion on tropospheric ozone is small (though significant) compared to the ozone generated anthropogenically in areas already experiencing air pollution. Modeling and experimental studies suggest that the impacts of stratospheric ozone depletion on tropospheric ozone are different at different altitudes and for different chemical regimes. As a result the increase in ozone due to stratospheric ozone depletion may be greater in polluted regions. Attributable effects on concentrations are expected only in regions where local emissions make minor contributions. The vertical distribution of NOx (NO + NO2), the emission of volatile organic compounds and the abundance of water vapor, are important influencing factors. The long-term nature of stratospheric ozone depletion means that even a small increase in tropospheric ozone concentration can have a significant impact on human health and the environment. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and chlorodifluoroacetic acid (CDFA) are produced by the atmospheric degradation of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). TFA has been measured in rain, rivers, lakes, and oceans, the ultimate sink for these and related compounds. Significant anthropogenic sources of TFA other than degradation HCFCs and HFCs have been identified. Toxicity tests under field conditions indicate that the concentrations of TFA and CDFA currently produced by the atmospheric degradation of HFCs and HCFCs do not present a risk to human health and the environment. The impact of the interaction between ozone depletion and future climate change is complex and a significant area of current research. For air quality and tropospheric composition, a range of physical parameters such as temperature, cloudiness and atmospheric transport will modify the impact of UV-B. Changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere including aerosols will also have an impact. For example, tropospheric OH is the 'cleaning' agent of the troposphere. While increased UV-B increases the OH concentration, increases in concentration of gases like methane, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds will act as sinks for OH in troposphere and hence change air quality and chemical composition in the troposphere. Also, changes in the aerosol content of the atmosphere resulting from global climate change may affect ozone photolysis rate coefficients and hence reduce or increase tropospheric ozone concentrations.

The use of atmospheric measurements to constrain model predictions of ozone change from chlorine perturbations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douglass, Anne R.; Stolarski, Richard S.

1987-01-01

Atmospheric photochemistry models have been used to predict the sensitivity of the ozone layer to various perturbations. These same models also predict concentrations of chemical species in the present day atmosphere which can be compared to observations. Model results for both present day values and sensitivity to perturbation depend upon input data for reaction rates, photodissociation rates, and boundary conditions. A method of combining the results of a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis with the existing set of present atmospheric species measurements is developed. The method is used to examine the range of values for the sensitivity of ozone to chlorine perturbations that is possible within the currently accepted ranges for input data. It is found that model runs which predict ozone column losses much greater than 10 percent as a result of present fluorocarbon fluxes produce concentrations and column amounts in the present atmosphere which are inconsistent with the measurements for ClO, HCl, NO, NO2, and HNO3.

FORest canopy atmosphere transfer (FORCAsT) 1.0: a 1-D model of biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, K.; Chung, S. H.; Griffin, R. J.; Chen, J.; Forkel, R.; Bryan, A. M.; Steiner, A. L.

2015-07-01

Biosphere-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in governing atmospheric composition, mediating the concentration of key species such as ozone and aerosol, thereby influencing air quality and climate. The exchange of reactive trace gases and their oxidation products (both gas and particle phase) is of particular importance in this process. The FORCAsT (FORest Canopy AtmoSphere Transfer) one-dimensional model is developed to study the emission, deposition, chemistry and transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their oxidation products in the atmosphere within and above the forest canopy. We include an equilibrium partitioning scheme, making FORCAsT one of the few canopy models currently capable of simulating the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) from VOC oxidation in a forest environment. We evaluate the capability of FORCAsT to reproduce observed concentrations of key gas-phase species and report modeled SOA concentrations within and above a mixed forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) during the Community Atmosphere-Biosphere Interactions Experiment (CABINEX) field campaign in summer 2009. We examine the impact of two different gas-phase chemical mechanisms on modelled concentrations of short-lived primary emissions, such as isoprene and monoterpenes, and their oxidation products. While the two chemistry schemes perform similarly under high-NOx conditions, they diverge at the low levels of NOx at UMBS. We identify peroxy radical and alkyl nitrate chemistry as the key causes of the differences, highlighting the importance of this chemistry in understanding the fate of biogenic VOCs (bVOCs) for both the modelling and measurement communities.

FORest Canopy Atmosphere Transfer (FORCAsT) 1.0: a 1-D model of biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, K.; Chung, S. H.; Griffin, R. J.; Chen, J.; Forkel, R.; Bryan, A. M.; Steiner, A. L.

2015-11-01

Biosphere-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in governing atmospheric composition, mediating the concentrations of key species such as ozone and aerosol, thereby influencing air quality and climate. The exchange of reactive trace gases and their oxidation products (both gas and particle phase) is of particular importance in this process. The FORCAsT (FORest Canopy Atmosphere Transfer) 1-D model is developed to study the emission, deposition, chemistry and transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their oxidation products in the atmosphere within and above the forest canopy. We include an equilibrium partitioning scheme, making FORCAsT one of the few canopy models currently capable of simulating the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) from VOC oxidation in a forest environment. We evaluate the capability of FORCAsT to reproduce observed concentrations of key gas-phase species and report modeled SOA concentrations within and above a mixed forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) during the Community Atmosphere-Biosphere Interactions Experiment (CABINEX) field campaign in the summer of 2009. We examine the impact of two different gas-phase chemical mechanisms on modelled concentrations of short-lived primary emissions, such as isoprene and monoterpenes, and their oxidation products. While the two chemistry schemes perform similarly under high-NOx conditions, they diverge at the low levels of NOx at UMBS. We identify peroxy radical and alkyl nitrate chemistry as the key causes of the differences, highlighting the importance of this chemistry in understanding the fate of biogenic VOCs (bVOCs) for both the modelling and measurement communities.

Sources of atmospheric aerosols in Ankara (Turkey) atmosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tuncel, S.G.; Yatin, M.; Aras, N.K.

1996-12-31

Ankara was heavily polluted owing to combustion of coal and fuel oil for space heating. Air quality over the city improved after 1993 due to use of low sulfur coal and natural gas for residential heating. These regulatory actions resulted in a dramatic decrease in SO{sub 2} concentrations measured in the air quality network, after 1990. Although concentration of particulate matter also decreased in the same period, the decrease was not as dramatic as that observed in SO{sub 2} concentrations, suggesting that sources other than space heating also contribute on observed aerosol concentrations. Currently, the concentrations of suspended particles aremore » slightly below the air quality standards effective in Turkey. A better source receptor relation must be established to reduce atmospheric levels of particulate matter. In this study, sources contributing to the observed levels of particles was determined through a receptor modeling approach. Factors controlling the observed concentrations of elements and ions were determined by relating their concentrations, to source strengths and determined by relating their concentrations, to source strengths and meteorological parameters. Residential heating was found out to be the main source of anthropogenic elements in Ankara. In the second part of the study, sources contributing on observed concentrations of elements were determined by a principal component analysis and relative contribution of each source were determined by Chemical Mass Balance study. The results indicated that, the airborne soil is the most important source of aerosol in the Ankara atmosphere during summer season, but emissions from coal combustion dominates aerosol mass during winter months.« less

Ion Traps at the Sun: Implications for Elemental Fractionation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleishman, Gregory D.; Musset, Sophie; Bommier, Véronique; Glesener, Lindsay

2018-04-01

Why the tenuous solar outer atmosphere, or corona, is much hotter than the underlying layers remains one of the greatest challenges for solar modeling. Detailed diagnostics of the coronal thermal structure come from extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission. The EUV emission is produced by heavy ions in various ionization states and depends on the amount of these ions and on plasma temperature and density. Any nonuniformity of the elemental distribution in space or variability in time affects thermal diagnostics of the corona. Here we theoretically predict ionized chemical element concentrations in some areas of the solar atmosphere, where the electric current is directed upward. We then detect these areas observationally, by comparing the electric current density with the EUV brightness in an active region. We found a significant excess in EUV brightness in the areas with positive current density rather than negative. Therefore, we report the observational discovery of substantial concentrations of heavy ions in current-carrying magnetic flux tubes, which might have important implications for the elemental fractionation in the solar corona known as the first ionization potential effect. We call such areas of heavy ion concentration the “ion traps.” These traps hold enhanced ion levels until they are disrupted by a flare, whether large or small.

Potential role of sea spray generation in the atmospheric transport of perfluorocarboxylic acids.

PubMed

Webster, Eva; Ellis, David A

2010-08-01

The observed environmental concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its conjugate base (PFO) in remote regions such as the Arctic have been primarily ascribed to the atmospheric transport and degradation of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and to direct PFO transport in ocean currents. These mechanisms are each capable of only partially explaining observations. Transport within marine aerosols has been proposed and may explain transport over short distances but will contribute little over longer distances. However, PFO(A) has been shown to have a very short half-life in aqueous aerosols and thus sea spray was proposed as a mechanism for the generation of PFOA in the gas phase from PFO in a water body. Using the observed PFO concentrations in oceans of the Northern Hemisphere and estimated spray generation rates, this mechanism is shown to have the potential for contributing large amounts of PFOA to the atmosphere and may therefore contribute significantly to the concentrations observed in remote locations. Specifically, the rate of PFOA release into the gas phase from oceans in the Northern Hemisphere is calculated to be potentially comparable to global stack emissions to the atmosphere. The subsequent potential for atmospheric degradation of PFOA and its global warming potential are considered. Observed isomeric ratios and predicted atmospheric concentrations due to FTOH degradation are used to elucidate the likely relative importance of transport pathways. It is concluded that gas phase PFOA released from oceans may help to explain observed concentrations in remote regions. The model calculations performed in the present study strongly suggest that oceanic aerosol and gas phase field monitoring is of vital importance to obtain a complete understanding of the global dissemination of PFCAs. Copyright 2010 SETAC

Chapter 19: The carbon isotope composition of plants and soils as biomarkers of pollution

Treesearch

DE Pataki; JT Eanderson; W Want; MK Herzenach; NE Grulke

2010-01-01

Urban environments have been compared to the global environment predicted at the end of the twenty-first century, in that urban areas are currently experiencing elevated atmospheric C02 concentrations, warmer temperatures, increased nitrogen loads, and elevated concentrations of pollutants (Grimm et al. 2000). It is extremely difficult to predict...

Exposure to moderate concentrations of tropospheric ozone impairs tree stomatal response to carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Onandia, Gabriela; Olsson, Anna-Karin; Barth, Sabine; King, John S; Uddling, Johan

2011-10-01

With rising concentrations of both atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and tropospheric ozone (O(3)), it is important to better understand the interacting effects of these two trace gases on plant physiology affecting land-atmosphere gas exchange. We investigated the effect of growth under elevated CO(2) and O(3), singly and in combination, on the primary short-term stomatal response to CO(2) concentration in paper birch at the Aspen FACE experiment. Leaves from trees grown in elevated CO(2) and/or O(3) exhibited weaker short-term responses of stomatal conductance to both an increase and a decrease in CO(2) concentration from current ambient level. The impairement of the stomatal CO(2) response by O(3) most likely developed progressively over the growing season as assessed by sap flux measurements. Our results suggest that expectations of plant water-savings and reduced stomatal air pollution uptake under rising atmospheric CO(2) may not hold for northern hardwood forests under concurrently rising tropospheric O(3). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dissolved methane concentrations in the water column and surface sediments of Hanna Shoal and Barrow Canyon, Northern Chukchi Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapham, Laura; Marshall, Kathleen; Magen, Cédric; Lyubchich, Viacheslav; Cooper, Lee W.; Grebmeier, Jacqueline M.

2017-10-01

Current estimates of methane (CH4) flux suggest that Arctic shelves may be a significant source of atmospheric CH4, a potent greenhouse gas. However, little information is known about the CH4 flux from most Arctic shelves, other than the East Siberian Arctic Shelf. We report here dissolved CH4 concentrations in the water column and within surface sediments of the Northern Chukchi Sea. We hypothesized that this area contains high concentrations of CH4 because it receives nutrient rich waters through the Bering Strait, promoting primary production that enhances an organic-rich material flux to the seafloor and eventual microbial methanogenesis in the sediments. In August 2012, as part of the Chukchi Sea Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) project, fourteen stations were sampled on Hanna Shoal, a shallow feature on the shelf, and ten stations across the undersea Barrow Canyon. On Hanna Shoal, water column CH4 concentrations ranged from 14 to 74 nM, and surface concentrations were up to 15 times supersaturated in CH4 compared to equilibrium with the average atmospheric concentrations (3 nM). CH4 concentrations at the sediment-water interface were around 1,500 nM, and typically increased with depth in the sediment. At the head of Barrow Canyon, water column CH4 concentrations ranged from 5 to 46 nM, with the highest concentrations in the deepest waters that were sampled (118 m). Overall, the calculated fluxes to the atmosphere ranged from 1 to 80 μmol CH4 m-2 d-1 for Hanna Shoal and 4 to 17 μmol CH4 m-2 d-1 across the Barrow Canyon stations. Although there was a large range in these fluxes, the average atmospheric flux (20 μmol CH4 m-2 d-1) across Hanna Shoal was 12 times lower than the flux reported from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf in summer. We conclude that while there is a positive flux of CH4 to the atmosphere, this part of the Chukchi Sea is not a significant source of atmospheric CH4 compared to the East Siberian Sea shelf.

Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys Coordination and Ocean Profiles

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

Morison), UpTempO buoy measurements of sea surface temperature (SST), sea level atmospheric pressure ( SLP ), and velocity (Steele), and dropsonde...dropsondes, micro-aircraft), cloud top/base heights UpTempO buoys for understanding and prediction…. Steele UpTempO buoy drops for SLP , SST, SSS...Air Expendable Current Profiler, SLP = Sea Level atmospheric Pressure, SST= Seas Surface Temperature, A/C= aircraft, SIC=Sea Ice Concentration We

Regional climatic effects of atmospheric SO2 on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Postawko, S. E.; Fanale, F. P.

1992-01-01

The conditions under which the valley networks on Mars may have formed remains controversial. The magnitude of an atmospheric greenhouse effect by an early massive CO2 atmosphere has recently been questioned by Kasting. Recent calculations indicate that if solar luminosity were less than about 86 percent of its current value, formation of CO2 clouds in the Martian atmosphere would depress the atmospheric lapse rate and reduce the magnitude of surface warming. In light of recent revisions of magma generation on Mars during each Martian epoch, and the suggestions by Wanke et al. that the role of liquid SO2 should be more carefully explored, we have recalculated the potential greenhouse warming by atmospheric SO2 on Mars, with an emphasis on more localized effects. In the vicinity of an active eruption, the concentration of atmospheric SO2 will be higher than if it is assumed that the erupted SO2 is instantaneously globally distributed. The local steady-state concentration of SO2 is a function of the rate at which it is released, its atmospheric lifetime, and the rate at which local winds act to disperse the SO2. We have made estimates of eruption rates, length of eruption, and dispersion rates of volcanically released SO2, for a variety of atmospheric conditions and atmospheric lifetimes of SO2 to explore the maximum regional climatic effect of SO2.

A review of worldwide atmospheric mercury measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sprovieri, F.; Pirrone, N.; Ebinghaus, R.; Kock, H.; Dommergue, A.

2010-09-01

A large number of activities have been carried out to characterise the levels of mercury (Hg) species in ambient air and precipitation, in order to understand how they vary over time and how they depend on meteorological conditions. Following the discovery of atmospheric Hg depletion events (AMDEs) in Polar Regions, a significant research effort was made to assess the chemical-physical mechanisms behind the rapid conversion of atmospheric gaseous Hg (Hg0) into reactive and water-soluble forms which are potentially bioavailable. The understanding of the way in which Hg is released into the atmosphere, transformed, deposited and eventually incorporated into biota is of crucial importance not only for the polar regions but also for the marine environment in general. The oceans and seas are both sources and sinks of Hg and play a major role in the Hg cycle. In this work, the available Hg concentration datasets from a number of terrestrial sites (industrial, rural and remote) in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres as well as over oceans and seas have been investigated. The higher Hg species concentration and variability observed in the Northern Hemisphere suggest that the majority of emissions and re-emissions occur there. The inter-hemispherical gradient with higher total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere has remained nearly constant over the years for which data are available. The analysis of Hg concentration patterns indicates the differences in regional source/sink characteristics, with increasing variability toward areas strongly influenced by anthropogenic sources. The large increase in Hg emissions in rapidly developing countries (i.e., China, India) over the last decade, due primarily to a sharp increase in energy production from coal combustion, are not currently reflected in the long-term measurements of TGM in ambient air and precipitation at continuous monitoring sites in either Northern Europe or North America. The discrepancy between observed gaseous Hg concentrations (steady or decreasing) and global Hg emission inventories (increasing) has not yet been explained, though the potential oxidation of the atmosphere during the last decade is increasing. Currently, however, a coordinated observational network for Hg does not exist.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MacDonald, G.; Abarbanel, H.; Carruthers, P.

If the current growth rate in the use of fossil fuels continues at 4.3% per year, then the CO/sub 2/ concentration in the atmosphere can be expected to double by about 2035 provided the current partition of CO/sub 2/ between the atmosphere, biosphere, and oceans is maintained as is the current mix of fuels. Slower rates of anticipated growth of energy use lead to a doubling of the carbon content of the atmosphere sometime in the period 2040 to 2060. This report addresses the questions of the sources of atmospheric CO/sub 2/; considers distribution of the present CO/sub 2/ amongmore » the atmospheric, oceanic, and biospheric reservoir; and assesses the impact on climate as reflected by the average ground temperature at each latitude of significant increases in atmospheric CO/sub 2/. An analytic model of the atmosphere was constructed (JASON Climate Model). Calculation with this zonally averaged model shows an increase of average surface temperature of 2.4/sup 0/ for a doubling of CO/sub 2/. The equatorial temperature increases by 0.7/sup 0/K, while the poles warm up by 10 to 12/sup 0/K. The warming of climate will not necessarily lead to improved living conditions everywhere. Changes in sea level, in agricultural productivity, and in water availability can be anticipated, but the dimensions of their economic, political, or social consequences can not.« less

Piloted Ignition Delay of PMMA in Space Exploration Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McAllister, Sara; Fernandez-Pello, Carlos; Urban, David; Ruff, Gary

2007-01-01

In order to reduce the risk of decompression sickness associated with extravehicular activity (EVA), NASA is designing the next generation of exploration vehicles and habitats with a different cabin environment than used previously. The proposed environment uses a total cabin pressure of 52.7 to 58.6 kPa with an oxygen concentration of 30 to 34% by volume and was chosen with material flammability in mind. Because materials may burn differently under these conditions and there is little information on how this new environment affects the flammability of the materials onboard, it is important to conduct material flammability experiments at the intended exploration atmosphere. One method to evaluate material flammability is by its ease of ignition. To this end, piloted ignition delay tests were conducted in the Forced Ignition and Spread Test (FIST) apparatus subject to this new environment. In these tests, polymethylmethacylate (PMMA) was exposed to a range of oxidizer flow velocities and externally applied heat fluxes. Tests were conducted for a baseline case of normal pressure and oxygen concentration, low pressure (58.6 kPa) with normal oxygen (21%), and low pressure with 32% oxygen concentration conditions to determine the individual effect of pressure and the combined effect of pressure and oxygen concentration on the ignition delay. It was found that reducing the pressure while keeping the oxygen concentration at 21% reduced the ignition time by 17% on average. Increasing the oxygen concentration at low pressures reduced the ignition time by an additional 10%. It was also noted that the critical heat flux for ignition decreases at exploration atmospheres. These results show that tests conducted in standard atmospheric conditions will underpredict the ignition of materials intended for use on spacecraft and that, at these conditions, materials are more susceptible to ignition than at current spacecraft atmospheres.

Concentrations and nitrogen isotope compositions of free amino acids in Pinus massoniana (Lamb.) needles of different ages as indicators of atmospheric nitrogen pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yu; Xiao, Huayun

2017-09-01

Free amino acid δ15N values and concentrations of current-year new (new), current-year mature (middle-age) and previous-year (old) Pinus massoniana (Lamb.) needles were determined for five sites with different distances from a highway in a forest in Guiyang (SW China). Needle free amino acid concentrations decreased with increasing distance from the highway, and only the free amino acid concentrations (total free amino acid, arginine, γ-aminobutyric acid, valine, alanine and proline) in the middle-aged needles demonstrated a strong correlation with distance from the highway, indicating that free amino acid concentrations in middle-aged needles may be a more suitable indicator of nitrogen (N) deposition compared to new and old needles. Needle free amino acid δ15N values were more positive near the highway compared to the more distant sites and increased with increasing needle age, indicating that N deposition in this site may be dominated by isotopically heavy NOx-N from traffic emissions. In sites beyond 400 m from the highway, the δ15N values of total free amino acids, histidine, glutamine, proline, alanine, aspartate, isoleucine, lysine, arginine and serine in each age of needle were noticeably negative compared to their respective δ15N values near the highway. This suggested that needle free amino acid δ15N values from these sites were more affected by 15N-depleted atmospheric NHx-N from soil emissions. This result was further supported by the similarity in the negative moss δ15N values at these sites to the δ15N values of soil-derived NHx-N. Needle free amino acid δ15N values therefore have the potential to provide information about atmospheric N sources. We conclude that needle free amino acid concentrations are sensitive indicators of N deposition and that the age-related free amino acid δ15N values in needles can efficiently reflect atmospheric N sources. This would probably promote the application of the combined plant tissue amino acid concentration and δ15N analyses in N deposition bio-monitoring.

A review of studies on atmospheric mercury in China.

PubMed

Fu, Xuewu; Feng, Xinbin; Sommar, Jonas; Wang, Shaofeng

2012-04-01

Due to the fast developing economy, mercury (Hg) emissions to the atmosphere from Chinese mainland have increased rapidly in recent years. Consequently, this issue has received a considerable attention internationally. This paper reviews the current understanding of and knowledge on atmospheric Hg emissions, distribution and transport in China. The magnitude of Hg emissions to the atmosphere from Chinese anthropogenic sources has been estimated to be in the range of 500-700 tons per year, whereby comprising a significant proportion of the globe total anthropogenic emissions. Emissions of Hg from natural surfaces including bare soil, water, and vegetation covered soil tend in a comparison to be higher in China than in Europe and North America, indicating the importance of this source category. Atmospheric Hg exhibits a significant concentration variability among urban, semi-remote, and remote areas. Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) concentrations in urban areas of China were often 1.5 - 5 folds higher compared to the corresponding settings in North America and Europe. In turn, particulate mercury (PHg) concentrations in urban areas of China were up to two orders of magnitude higher compared to North America and Europe. Atmospheric observations made at strictly remote sites in China also include the presence of occasional high concentrations of TGM, and the more short-lived fractions PHg and Reactive Gaseous Mercury (RGM). Accordingly, Hg deposition fluxes tended to be higher in China, with remote areas and urban areas being 1-2 times and 1-2 magnitude higher than those in North America and Europe, respectively. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The determination of carbon dioxide concentration using atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry/isotopic dilution and errors in concentration measurements caused by dryers.

PubMed

DeLacy, Brendan G; Bandy, Alan R

2008-01-01

An atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry/isotopically labeled standard (APIMS/ILS) method has been developed for the determination of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentration. Descriptions of the instrumental components, the ionization chemistry, and the statistics associated with the analytical method are provided. This method represents an alternative to the nondispersive infrared (NDIR) technique, which is currently used in the atmospheric community to determine atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. The APIMS/ILS and NDIR methods exhibit a decreased sensitivity for CO(2) in the presence of water vapor. Therefore, dryers such as a nafion dryer are used to remove water before detection. The APIMS/ILS method measures mixing ratios and demonstrates linearity and range in the presence or absence of a dryer. The NDIR technique, on the other hand, measures molar concentrations. The second half of this paper describes errors in molar concentration measurements that are caused by drying. An equation describing the errors was derived from the ideal gas law, the conservation of mass, and Dalton's Law. The purpose of this derivation was to quantify errors in the NDIR technique that are caused by drying. Laboratory experiments were conducted to verify the errors created solely by the dryer in CO(2) concentration measurements post-dryer. The laboratory experiments verified the theoretically predicted errors in the derived equations. There are numerous references in the literature that describe the use of a dryer in conjunction with the NDIR technique. However, these references do not address the errors that are caused by drying.

Atmospheric bioaerosols originating from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae): Ecological observations of airborne bacteria at Hukuro Cove, Langhovde, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Fumihisa; Maki, Teruya; Kakikawa, Makiko; Noda, Takuji; Mitamura, Hiromichi; Takahashi, Akinori; Imura, Satoshi; Iwasaka, Yasunobu

2016-03-01

The relationship between atmospheric bioaerosols and ecosystems is currently of global importance. Antarctica has an extreme climate, meaning that ecosystem behavior in this region is relatively simple. Direct sampling of atmospheric bioaerosols was performed at an Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colony at Hukuro Cove, Langhovde, Antarctica on 22 January 2013. The aim of the sampling was to reveal the effect of the penguins on the Antarctic ecosystem within the atmospheric bioaerosols. Samples were bio-analyzed using a next-generation sequencing method. Biomass concentrations of Bacilli-class bacteria were 19.4 times higher when sampled leeward of the penguin colony compared with windward sampling. The source of these bacteria was the feces of the penguins. Predicted atmospheric trajectories indicate that the bacteria disperse towards the Southern Ocean. The largest biomass concentration in the windward bacteria was of the Gammaproteobacteria class, which decreased markedly with distance through the penguin colony, being deposited on soil, surface water, and ocean. It is concluded that bioaerosols and ecosystems near the penguin colony strongly influence each other.

CO{sub 2} Emission Calculations and Trends

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Boden, T. A.; Marland, G.; Andres, R. J.

1995-06-01

Evidence that the atmospheric CO{sub 2}concentration has risen during the past several decades is irrefutable. Most of the observed increase in atmospheric CO{sub 2} is believed to result from CO{sub 2} releases from fossil-fuel burning. The United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), signed in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, reflects global concern over the increasing CO{sub 2} concentration and its potential impact on climate. One of the convention`s stated objectives was the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Specifically, the FCCC asked all 154 signing countries to conduct an inventory of their current greenhouse gas emissions, and it set nonbinding targets for some countries to control emissions by stabilizing them at 1990 levels by the year 2000. Given the importance of CO{sub 2} as a greenhouse gas, the relationship between CO{sub 2} emissions and increases in atmospheric CO{sub 2} levels, and the potential impacts of a greenhouse gas-induced climate change; it is important that comprehensive CO{sub 2} emissions records be compiled, maintained, updated, and documented.

[Quantitative estimation source of urban atmospheric CO2 by carbon isotope composition].

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Wei, Nan-Nan; Wang, Guang-Hua; Yao, Jian; Zeng, You-Shi; Fan, Xue-Bo; Geng, Yan-Hong; Li, Yan

2012-04-01

To effectively reduce urban carbon emissions and verify the effectiveness of currently project for urban carbon emission reduction, quantitative estimation sources of urban atmospheric CO2 correctly is necessary. Since little fractionation of carbon isotope exists in the transportation from pollution sources to the receptor, the carbon isotope composition can be used for source apportionment. In the present study, a method was established to quantitatively estimate the source of urban atmospheric CO2 by the carbon isotope composition. Both diurnal and height variations of concentrations of CO2 derived from biomass, vehicle exhaust and coal burning were further determined for atmospheric CO2 in Jiading district of Shanghai. Biomass-derived CO2 accounts for the largest portion of atmospheric CO2. The concentrations of CO2 derived from the coal burning are larger in the night-time (00:00, 04:00 and 20:00) than in the daytime (08:00, 12:00 and 16:00), and increase with the increase of height. Those derived from the vehicle exhaust decrease with the height increase. The diurnal and height variations of sources reflect the emission and transport characteristics of atmospheric CO2 in Jiading district of Shanghai.

Indirect chemical effects of methane on climate warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lelieveld, Jos; Crutzen, Paul J.

1992-01-01

METHANE concentrations in the atmosphere have increased from about 0.75 to 1.7 p.p.m.v. since pre-industrial times1,2. The current annual rate of increase of about 0.8% yr-1 (ref. 2) is due to increases in industrial and agricultural emissions. This increase in atmospheric methane concentrations not only influences the climate directly, but also indirectly through chemical reactions. Here we show that the climate effects of methane's atmospheric chemistry have previously been overestimated, notably by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)3, largely owing to neglect of the height dependence of certain atmospheric radiative processes. Using available estimates of fossil-fuel-related leaks of methane, our results show that switching from coal and oil to natural gas as an energy source would reduce climate warming. A significant fraction of methane emissions cannot, however, be accounted for by known sources; should leakages from gas production and distribution be underestimated for some countries, then it might be unwise to switch to using natural gas.

Bird specimens track 135 years of atmospheric black carbon and environmental policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DuBay, Shane G.; Fuldner, Carl C.

2017-10-01

Atmospheric black carbon has long been recognized as a public health and environmental concern. More recently, black carbon has been identified as a major, ongoing contributor to anthropogenic climate change, thus making historical emission inventories of black carbon an essential tool for assessing past climate sensitivity and modeling future climate scenarios. Current estimates of black carbon emissions for the early industrial era have high uncertainty, however, because direct environmental sampling is sparse before the mid-1950s. Using photometric reflectance data of >1,300 bird specimens drawn from natural history collections, we track relative ambient concentrations of atmospheric black carbon between 1880 and 2015 within the US Manufacturing Belt, a region historically reliant on coal and dense with industry. Our data show that black carbon levels within the region peaked during the first decade of the 20th century. Following this peak, black carbon levels were positively correlated with coal consumption through midcentury, after which they decoupled, with black carbon concentrations declining as consumption continued to rise. The precipitous drop in atmospheric black carbon at midcentury reflects policies promoting burning efficiency and fuel transitions rather than regulating emissions alone. Our findings suggest that current emission inventories based on predictive modeling underestimate levels of atmospheric black carbon for the early industrial era, suggesting that the contribution of black carbon to past climate forcing may also be underestimated. These findings build toward a spatially dynamic emission inventory of black carbon based on direct environmental sampling.

Bird specimens track 135 years of atmospheric black carbon and environmental policy

PubMed Central

DuBay, Shane G.; Fuldner, Carl C.

2017-01-01

Atmospheric black carbon has long been recognized as a public health and environmental concern. More recently, black carbon has been identified as a major, ongoing contributor to anthropogenic climate change, thus making historical emission inventories of black carbon an essential tool for assessing past climate sensitivity and modeling future climate scenarios. Current estimates of black carbon emissions for the early industrial era have high uncertainty, however, because direct environmental sampling is sparse before the mid-1950s. Using photometric reflectance data of >1,300 bird specimens drawn from natural history collections, we track relative ambient concentrations of atmospheric black carbon between 1880 and 2015 within the US Manufacturing Belt, a region historically reliant on coal and dense with industry. Our data show that black carbon levels within the region peaked during the first decade of the 20th century. Following this peak, black carbon levels were positively correlated with coal consumption through midcentury, after which they decoupled, with black carbon concentrations declining as consumption continued to rise. The precipitous drop in atmospheric black carbon at midcentury reflects policies promoting burning efficiency and fuel transitions rather than regulating emissions alone. Our findings suggest that current emission inventories based on predictive modeling underestimate levels of atmospheric black carbon for the early industrial era, suggesting that the contribution of black carbon to past climate forcing may also be underestimated. These findings build toward a spatially dynamic emission inventory of black carbon based on direct environmental sampling. PMID:29073051

Acid–base chemical reaction model for nucleation rates in the polluted atmospheric boundary layer

PubMed Central

Chen, Modi; Titcombe, Mari; Jiang, Jingkun; Jen, Coty; Kuang, Chongai; Fischer, Marc L.; Eisele, Fred L.; Siepmann, J. Ilja; Hanson, David R.; Zhao, Jun; McMurry, Peter H.

2012-01-01

Climate models show that particles formed by nucleation can affect cloud cover and, therefore, the earth's radiation budget. Measurements worldwide show that nucleation rates in the atmospheric boundary layer are positively correlated with concentrations of sulfuric acid vapor. However, current nucleation theories do not correctly predict either the observed nucleation rates or their functional dependence on sulfuric acid concentrations. This paper develops an alternative approach for modeling nucleation rates, based on a sequence of acid–base reactions. The model uses empirical estimates of sulfuric acid evaporation rates obtained from new measurements of neutral molecular clusters. The model predicts that nucleation rates equal the sulfuric acid vapor collision rate times a prefactor that is less than unity and that depends on the concentrations of basic gaseous compounds and preexisting particles. Predicted nucleation rates and their dependence on sulfuric acid vapor concentrations are in reasonable agreement with measurements from Mexico City and Atlanta. PMID:23091030

Acid-base chemical reaction model for nucleation rates in the polluted atmospheric boundary layer.

PubMed

Chen, Modi; Titcombe, Mari; Jiang, Jingkun; Jen, Coty; Kuang, Chongai; Fischer, Marc L; Eisele, Fred L; Siepmann, J Ilja; Hanson, David R; Zhao, Jun; McMurry, Peter H

2012-11-13

Climate models show that particles formed by nucleation can affect cloud cover and, therefore, the earth's radiation budget. Measurements worldwide show that nucleation rates in the atmospheric boundary layer are positively correlated with concentrations of sulfuric acid vapor. However, current nucleation theories do not correctly predict either the observed nucleation rates or their functional dependence on sulfuric acid concentrations. This paper develops an alternative approach for modeling nucleation rates, based on a sequence of acid-base reactions. The model uses empirical estimates of sulfuric acid evaporation rates obtained from new measurements of neutral molecular clusters. The model predicts that nucleation rates equal the sulfuric acid vapor collision rate times a prefactor that is less than unity and that depends on the concentrations of basic gaseous compounds and preexisting particles. Predicted nucleation rates and their dependence on sulfuric acid vapor concentrations are in reasonable agreement with measurements from Mexico City and Atlanta.

Agriculture waste and rising CO2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Currently, there are many uncertainties concerning agriculture’s role in global environmental change including the effects of rising atmospheric CO2 concentration. A viable and stable world food supply depends on productive agricultural systems, but environmental concerns within agriculture have to...

Bacteria in atmospheric waters: Detection, characteristics and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Wei; Niu, Hongya; Murata, Kotaro; Wu, Zhijun; Hu, Min; Kojima, Tomoko; Zhang, Daizhou

2018-04-01

In this review paper, we synthesize the current knowledges about bacteria in atmospheric waters, e.g., cloud, fog, rain, and snow, most of which were obtained very recently. First, we briefly describe the importance of bacteria in atmospheric waters, i.e., the essentiality of studying bacteria in atmospheric waters in understanding aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions in the Earth system. Next, approaches to collect atmospheric water samples for the detection of bacteria and methods to identify the bacteria are summarized and compared. Then the available data on the abundance, viability and community composition of bacteria in atmospheric waters are summarized. The average bacterial concentration in cloud water was usually on the order 104-105 cells mL-1, while that in precipitation on the order 103-104 cells mL-1. Most of the bacteria were viable or metabolically active. Their community composition was highly diverse and differed at various sites. Factors potentially influencing the bacteria, e.g., air pollution levels and sources, meteorological conditions, seasonal effect, and physicochemical properties of atmospheric waters, are described. After that, the implications of bacteria present in atmospheric waters, including their effect on nucleation in clouds, atmospheric chemistry, ecosystems and public health, are briefly discussed. Finally, based on the current knowledges on bacteria in atmospheric waters, which in fact remains largely unknown, we give perspectives that should be paid attention to in future studies.

A dc non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, WeiDong; Lopez, Jose L.

2012-06-01

A direct current (dc), non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet is generated with helium/oxygen gas mixture as working gas. The electrical property is characterized as a function of the oxygen concentration and show distinctive regions of operation. Side-on images of the jet were taken to analyze the mode of operation as well as the jet length. A self-pulsed mode is observed before the transition of the discharge to normal glow mode. Optical emission spectroscopy is employed from both end-on and side-on along the jet to analyze the reactive species generated in the plasma. Line emissions from atomic oxygen (at 777.4 nm) and helium (at 706.5 nm) were studied with respect to the oxygen volume percentage in the working gas, flow rate and discharge current. Optical emission intensities of Cu and OH are found to depend heavily on the oxygen concentration in the working gas. Ozone concentration measured in a semi-confined zone in front of the plasma jet is found to be from tens to ˜120 ppm. The results presented here demonstrate potential pathways for the adjustment and tuning of various plasma parameters such as reactive species selectivity and quantities or even ultraviolet emission intensities manipulation in an atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma source. The possibilities of fine tuning these plasma species allows for enhanced applications in health and medical related areas.

Atmospheric Sulfur Hexafluoride: Sources, Sinks and Greenhouse Warming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sze, Nien Dak; Wang, Wei-Chyung; Shia, George; Goldman, Aaron; Murcray, Frank J.; Murcray, David G.; Rinsland, Curtis P.

1993-01-01

Model calculations using estimated reaction rates of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) with OH and 0('D) indicate that the atmospheric lifetime due to these processes may be very long (25,000 years). An upper limit for the UV cross section would suggest a photolysis lifetime much longer than 1000 years. The possibility of other removal mechanisms are discussed. The estimated lifetimes are consistent with other estimated values based on recent laboratory measurements. There appears to be no known natural source of SF6. An estimate of the current production rate of SF6 is about 5 kt/yr. Based on historical emission rates, we calculated a present-day atmospheric concentrations for SF6 of about 2.5 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) and compared the results with available atmospheric measurements. It is difficult to estimate the atmospheric lifetime of SF6 based on mass balance of the emission rate and observed abundance. There are large uncertainties concerning what portion of the SF6 is released to the atmosphere. Even if the emission rate were precisely known, it would be difficult to distinguish among lifetimes longer than 100 years since the current abundance of SF6 is due to emission in the past three decades. More information on the measured trends over the past decade and observed vertical and latitudinal distributions of SF6 in the lower stratosphere will help to narrow the uncertainty in the lifetime. Based on laboratory-measured IR absorption cross section for SF6, we showed that SF6 is about 3 times more effective as a greenhouse gas compared to CFC 11 on a per molecule basis. However, its effect on atmospheric warming will be minimal because of its very small concentration. We estimated the future concentration of SF6 at 2010 to be 8 and 10 pptv based on two projected emission scenarios. The corresponding equilibrium warming of 0.0035 C and 0.0043 C is to be compared with the estimated warming due to CO2 increase of about 0.8 C in the same period.

The first countrywide monitoring of selected POPs: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the atmosphere of Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt-Karakus, Perihan Binnur; Ugranli-Cicek, Tugba; Sofuoglu, Sait C.; Celik, Halil; Gungormus, Elif; Gedik, Kadir; Sofuoglu, Aysun; Okten, Hatice Eser; Birgul, Askın; Alegria, Henry; Jones, Kevin C.

2018-03-01

Atmospheric levels of 43 PCBs, 22 OCPs, and 14 PBDEs were determined in 16 cities at urban and rural sites by passive sampling to generate the first large-scale nationwide dataset of POP residues in Turkey's atmosphere. Sampling campaign was performed from May 2014 to April 2015 with three-month sampling periods at locations on east-west and north-south transects through the country to investigate seasonal and spatial variations, including long range atmospheric transport (LRAT). Factor analysis was conducted to infer on the potential sources. Overall average Σ43PCBs concentration was 108 ± 132 pg/m3. PCB-118 (26.3 ± 44.6 pg/m3) was the top congener, and penta-CBs had the highest contribution with 54.3%. ΣDDTs had the highest annual mean concentration with 134 ± 296 pg/m3 among the OCP groups among which the highest concentration compound was p'p-DDE (97.6 ± 236 pg/m3). Overall average concentration of Σ14PBDEs was 191 ± 329 pg/m3 with the highest contribution from BDE-190 (42%). Comparison of OCPs and PCBs concentrations detected at temperatures which were above and below annual average temperature indicated higher concentrations in the warmer periods, hence significance of secondary emissions for several OCPs and Σ43PCBs, as well as inference as LRAT from secondary emissions. The first nationwide POPs database constructed in this study, point to current use, local secondary emissions, and LRAT for different individual compounds, and indicate the need for regular monitoring.

Climate change and the middle atmosphere. I - The doubled CO2 climate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rind, D.; Prather, M. J.; Suozzo, R.; Balachandran, N. K.

1990-01-01

The effect of doubling the atmospheric content of CO2 on the middle-atmosphere climate is investigated using the GISS global climate model. In the standard experiment, the CO2 concentration is doubled both in the stratosphere and troposphere, and the SSTs are increased to match those of the doubled CO2 run of the GISS model. Results show that the doubling of CO2 leads to higher temperatures in the troposphere, and lower temperatures in the stratosphere, with a net result being a decrease of static stability for the atmosphere as a whole. The middle atmosphere dynamical differences found were on the order of 10-20 percent of the model values for the current climate. These differences, along with the calculated temperature differences of up to about 10 C, may have a significant impact on the chemistry of the future atmosphere, including that of stratospheric ozone, the polar ozone 'hole', and basic atmospheric composition.

Impacts of fine particulate matter on premature mortality under future climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, S.; Allen, R.; Lim, C. H.

2016-12-01

Climate change modulates concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) via modifying atmospheric circulation and the hydrological cycle. Furthermore, surface PM2.5 is significantly associated with respiratory diseases and premature mortality. In this study, we assess the response of PM2.5 concentration to climate change in the future (end of 21st century) and its effects on year of life lost (YLL) and premature mortality. We use outputs from five models participating in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) to evaluate climate change effects on PM2.5: for present climate with current aerosol emissions and greenhouse gas concentrations, and for future climate, also with present-day aerosol emissions, but with end-of-the century greenhouse gas concentrations, sea surface temperatures and sea-ice. The results show that climate change is associated with an increase in PM2.5 concentration. Combined with global future population data from the United Nation (UN), we also find an increase in premature mortality and YLL.

Contributions of long-range and regional atmospheric transport on pesticide concentrations along a transect crossing a mountain divide.

PubMed

Lavin, Karen S; Hageman, Kimberly J

2013-02-05

Twenty-one halogenated legacy and current-use pesticides and pesticide degradation products were measured in pine needles along a coast-to-coast transect that crossed the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Concentration profiles of nine pesticides were used to determine the influence of geographic sources on the atmospheric pesticide burden at the mountain sites. Pesticide concentration profiles were calculated for each source and mountain site by normalizing concentrations (adjusted for temperature at the site and air-needle partitioning) to the sum of all pesticide concentrations at the site. Each mountain site profile was compared to varying mixtures of the potential source profiles to determine the percent contribution of each source. The highest elevation mountain sites were primarily influenced by long-range, synoptic-scale northwesterly winds. Westerly upslope winds had little influence on any of the mountain sites. Easterly upslope winds from the Canterbury Plains, an agricultural region, strongly influenced the mountain sites within close proximity and had progressively less influence with distance.

Geoengineering: Direct Mitigation of Climate Warming

EPA Science Inventory

For Frank Princiotta’s book, Global Climate Change—The Technology Challenge With the concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) rising to levels unprecedented in the current glacial epoch, the earth’s climate system appears to be rapidly shifting into a warmer regime....

The increasing threat to stratospheric ozone from dichloromethane.

PubMed

Hossaini, Ryan; Chipperfield, Martyn P; Montzka, Stephen A; Leeson, Amber A; Dhomse, Sandip S; Pyle, John A

2017-06-27

It is well established that anthropogenic chlorine-containing chemicals contribute to ozone layer depletion. The successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol has led to reductions in the atmospheric concentration of many ozone-depleting gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons. As a consequence, stratospheric chlorine levels are declining and ozone is projected to return to levels observed pre-1980 later this century. However, recent observations show the atmospheric concentration of dichloromethane-an ozone-depleting gas not controlled by the Montreal Protocol-is increasing rapidly. Using atmospheric model simulations, we show that although currently modest, the impact of dichloromethane on ozone has increased markedly in recent years and if these increases continue into the future, the return of Antarctic ozone to pre-1980 levels could be substantially delayed. Sustained growth in dichloromethane would therefore offset some of the gains achieved by the Montreal Protocol, further delaying recovery of Earth's ozone layer.

The increasing threat to stratospheric ozone from dichloromethane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossaini, Ryan; Chipperfield, Martyn P.; Montzka, Stephen A.; Leeson, Amber A.; Dhomse, Sandip S.; Pyle, John A.

2017-06-01

It is well established that anthropogenic chlorine-containing chemicals contribute to ozone layer depletion. The successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol has led to reductions in the atmospheric concentration of many ozone-depleting gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons. As a consequence, stratospheric chlorine levels are declining and ozone is projected to return to levels observed pre-1980 later this century. However, recent observations show the atmospheric concentration of dichloromethane--an ozone-depleting gas not controlled by the Montreal Protocol--is increasing rapidly. Using atmospheric model simulations, we show that although currently modest, the impact of dichloromethane on ozone has increased markedly in recent years and if these increases continue into the future, the return of Antarctic ozone to pre-1980 levels could be substantially delayed. Sustained growth in dichloromethane would therefore offset some of the gains achieved by the Montreal Protocol, further delaying recovery of Earth's ozone layer.

A Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Hampton University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paterson, W. R.; McCormick, M. P.; Russell, J. M.; Anderson, J.; Kireev, S.; Loughman, R. P.; Smith, W. L.

2006-12-01

With this presentation we discuss the status of plans for a Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Hampton University. Hampton University is a privately endowed, non-profit, non-sectarian, co-educational, and historically black university with 38 baccalaureate, 14 masters, and 4 doctoral degree programs. The graduate program in physics currently offers advanced degrees with concentration in Atmospheric Science. The 10 students now enrolled benefit substantially from the research experience and infrastructure resident in the university's Center for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS), which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Promoting a greater diversity of participants in geosciences is an important objective for CAS. To accomplish this, we require reliable pipelines of students into the program. One such pipeline is our undergraduate minor in Space, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences (SEAS minor). This minor concentraton of study is contributing to awareness of geosciences on the Hampton University campus, and beyond, as our students matriculate and join the workforce, or pursue higher degrees. However, the current graduate program, with its emphasis on physics, is not necessarily optimal for atmospheric scientists, and it limits our ability to recruit students who do not have a physics degree. To increase the base of candidate students, we have proposed creation of a Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, which could attract students from a broader range of academic disciplines. The revised curriculum would provide for greater concentration in atmospheric and planetary sciences, yet maintain a degree of flexibility to allow for coursework in physics or other areas to meet the needs of individual students. The department would offer the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, and maintain the SEAS minor. The university's administration and faculty have approved our plan for this new department pending authorization by the university's board of trustees, which will consider the matter during their October, 2006 meeting.

Comparison of Atmospheric Deposition Among Three Sites In and Near the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, Colorado, 2003-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ingersoll, George P.; Campbell, Donald H.; Mast, M. Alisa

2008-01-01

Atmospheric deposition was monitored for ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate concentrations and precipitation amounts in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area of northwestern Colorado at Ned Wilson Lake beginning in 1984 to detect changes that might result from future emissions associated with development of oil-shale resources in northwestern Colorado. Renewed monitoring, by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Rio Blanco County, to determine the current status of atmospheric deposition has been ongoing since 2003 at Ned Wilson Lake. Two new monitoring sites were located near Ripple Creek Pass near the Flat Tops Wilderness area and about 12 kilometers north of Ned Wilson Lake because access to the area near Ripple Creek Pass is less difficult and less expensive, particularly in winter and spring. The intent of this study was to establish whether the new deposition data being collected near Ripple Creek Pass, near the northern boundary of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, would be representative of deposition at sensitive sites within the wilderness such as Ned Wilson Lake and to compare more current (2003 through 2005) deposition data with earlier data (1984 through 1991). At Ned Wilson Lake, bulk ammonium and nitrate concentrations collected from 1984 through 1991 were similar to those from 2003 through 2005. However, in the same comparison significant differences in sulfate concentrations were observed, indicating a decrease consistent with other regional findings for similar periods. Comparison of concentrations of constituents at two bulk-deposition sites located at Ned Wilson Lake (NWLB) and near Ripple Creek Pass (RCPB) showed only one significant difference (p = 0.05) with the winter bulk nitrate concentrations for NWLB significantly lower than winter concentrations from RCPB. Another comparison of concentrations of constituents between the bulk deposition site RCPB and a wet deposition site 100 meters away (RCPW) showed no significant differences for concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate for both the winter and summer comparisons. While results indicate many similarities in concentrations of constituents and in seasonal variability in those concentrations, they are based on a short period of study. Precipitation amounts from RCPB were less than the amounts collected at NWLB, and precipitation amounts from RCPW were less than the amounts collected at RCPB. Although RCPB may not be a perfect replacement site for NWLB, it may be similar enough to represent atmospheric deposition in areas of the Flat Tops Wilderness of northwestern Colorado.

Critical levels of atmospheric pollution: criteria and concepts for operational modelling of mercury in forest and lake ecosystems.

PubMed

Meili, Markus; Bishop, Kevin; Bringmark, Lage; Johansson, Kjell; Munthe, John; Sverdrup, Harald; de Vries, Wim

2003-03-20

Mercury (Hg) is regarded as a major environmental concern in many regions, traditionally because of high concentrations in freshwater fish, and now also because of potential toxic effects on soil microflora. The predominant source of Hg in most watersheds is atmospheric deposition, which has increased 2- to >20-fold over the past centuries. A promising approach for supporting current European efforts to limit transboundary air pollution is the development of emission-exposure-effect relationships, with the aim of determining the critical level of atmospheric pollution (CLAP, cf. critical load) causing harm or concern in sensitive elements of the environment. This requires a quantification of slow ecosystem dynamics from short-term collections of data. Aiming at an operational tool for assessing the past and future metal contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, we present a simple and flexible modelling concept, including ways of minimizing requirements for computation and data collection, focusing on the exposure of biota in forest soils and lakes to Hg. Issues related to the complexity of Hg biogeochemistry are addressed by (1) a model design that allows independent validation of each model unit with readily available data, (2) a process- and scale-independent model formulation based on concentration ratios and transfer factors without requiring loads and mass balance, and (3) an equilibration concept that accounts for relevant dynamics in ecosystems without long-term data collection or advanced calculations. Based on data accumulated in Sweden over the past decades, we present a model to determine the CLAP-Hg from standardized values of region- or site-specific synoptic concentrations in four key matrices of boreal watersheds: precipitation (atmospheric source), large lacustrine fish (aquatic receptor and vector), organic soil layers (terrestrial receptor proxy and temporary reservoir), as well as new and old lake sediments (archives of response dynamics). Key dynamics in watersheds are accounted for by quantifying current states of equilibration in both soils and lakes based on comparison of contamination factors in sediment cores. Future steady-state concentrations in soils and fish in single watersheds or entire regions are then determined by corresponding projection of survey data. A regional-scale application to southern Sweden suggests that the response of environmental Hg levels to changes in atmospheric Hg pollution is delayed by centuries and initially not proportional among receptors (atmosphere > soils not equal sediments>fish; clearwater lakes > humic lakes). This has implications for the interpretation of common survey data as well as for the implementation of pollution control strategies. Near Hg emission sources, the pollution of organic soils and clearwater lakes deserves attention. Critical receptors, however, even in remote areas, are humic waters, in which biotic Hg levels are naturally high, most likely to increase further, and at high long-term risk of exceeding the current levels of concern:

Flux of the biogenic volatiles isoprene and dimethyl sulfide from an oligotrophic lake.

PubMed

Steinke, Michael; Hodapp, Bettina; Subhan, Rameez; Bell, Thomas G; Martin-Creuzburg, Dominik

2018-01-12

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) affect atmospheric chemistry, climate and regional air quality in terrestrial and marine atmospheres. Although isoprene is a major BVOC produced in vascular plants, and marine phototrophs release dimethyl sulfide (DMS), lakes have been widely ignored for their production. Here we demonstrate that oligotrophic Lake Constance, a model for north temperate deep lakes, emits both volatiles to the atmosphere. Depth profiles indicated that highest concentrations of isoprene and DMS were associated with the chlorophyll maximum, suggesting that their production is closely linked to phototrophic processes. Significant correlations of the concentration patterns with taxon-specific fluorescence data, and measurements from algal cultures confirmed the phototrophic production of isoprene and DMS. Diurnal fluctuations in lake isoprene suggested an unrecognised physiological role in environmental acclimation similar to the antioxidant function of isoprene that has been suggested for marine biota. Flux estimations demonstrated that lakes are a currently undocumented source of DMS and isoprene to the atmosphere. Lakes may be of increasing importance for their contribution of isoprene and DMS to the atmosphere in the arctic zone where lake area coverage is high but terrestrial sources of BVOCs are small.

Review on occurrence and behavior of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in atmosphere of East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinh, Minh Man; Chang, Moo Been

2018-05-01

This paper reviews the data from studies mainly published after 2000 to provide the current understanding of the physicochemical properties, atmospheric occurrence, gas/particle partitioning, fate and temporal trends in atmospheric matrix of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs of East Asia. Ambient PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs concentrations in East Asia are found to be tens to hundreds times higher than that measured in Europe and North America. After strict regulations on PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs emissions are enacted, the concentrations of these compounds decrease dramatically in Eastern Asian countries. In general, most of PCDD/Fs distribute in particle phase while dl-PCBs majorly exist in gas phase. Three main factors including physicochemical properties of the compounds, properties of particle and atmospheric condition affect the gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs. The accuracy of absorption and adsorption models on predicting gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs is evaluated. Gas-phase compounds are mostly removed from the atmosphere via reactions with OH radicals while those in particle phase are majorly removed by wet/dry deposition processes. The effects of removing processes and long-range transport on gas/particle partitioning are also discussed.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)\\, Working Group 1, 1994: Modelling Results Relating Future Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations to Industrial Emissions (DB1009)

DOE Data Explorer

Enting, I. G.; Wigley, M. L.; Heimann, M.

1995-01-01

This database contains the results of various projections of the relation between future CO2 concentrations and future industrial emissions. These projections were contributed by groups from a number of countries as part of the scientific assessment for the report, "Radiative Forcing of Climate Change" (1994), issued by Working Group 1 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. There were three types of calculations: (1) forward projections, calculating the atmospheric CO2 concentrations resulting from specified emissions scenarios; (2) inverse calculations, determining the emission rates that would be required to achieve stabilization of CO2 concentrations via specified pathways; (3) impulse response function calculations, required for determining Global Warming Potentials. The projections were extrapolations of global carbon cycle models from pre-industrial times (starting at 1765) to 2100 or 2200 A.D. There were two aspects to the exercise: (1) an assessment of the uncertainty due to uncertainties regarding the current carbon budget, and (2) an assessment of the uncertainties arising from differences between models. To separate these effects, a set of standard conditions was used to explore inter-model differences and then a series of sensitivity studies was used to explore the consequences of current uncertainties in the carbon cycle.

Warming Early Mars by Impact Degassing of Reduced Greenhouse Gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haberle, R. M.; Zahnle, K.; Barlow, N. G.

2018-01-01

Reducing greenhouse gases are once again the latest trend in finding solutions to the early Mars climate dilemma. In its current form collision induced absorptions (CIA) involving H2 and/or CH4 provide enough extra greenhouse power in a predominately CO2 atmosphere to raise global mean surface temperatures to the melting point of water provided the atmosphere is thick enough and the reduced gases are abundant enough. Surface pressures must be at least 500 mb and H2 and/or CH4 concentrations must be at or above the several percent level for CIA to be effective. Atmospheres with 1-2 bars of CO2 and 2- 10% H2 can sustain surface environments favorable for liquid water. Smaller concentrations of H2 are sufficient if CH4 is also present. If thick CO2 atmospheres with percent level concentrations of reduced gases are the solution to the faint young Sun paradox for Mars, then plausible mechanisms must be found to generate and sustain the gases. Possible sources of reducing gases include volcanic outgassing, serpentinization, and impact delivery; sinks include photolyis, oxidation, and escape to space. The viability of the reduced greenhouse hypothesis depends, therefore, on the strength of these sources and sinks. In this paper we focus on impact delivered reduced gases.

Systematic Analysis Of Ocean Colour Uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavender, Samantha

2013-12-01

This paper reviews current research into the estimation of uncertainties as a pixel-based measure to aid non- specialist users of remote sensing products. An example MERIS image, captured on the 28 March 2012, was processed with above-water atmospheric correction code. This was initially based on both the Antoine & Morel Standard Atmospheric Correction, with Bright Pixel correction component, and Doerffer Neural Network coastal water's approach. It's showed that analysis of the atmospheric by-products yield important information about the separation of the atmospheric and in-water signals, helping to sign-post possible uncertainties in the atmospheric correction results. Further analysis has concentrated on implementing a ‘simplistic' atmospheric correction so that the impact of changing the input auxiliary data can be analysed; the influence of changing surface pressure is demonstrated. Future work will focus on automating the analysis, so that the methodology can be implemented within an operational system.

Thinking Like a Wildcatter: Prospecting for Methane in Arabia Terra, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, C. C.; Oehler, D. Z.

2005-01-01

Methane has been detected in the martian atmosphere at a concentration of approximately 10 ppb. The lifetime of such methane against decomposition by solar radiation is approximately 300 years, strongly suggesting that methane is currently being released to the atmosphere. By analogy to Earth, possible methane sources on Mars include active volcanism, hot springs, frozen methane clathrates, thermally-matured sedimentary organic matter, and extant microbial metabolism. The discovery of any one of these sources would revolutionize our understanding of Mars.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide changes photochemical activity, soluble sugars and volatile levels in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica).

PubMed

Krumbein, Angelika; Kläring, Hans-Peter; Schonhof, Ilona; Schreiner, Monika

2010-03-24

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentration is an environmental factor currently undergoing dramatic changes. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of doubling the ambient CO(2) concentration on plant photochemistry as measured by photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), soluble sugars and volatiles in broccoli. Elevated CO(2) concentration increased qP values in leaves by up to 100% and 89% in heads, while glucose and sucrose in leaves increased by about 60%. Furthermore, in broccoli heads elevated CO(2) concentration induced approximately a 2-fold increase in concentrations of three fatty acid-derived C(7) aldehydes ((E)-2-heptenal, (E,Z)-2,4-heptadienal, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal), two fatty acid-derived C(5) alcohols (1-penten-3-ol, (Z)-2-pentenol), and two amino acid-derived nitriles (phenyl propanenitrile, 3-methyl butanenitrile). In contrast, concentrations of the sulfur-containing compound 2-ethylthiophene and C(6) alcohol (E)-2-hexenol decreased. Finally, elevated CO(2) concentration increased soluble sugar concentrations due to enhanced photochemical activity in leaves and heads, which may account for the increased synthesis of volatiles.

Anthropogenic Mercury Accumulation in Watersheds of the Northern Appalachian Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyer, E. W.; Drohan, P. J.; Lawler, D.; Grimm, J.; Grant, C.; Eklof, K. J.; Bennett, J.; Naber, M. D.

2014-12-01

Atmospheric deposition of mercury (Hg) is a critical environmental stress that affects ecosystems and human health. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere from coal-fired power plants and other sources such as waste incineration can be deposited over large geographic areas to downwind landscapes in precipitation and in dry fallout. The northern Appalachian Mountains are downwind of major atmospheric mercury emissions sources. Some mercury reaches watersheds and streams, where it can accumulate in sediments and biota. Human exposure to mercury occurs primarily through fish consumption, and currently mercury fish eating advisories are in place for many of the streams and lakes in the region. Here, we explored mercury accumulation in forested landscapes - in air, soils, water, and biota. To quantify atmospheric mercury deposition, we measured both wet and dry mercury deposition at 10 forested locations, from which we present variation in mercury deposition and initial assessments of factors affecting the patterns. To quantify mercury accumulation in terrestrial environments, we measured soil mercury concentrations within and surrounding 12 vernal pools spanning various physiographic settings in the region. Given that vernal pools have large inputs of water via precipitation yet do not have any stream discharge outflow, they are likely spots within the forested landscape to accumulate pollutants that enter via wet atmospheric deposition. To quantify mercury accumulation in aquatic environments, we sampled mercury concentrations in streams draining 35 forested watersheds, spanning gradients of atmospheric deposition, climate and geology. Mercury concentrations were measured in stream water under base-flow conditions, in streambed sediments, aquatic mosses, and in fish tissues from brook trout. Results indicate that wet and dry atmospheric deposition is a primary source of mercury that is accumulating in watersheds of the Northern Appalachian Mountains.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in the remote North Atlantic marine atmosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baker, J.I.; Hites, R.A.

1999-01-01

The authors have developed a sampling strategy that allows them to determine femtogram/cubic mater concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in remote marine atmospheres. Using this sampling strategy, a total of 37 air samples were taken during two extended sampling periods at Bermuda between September 1993 and August 1997. During this time, the average total PCDD/F concentrations at Bermuda decreased from 105 {+-} 30 to 35 {+-} 10 fg/m{sup 3}, giving a half-life of about 2 years for these compounds in the remote marine atmosphere. PCDD/F concentrations during both sampling periods were somewhat higher in the winter thenmore » air parcels originated from North America. A second air-sampling station was established at Barbados where 22 air samples were taken between March 1996 and August 1997; an average total PCDD/F concentration at Barbados of 15 {+-} 7 fg/m{sup 3} was found. This value was not significantly different than the 27 {+-} 7 fg/m{sup 3} found at Bermuda during this time when air arrived from the east. This indicated that the remote marine background concentration for these compounds is currently on the order of 20 fg/m{sup 3}. Using these background concentrations, the dry depositional rate of PCDD/F to the world`s oceans was estimated to be 200 {+-} 80 kg/year, and the wet depositional rate was estimated to be 900 {+-} 300 kg/year. This is a total deposition rate of about 1 t/year to the oceans as compared to their previous estimate of 12 t/year PCDD/F deposition from the atmosphere to the land.« less

Polychlorinated biphenyls in the atmosphere of Taizhou, a major e-waste dismantling area in China.

PubMed

Han, Wenliang; Feng, Jialiang; Gu, Zeping; Wu, Minghong; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2010-01-01

PM2.5, total suspended particles (TSP) and gas phase samples were collected at two sites of Taizhou, a major e-waste dismantling area in China. Concentrations, seasonal variations, congener profiles, gas-particle partitioning and size distribution of the atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were studied to assess the current state of atmospheric PCBs after the phase out of massive historical dismantling of PCBs containing e-wastes. The average sigma38PCBs concentration in the ambient air (TSP plus gas phase) near the e-waste dismantling area was (12,407 +/- 9592) pg/m3 in winter, which was substantially lower than that found one decade ago. However, the atmospheric PCBs level near the e-waste dismantling area was 54 times of the reference urban site, indicating that the impact of the historical dismantling of PCBs containing e-wastes was still significant. Tri-Penta-CBs were dominant homologues, consisting with their dominant global production. Size distribution of particle-bound PCBs showed that higher chlorinated CBs tended to partition more to the fine particles, facilitating its long range air transportation.

Vertical profile measurements of soil air suggest immobilization of gaseous elemental mercury in mineral soil.

PubMed

Obrist, Daniel; Pokharel, Ashok K; Moore, Christopher

2014-02-18

Evasion of gaseous elemental Hg (Hg(0)g) from soil surfaces is an important source of atmospheric Hg, but the volatility and solid-gas phase partitioning of Hg(0) within soils is poorly understood. We developed a novel system to continuously measure Hg(0)g concentrations in soil pores at multiple depths and locations, and present a total of 297 days of measurements spanning 14 months in two forests in the Sierra Nevada mountains, California, U.S. Temporal patterns showed consistent pore Hg(0)g concentrations below levels measured in the atmosphere (termed Hg(0)g immobilization), ranging from 66 to 94% below atmospheric concentrations throughout multiple seasons. The lowest pore Hg(0)g concentrations were observed in the deepest soil layers (40 cm), but significant immobilization was already present in the top 7 cm. In the absence of sinks or sources, pore Hg(0)g levels would be in equilibrium with atmospheric concentrations due to the porous nature of the soil matrix and gas diffusion. Therefore, we explain decreases in pore Hg(0)g in mineral soils below atmospheric concentrations--or below levels found in upper soils as observed in previous studies--with the presence of an Hg(0)g sink in mineral soils possibly related to Hg(0)g oxidation or other processes such as sorption or dissolution in soil water. Surface chamber measurements showing daytime Hg(0)g emissions and nighttime Hg(0)g deposition indicate that near-surface layers likely dominate net atmospheric Hg(0)g exchange resulting in typical diurnal cycles due to photochemcial reduction at the surface and possibly Hg(0)g evasion from litter layers. In contrast, mineral soils seem to be decoupled from this surface exchange, showing consistent Hg(0)g uptake and downward redistribution--although our calculations indicate these fluxes to be minor compared to other mass fluxes. A major implication is that once Hg is incorporated into mineral soils, it may be unlikely subjected to renewed Hg(0)g re-emission from undisturbed, background soils emphasizing the important role of soils in sequestering past and current Hg pollution loads.

Ozone and TFA impacts in North America from degradation of 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf), a potential greenhouse gas replacement.

PubMed

Luecken, Deborah J; L Waterland, Robert; Papasavva, Stella; Taddonio, Kristen N; Hutzell, William T; Rugh, John P; Andersen, Stephen O

2010-01-01

We use a regional-scale, three-dimensional atmospheric model to evaluate U.S. air quality effects that would result from replacing HFC-134a in automobile air conditioners in the U.S. with HFO-1234yf. Although HFO-1234yf produces tropospheric ozone, the incremental amount is small, averaging less than 0.01% of total ozone formed during the simulation. We show that this production of ozone could be compensated for by a modest improvement in air conditioner efficiency. Atmospheric decomposition of HFO-1234yf produces trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which is subject to wet and dry deposition. Deposition and concentrations of TFA are spatially variable due to HFO-1234yf's short atmospheric lifetime, with more localized peaks and less global transport when compared to HFC-134a. Over the 2.5 month simulation, deposition of TFA in the continental U.S. from mobile air conditioners averages 0.24 kg km(-2), substantially higher than previous estimates from all sources of current hydrofluorocarbons. Automobile air conditioning HFO-1234yf emissions are predicted to produce concentrations of TFA in Eastern U.S. rainfall at least double the values currently observed from all sources, natural and man-made. Our model predicts peak concentrations in rainfall of 1264 ng L(-1), a level that is 80x lower than the lowest level considered safe for the most sensitive aquatic organisms.

An attempt at estimating Paris area CO2 emissions from atmospheric concentration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bréon, F. M.; Broquet, G.; Puygrenier, V.; Chevallier, F.; Xueref-Rémy, I.; Ramonet, M.; Dieudonné, E.; Lopez, M.; Schmidt, M.; Perrussel, O.; Ciais, P.

2014-04-01

Atmospheric concentration measurements are used to adjust the daily to monthly budget of CO2 emissions from the AirParif inventory of the Paris agglomeration. We use 5 atmospheric monitoring sites including one at the top of the Eiffel tower. The atmospheric inversion is based on a Bayesian approach, and relies on an atmospheric transport model with a spatial resolution of 2 km with boundary conditions from a global coarse grid transport model. The inversion tool adjusts the CO2 fluxes (anthropogenic and biogenic) with a temporal resolution of 6 h, assuming temporal correlation of emissions uncertainties within the daily cycle and from day to day, while keeping the a priori spatial distribution from the emission inventory. The inversion significantly improves the agreement between measured and modelled concentrations. However, the amplitude of the atmospheric transport errors is often large compared to the CO2 gradients between the sites that are used to estimate the fluxes, in particular for the Eiffel tower station. In addition, we sometime observe large model-measurement differences upwind from the Paris agglomeration, which confirms the large and poorly constrained contribution from distant sources and sinks included in the prescribed CO2 boundary conditions These results suggest that (i) the Eiffel measurements at 300 m above ground cannot be used with the current system and (ii) the inversion shall rely on the measured upwind-downwind gradients rather than the raw mole fraction measurements. With such setup, realistic emissions are retrieved for two 30 day periods. Similar inversions over longer periods are necessary for a proper evaluation of the results.

Global Monthly CO2 Flux Inversion Based on Results of Terrestrial Ecosystem Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, F.; Chen, J.; Peters, W.; Krol, M.

2008-12-01

Most of our understanding of the sources and sinks of atmospheric CO2 has come from inverse studies of atmospheric CO2 concentration measurements. However, the number of currently available observation stations and our ability to simulate the diurnal planetary boundary layer evolution over continental regions essentially limit the number of regions that can be reliably inverted globally, especially over continental areas. In order to overcome these restrictions, a nested inverse modeling system was developed based on the Bayesian principle for estimating carbon fluxes of 30 regions in North America and 20 regions for the rest of the globe. Inverse modeling was conducted in monthly steps using CO2 concentration measurements of 5 years (2000 - 2005) with the following two models: (a) An atmospheric transport model (TM5) is used to generate the transport matrix where the diurnal variation n of atmospheric CO2 concentration is considered to enhance the use of the afternoon-hour average CO2 concentration measurements over the continental sites. (b) A process-based terrestrial ecosystem model (BEPS) is used to produce hourly step carbon fluxes, which could minimize the limitation due to our inability to solve the inverse problem in a high resolution, as the background of our inversion. We will present our recent results achieved through a combination of the bottom-up modeling with BEPS and the top-down modeling based on TM5 driven by offline meteorological fields generated by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMFW).

Gas-geochemical condition and ecological functions of urban soils in areas with gas generating grounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mozharova, Nadezhda; Lebed-Sharlevich, Iana; Kulachkova, Svetlana

2014-05-01

Rapid urbanization and expansion of city borders lead to development of new areas, often following with relief changes, covering of gully-ravine systems and river beds with technogenic grounds containing construction and municipal waste. Decomposition of organic matter in these grounds is a source of methane and carbon dioxide. Intensive generation and accumulation of CO2 and CH4 into grounds may cause a fire and explosion risk for constructed objects. Gases emission to the atmosphere changes the global balance of GHGs and negatively influences on human health. The aim of this investigation is to study gas-geochemical condition and ecological functions of urban soils in areas with gas generating grounds. Studied areas are the gully-ravine systems or river beds, covered with technogenic grounds during land development. Stratigraphic columns of these grounds are 5-17 meters of man-made loamy material with inclusion of construction waste. Gas generating layer with increased content of organic matter, reductive conditions and high methanogenic activity (up to 1.0 ng*g-1*h-1) is situated at the certain depth. Maximum CH4 and CO2 concentrations in this layer reach dangerous values (2-10% and 11%, respectively) in the current standards. In case of disturbance of ground layer (e.g. well-drilling) methane is rapidly transferred by convective flux to atmosphere. The rate of CH4 emission reaches 100 mg*m-2*h-1 resulting in its atmospheric concentration growth by an order of magnitude compared with background. In normal occurrence of grounds methane gradually diffuses into the upper layers by pore space, consuming on different processes (e.g. formation of organic matter, nitrogen compounds or specific particles of magnetite), and emits to atmosphere. CH4 emission rate varies from 1 to 40 mg*m-2*h-1 increasing with depth of grounds. Carbon dioxide emission is about 100 mg*m-2*h-1. During soil formation on gas generating grounds bacterial oxidation of methane, one of the most important ecological functions of such soils, is initiated. Due to high rate of this process (25-30 ng*g-1*h-1) accumulation of methane in the profile does not observed, its content in soil averages 2-5 ppm. Methane emission from soils is low (0.01-0.03 mg*m-2*h-1) or there is a weak consumption of atmospheric CH4, whereby its concentration in the air corresponds to the average content of this gas. Active methane oxidation and decomposition of organic matter under aerobic conditions result to intensive formation of carbon dioxide and, thus, increase its emission (600 mg*m-2*h-1), concentration in soils (0.2-0.9%) and in atmosphere (up to 0.5%). Fixed concentration of CO2 in the air is dangerous for human health. Thus, presence of gas generating grounds with high content of organic matter leads to methane formation, causing its intensive emission to atmosphere. At upper layers of soils and grounds bacterial oxidation of methane occurs and results in complete CH4 utilization. During this process significant amounts of carbon dioxide are released and accumulated in the atmosphere up to concentration dangerous for people. Carbon dioxide emission increases current level of this gas in the urban atmosphere.

Abiotic Production of Methane in Terrestrial Planets

PubMed Central

Guzmán-Marmolejo, Andrés; Escobar-Briones, Elva

2013-01-01

Abstract On Earth, methane is produced mainly by life, and it has been proposed that, under certain conditions, methane detected in an exoplanetary spectrum may be considered a biosignature. Here, we estimate how much methane may be produced in hydrothermal vent systems by serpentinization, its main geological source, using the kinetic properties of the main reactions involved in methane production by serpentinization. Hydrogen production by serpentinization was calculated as a function of the available FeO in the crust, given the current spreading rates. Carbon dioxide is the limiting reactant for methane formation because it is highly depleted in aqueous form in hydrothermal vent systems. We estimated maximum CH4 surface fluxes of 6.8×108 and 1.3×109 molecules cm−2 s−1 for rocky planets with 1 and 5 M⊕, respectively. Using a 1-D photochemical model, we simulated atmospheres with volume mixing ratios of 0.03 and 0.1 CO2 to calculate atmospheric methane concentrations for the maximum production of this compound by serpentinization. The resulting abundances were 2.5 and 2.1 ppmv for 1 M⊕ planets and 4.1 and 3.7 ppmv for 5 M⊕ planets. Therefore, low atmospheric concentrations of methane may be produced by serpentinization. For habitable planets around Sun-like stars with N2-CO2 atmospheres, methane concentrations larger than 10 ppmv may indicate the presence of life. Key Words: Serpentinization—Exoplanets—Biosignatures—Planetary atmospheres. Astrobiology 13, 550–559. PMID:23742231

Description of algorithms for processing Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zion, P. M.

1983-01-01

The algorithms for processing coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) data to geophysical units (pigment concentration) are described. Current public domain information for processing these data is summarized. Calibration, atmospheric correction, and bio-optical algorithms are presented. Three CZCS data processing implementations are compared.

Measurements of N2O and SF6 mole fraction between 1977 and 1998 in archived air samples from Cape Meares, Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolfe, T.; Rice, A. L.; Radda, J.

2015-12-01

The quantification of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is important for monitoring imbalances in their global budgets between sources and sinks and their changes in time. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a strong radiative trace gas with a GWP of ~300 times CO2 over a 100 year period and an atmospheric lifetime of ~100 years. The preindustrial revolution background concentration of N2O was ~270 ppb. Today, the concentration is ~330 ppb. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is another potent greenhouse gas with a long lifetime (800 to 3200 years) and very large GWP (~23000 times CO2 over a 100 year period). Its current atmospheric concentration is low (~8 ppt today). Direct measurements of N2O and SF6 in air prior to the mid-1990s are few. Over 200 archived atmospheric gas samples collected at Cape Meares, Oregon between 1977 and 1998 were analyzed for their N2O and SF6 concentrations using an Agilent (model 6890 N) gas chromatograph fitted with an electron capture detector using a two column "heart-cut" technique. Precision of measurement of N2O and SF6 is calculated at 0.13% (1σ) and 1.35% (1σ) respectively. N2O concentrations in the late 1970s and early 1980s average around 303 ppb, rising to 309 ppb in the early 1990s. Between 1980 and 1990, the increase in N2O concentrations is found to be ~0.5 ppb/yr. SF6 concentrations during the late 1970s and early 1980s average around 0.9 ppt and rise slowly, reaching 1.6 ppt in the 1990s. We find that the increase in SF6 between 1980 and 1990 to be ~0.07 ppt/yr. We also discuss sample integrity in storage and observed temporal trends of N2O and SF6.

Trace-metal accumulation, distribution, and fluxes in forests of the northeastern United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedland, A.J.

1985-01-01

Forest floor was sampled at 78 sites in nine northeastern states in the USA and analyzed for Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cd. Higher levels of trace metals occurred in the southern half of the study region. Earlier work identified that Pb accumulated in the forest floor of the high-elevation regions of New England. The distribution of Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cd within the forest floor was studied at three different forested states in New England. The greatest concentration of Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cd occurred in the Oe horizon of the forest floor in all three forests. Thismore » is the zone of greatest biological activity in the forest floor. Because it receives relatively high rates of atmospheric deposition, Camels Hump in northern Vermont was studied in greater detail. Lead concentration and amount in the forest floor increased between 550 and 1160 m elevation. Comparisons with 1966 and 1977 samples from the same stands showed that Pb, Cu, and Zn concentrations increased by as much as 148% in the intervening 14 years. Estimated deposition rates of Pb, Cu, and Zn based on accumulation rates agreed with regional deposition rates reported in the literature. Lead concentrations were an order of magnitude lower in mineral soil and vegetation than in forest floor. Thus the most likely source of forest floor Pb is the atmosphere. Lead was strongly retained by the forest floor and approximately 3% of the current Pb content of the forest floor is added each year by atmospheric deposition. At the current accumulation rates, the amount of Pb in the forest floor will double in three to four decades.« less

On the reduced lifetime of nitrous oxide due to climate change induced acceleration of the Brewer-Dobson circulation as simulated by the MPI Earth System Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kracher, D.; Manzini, E.; Reick, C. H.; Schultz, M. G.; Stein, O.

2014-12-01

Greenhouse gas induced climate change will modify the physical conditions of the atmosphere. One of the projected changes is an acceleration of the Brewer-Dobson circulation in the stratosphere, as it has been shown in many model studies. This change in the stratospheric circulation consequently bears an effect on the transport and distribution of atmospheric components such as N2O. Since N2O is involved in ozone destruction, a modified distribution of N2O can be of importance for ozone chemistry. N2O is inert in the troposphere and decays only in the stratosphere. Thus, changes in the exchange between troposphere and stratosphere can also affect the stratospheric sink of N2O, and consequently its atmospheric lifetime. N2O is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of currently approximately 300 CO2-equivalents in a 100-year perspective. A faster decay in atmospheric N2O mixing ratios, i.e. a decreased atmospheric lifetime of N2O, will also reduce its global warming potential. In order to assess the impact of climate change on atmospheric circulation and implied effects on the distribution and lifetime of atmospheric N2O, we apply the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model, MPI-ESM. MPI-ESM consists of the atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM, the land surface model JSBACH, and MPIOM/HAMOCC representing ocean circulation and ocean biogeochemistry. Prognostic atmospheric N2O concentrations in MPI-ESM are determined by land N2O emissions, ocean-atmosphere N2O exchange and atmospheric tracer transport. As stratospheric chemistry is not explicitly represented in MPI-ESM, stratospheric decay rates of N2O are prescribed from a MACC MOZART simulation. Increasing surface temperatures and CO2 concentrations in the stratosphere impact atmospheric circulation differently. Thus, we conduct a series of transient runs with the atmospheric model of MPI-ESM to isolate different factors governing a shift in atmospheric circulation. From those transient simulations we diagnose decreasing tropospheric N2O concentrations, increased transport of N2O from the troposphere to the stratosphere, and increasing stratospheric decay of N2O leading to a reduction in atmospheric lifetime of N2O, in dependency to climate change evolution.

Description and evaluation of a new four-mode version of the Modal Aerosol Module (MAM4) within version 5.3 of the Community Atmosphere Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Ma, P.-L.; Wang, H.; Tilmes, S.; Singh, B.; Easter, R. C.; Ghan, S. J.; Rasch, P. J.

2016-02-01

Atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols play an important role in the climate system by influencing the Earth's radiation budgets and modifying the cloud properties. Despite the importance, their representations in large-scale atmospheric models are still crude, which can influence model simulated burden, lifetime, physical, chemical and optical properties, and the climate forcing of carbonaceous aerosols. In this study, we improve the current three-mode version of the Modal Aerosol Module (MAM3) in the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) by introducing an additional primary carbon mode to explicitly account for the microphysical ageing of primary carbonaceous aerosols in the atmosphere. Compared to MAM3, the four-mode version of MAM (MAM4) significantly increases the column burdens of primary particulate organic matter (POM) and black carbon (BC) by up to 40 % in many remote regions, where in-cloud scavenging plays an important role in determining the aerosol concentrations. Differences in the column burdens for other types of aerosol (e.g., sulfate, secondary organic aerosols, mineral dust, sea salt) are less than 1 %. Evaluating the MAM4 simulation against in situ surface and aircraft observations, we find that MAM4 significantly improves the simulation of seasonal variation of near-surface BC concentrations in the polar regions, by increasing the BC concentrations in all seasons and particularly in cold seasons. However, it exacerbates the overestimation of modeled BC concentrations in the upper troposphere in the Pacific regions. The comparisons suggest that, to address the remaining model POM and BC biases, future improvements are required related to (1) in-cloud scavenging and vertical transport in convective clouds and (2) emissions of anthropogenic and biomass burning aerosols.

Description and evaluation of a new four-mode version of the Modal Aerosol Module (MAM4) within version 5.3 of the Community Atmosphere Model

DOE PAGES

Liu, X.; Ma, P. -L.; Wang, H.; ...

2016-02-08

Atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols play an important role in the climate system by influencing the Earth's radiation budgets and modifying the cloud properties. Despite the importance, their representations in large-scale atmospheric models are still crude, which can influence model simulated burden, lifetime, physical, chemical and optical properties, and the climate forcing of carbonaceous aerosols. In this study, we improve the current three-mode version of the Modal Aerosol Module (MAM3) in the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) by introducing an additional primary carbon mode to explicitly account for the microphysical ageing of primary carbonaceous aerosols in the atmosphere. Compared to MAM3,more » the four-mode version of MAM (MAM4) significantly increases the column burdens of primary particulate organic matter (POM) and black carbon (BC) by up to 40 % in many remote regions, where in-cloud scavenging plays an important role in determining the aerosol concentrations. Differences in the column burdens for other types of aerosol (e.g., sulfate, secondary organic aerosols, mineral dust, sea salt) are less than 1 %. Evaluating the MAM4 simulation against in situ surface and aircraft observations, we find that MAM4 significantly improves the simulation of seasonal variation of near-surface BC concentrations in the polar regions, by increasing the BC concentrations in all seasons and particularly in cold seasons. However, it exacerbates the overestimation of modeled BC concentrations in the upper troposphere in the Pacific regions. As a result, the comparisons suggest that, to address the remaining model POM and BC biases, future improvements are required related to (1) in-cloud scavenging and vertical transport in convective clouds and (2) emissions of anthropogenic and biomass burning aerosols.« less

Canary in the coal mine: Historical oxygen decline in the Gulf of St. Lawrence due to large scale climate changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claret, M.; Galbraith, E. D.; Palter, J. B.; Gilbert, D.; Bianchi, D.; Dunne, J. P.

2016-02-01

The regional signature of anthropogenic climate change on the atmosphere and upper ocean is often difficult to discern from observational timeseries, dominated as they are by decadal climate variability. Here we argue that a long-term decline of dissolved oxygen concentrations observed in the Gulf of S. Lawrence (GoSL) is consistent with anthropogenic climate change. Oxygen concentrations in the GoSL have declined markedly since 1930 due primarily to an increase of oxygen-poor North Atlantic Central Waters relative to Labrador Current Waters (Gilbert et al. 2005). We compare these observations to a climate warming simulation using a very high-resolution global coupled ocean-atmospheric climate model. The numerical model (CM2.6), developed by the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, is strongly eddying and includes a biogeochemical module with dissolved oxygen. The warming scenario shows that oxygen in the GoSL decreases and it is associated to changes in western boundary currents and wind patterns in the North Atlantic. We speculate that the large-scale changes behind the simulated decrease in GoSL oxygen have also been at play in the real world over the past century, although they are difficult to resolve in noisy atmospheric data.

Measuring the Spectral Expression of Carbon Dioxide in the Solar Reflected Spectrum with AVIRIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert O.

2001-01-01

Carbon dioxide is a low-concentration, but important, component of the Earth's atmosphere. This gas absorbs electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in several regions of the spectrum. Absorption of energy by carbon dioxide adds heat to the atmosphere. In the world today, the burning of fossil fuels and other anthropogenic processes adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Other natural processes in the Earth's system both add and remove carbon dioxide. Overall, measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide at selected sites around the globe show an increased carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. A figure shows the measured carbon dioxide from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, from 1958 to 2000. Overall, the concentration has increased from 315 to 365 ppm at this site over this period. (There is also a yearly cycle to the concentration that is timed with and hypothesized to be related to the vegetation growing season in the Northern Hemisphere.) The overall expected effect of this increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide is trapping of heat in the atmosphere and global warming. While this overall relationship between carbon dioxide and global warming seems straightforward, many of the specific details relating to regional and local sources and sinks and gradients of carbon dioxide are not well understood. A remote sensing capability to measure carbon dioxide could provide important inputs for scientific research to better understand the distribution and change in atmospheric carbon dioxide at detailed spatial and temporal levels. In pursuit of this remote sensing of carbon dioxide objective, this paper analyzes the expression of carbon dioxide in the spectral range measured by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imagery Spectrometer (AVIRIS). Based on these analyses, a spectral-fitting algorithm that uses AVIRIS measured spectra and MODTRAN radiative-transfer code modeled spectra to derive total column carbon dioxide abundance has been developed. This algorithm has been applied to an AVIRIS data set acquired over Pasadena, California, in 1999 and a data set acquired over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii in 2000 with promising results. This is ongoing research; the current initial analyses, measurements, and results are reported in this paper.

Spacecraft Minimum Allowable Concentrations: Determination, Application, and Contingency Situations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshburn, Thomas H.; Dawson, David L. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

This document is an outline of a presentation about the determination of minimum allowable concentrations in spacecraft. The presentation reviews the type of toxins and mechanisms to determine the acceptable concentrations of these toxic substances. The considerations for the unique situation that spaceflight entails including zero gravity, and the intense scrutiny are reviewed. The current measurement hardware is reviewed. The spacecraft atmospheres on the Shuttle, airflow, the Space Station and the EMU in respect to airflow, pressure, constituents are also summarized. Contingency situations and potential hazards are also discussed.

Current and future levels of mercury atmospheric pollution on a global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacyna, Jozef M.; Travnikov, Oleg; De Simone, Francesco; Hedgecock, Ian M.; Sundseth, Kyrre; Pacyna, Elisabeth G.; Steenhuisen, Frits; Pirrone, Nicola; Munthe, John; Kindbom, Karin

2016-10-01

An assessment of current and future emissions, air concentrations, and atmospheric deposition of mercury worldwide is presented on the basis of results obtained during the performance of the EU GMOS (Global Mercury Observation System) project. Emission estimates for mercury were prepared with the main goal of applying them in models to assess current (2013) and future (2035) air concentrations and atmospheric deposition of this contaminant. The combustion of fossil fuels (mainly coal) for energy and heat production in power plants and in industrial and residential boilers, as well as artisanal and small-scale gold mining, is one of the major anthropogenic sources of Hg emissions to the atmosphere at present. These sources account for about 37 and 25 % of the total anthropogenic Hg emissions globally, estimated to be about 2000 t. Emissions in Asian countries, particularly in China and India, dominate the total emissions of Hg. The current estimates of mercury emissions from natural processes (primary mercury emissions and re-emissions), including mercury depletion events, were estimated to be 5207 t year-1, which represents nearly 70 % of the global mercury emission budget. Oceans are the most important sources (36 %), followed by biomass burning (9 %). A comparison of the 2035 anthropogenic emissions estimated for three different scenarios with current anthropogenic emissions indicates a reduction of these emissions in 2035 up to 85 % for the best-case scenario. Two global chemical transport models (GLEMOS and ECHMERIT) have been used for the evaluation of future mercury pollution levels considering future emission scenarios. Projections of future changes in mercury deposition on a global scale simulated by these models for three anthropogenic emissions scenarios of 2035 indicate a decrease in up to 50 % deposition in the Northern Hemisphere and up to 35 % in Southern Hemisphere for the best-case scenario. The EU GMOS project has proved to be a very important research instrument for supporting the scientific justification for the Minamata Convention and monitoring of the implementation of targets of this convention, as well as the EU Mercury Strategy. This project provided the state of the art with regard to the development of the latest emission inventories for mercury, future emission scenarios, dispersion modelling of atmospheric mercury on a global and regional scale, and source-receptor techniques for mercury emission apportionment on a global scale.

Plastic and adaptive responses of plant respiration to changes in atmospheric CO(2) concentration.

PubMed

Gonzàlez-Meler, Miquel A; Blanc-Betes, Elena; Flower, Charles E; Ward, Joy K; Gomez-Casanovas, Nuria

2009-12-01

The concentration of atmospheric CO2 has increased from below 200 microl l(-1) during last glacial maximum in the late Pleistocene to near 280 microl l(-1) at the beginning of the Holocene and has continuously increased since the onset of the industrial revolution. Most responses of plants to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels result in increases in photosynthesis, water use efficiency and biomass. Less known is the role that respiration may play during adaptive responses of plants to changes in atmospheric CO2. Although plant respiration does not increase proportionally with CO2-enhanced photosynthesis or growth rates, a reduction in respiratory costs in plants grown at subambient CO2 can aid in maintaining a positive plant C-balance (i.e. enhancing the photosynthesis-to-respiration ratio). The understanding of plant respiration is further complicated by the presence of the alternative pathway that consumes photosynthate without producing chemical energy [adenosine triphosphate (ATP)] as effectively as respiration through the normal cytochrome pathway. Here, we present the respiratory responses of Arabidopsis thaliana plants selected at Pleistocene (200 microl l(-1)), current Holocene (370 microl l(-1)), and elevated (700 microl l(-1)) concentrations of CO2 and grown at current CO2 levels. We found that respiration rates were lower in Pleistocene-adapted plants when compared with Holocene ones, and that a substantial reduction in respiration was because of reduced activity of the alternative pathway. In a survey of the literature, we found that changes in respiration across plant growth forms and CO2 levels can be explained in part by differences in the respiratory energy demand for maintenance of biomass. This trend was substantiated in the Arabidopsis experiment in which Pleistocene-adapted plants exhibited decreases in respiration without concurrent reductions in tissue N content. Interestingly, N-based respiration rates of plants adapted to elevated CO2 also decreased. As a result, ATP yields per unit of N increased in Pleistocene-adapted plants compared with current CO2 adapted ones. Our results suggest that mitochondrial energy coupling and alternative pathway-mediated responses of respiration to changes in atmospheric CO2 may enhance survival of plants at low CO2 levels to help overcome a low carbon balance. Therefore, increases in the basal activity of the alternative pathway are not necessarily associated to metabolic plant stress in all cases.

[Characteristics of atmospheric visibility change and its influence factors in Hefei City, Anhui, China.

PubMed

Shi, Min Min; Zhang, Qing Guo; Zhang, Hao; Wang, Feng Wen

2017-02-01

Using the observation data of Hefei atmospheric visibility and meteorological elements and PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations at same period from October 2013 to June 2015, based on comprehensive analysis of the impact factors on atmospheric visibility, the relationships among the relative humidity (RH), PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations and visibility were explored. The results showed that the correlation between RH and Hefei atmospheric visibility was most significant during the period of study. When RH<60%, the coefficients of correlation between PM 2.5 , PM 10 concentrations and atmospheric visibility increased gradually with the increasing RH. When RH>60%, the coefficients of correlation between the particles concentration in atmosphere and atmospheric visibility showed a decreasing trend. When 50%≤RH<60%, the coefficients of correlation between PM 2.5 , PM 10 concentrations and atmosphere visibility were higher. When RH was relatively higher, the atmospheric visibility was mainly affected by the relative humidity, on the contrary, the concentration of particles had a greater influence on the visibility. When RH>70%, the change amplitude of contour line of atmospheric visibility was larger, and the impacts of RH on atmospheric visibility were intensified. According to the formula fitted by the data of RH, PM 2.5 , PM 10 concentrations and atmospheric visibility, the nonlinear fitting model was better than multivariate linear fitting model in simulating the change of atmospheric visibility.

Current Research in Lidar Technology Used for the Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Aerosols

PubMed Central

Comerón, Adolfo; Muñoz-Porcar, Constantino; Rocadenbosch, Francesc; Rodríguez-Gómez, Alejandro; Sicard, Michaël

2017-01-01

Lidars are active optical remote sensing instruments with unique capabilities for atmospheric sounding. A manifold of atmospheric variables can be profiled using different types of lidar: concentration of species, wind speed, temperature, etc. Among them, measurement of the properties of aerosol particles, whose influence in many atmospheric processes is important but is still poorly stated, stands as one of the main fields of application of current lidar systems. This paper presents a review on fundamentals, technology, methodologies and state-of-the art of the lidar systems used to obtain aerosol information. Retrieval of structural (aerosol layers profiling), optical (backscatter and extinction coefficients) and microphysical (size, shape and type) properties requires however different levels of instrumental complexity; this general outlook is structured following a classification that attends these criteria. Thus, elastic systems (detection only of emitted frequencies), Raman systems (detection also of Raman frequency-shifted spectral lines), high spectral resolution lidars, systems with depolarization measurement capabilities and multi-wavelength instruments are described, and the fundamentals in which the retrieval of aerosol parameters is based is in each case detailed. PMID:28632170

Physical robustness of canopy temperature models for crop heat stress simulation across environments and production conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Despite widespread application in studying climate change impacts, most crop models ignore complex interactions among air temperature, crop and soil water status, CO2 concentration and atmospheric conditions that influence crop canopy temperature. The current study extended previous studies by evalu...

AN EVALUATION OF OZONE EXPOSURE METRICS FOR A SEASONALLY DROUGHT STRESSED PONDEROSA PINE ECOSYSTEM. (R826601)

EPA Science Inventory

Ozone stress has become an increasingly significant factor in cases of forest decline reported throughout the world. Current metrics to estimate ozone exposure for forest trees are derived from atmospheric concentrations and assume that the forest is physiologically active at ...

Positive direct current corona discharges in single wire-duct electrostatic precipitators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yehia, Ashraf, E-mail: yehia30161@yahoo.com; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Arab Republic of Egypt; Abdel-Fattah, E.

This paper is aimed to study the characteristics of the positive dc corona discharges in single wire-duct electrostatic precipitators. Therefore, the corona discharges were formed inside dry air fed single wire-duct reactor under positive dc voltage at the normal atmospheric conditions. The corona current-voltage characteristics curves have been measured in parallel with the ozone concentration generated inside the reactor under different discharge conditions. The corona current-voltage characteristics curves have agreed with a semi empirical equation derived from the previous studies. The experimental results of the ozone concentration generated inside the reactor were formulated in the form of an empirical equationmore » included the different parameters that were studied experimentally. The obtained equations are valid to expect both the current-voltage characteristics curves and the corresponding ozone concentration that generates with the positive dc corona discharges inside single wire-duct electrostatic precipitators under any operating conditions in the same range of the present study.« less

Impacts of cloud water droplets on the OH production rate from peroxide photolysis.

PubMed

Martins-Costa, M T C; Anglada, J M; Francisco, J S; Ruiz-López, Manuel F

2017-12-06

Understanding the difference between observed and modeled concentrations of HO x radicals in the troposphere is a current major issue in atmospheric chemistry. It is widely believed that existing atmospheric models miss a source of such radicals and several potential new sources have been proposed. In recent years, interest has increased on the role played by cloud droplets and organic aerosols. Computer modeling of ozone photolysis, for instance, has shown that atmospheric aqueous interfaces accelerate the associated OH production rate by as much as 3-4 orders of magnitude. Since methylhydroperoxide is a main source and sink of HO x radicals, especially at low NO x concentrations, it is fundamental to assess what is the influence of clouds on its chemistry and photochemistry. In this study, computer simulations for the photolysis of methylhydroperoxide at the air-water interface have been carried out showing that the OH production rate is severely enhanced, reaching a comparable level to ozone photolysis.

Assessment of the Effects of High-Speed Aircraft in the Stratosphere: 1998

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawa, S. Randolph; Anderson, James G.; Baughcum, Steven L.; Brock, Charles A.; Brune, William H.; Cohen, Ronald C.; Kinnison, Douglas E.; Newman, Paul A.; Rodriquez, Jose M.; Stolarski, Richard S.;

Assessment of the Effects of High-Speed Aircraft in the Stratosphere: 1998

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawa, S. Randolph; Anderson, James G.; Baughcum, Steven L.; Brock, Charles A.; Brune, William H.; Cohen, Ronald C.; Kinnison, Douglas E.; Newman, Paul A.; Rodriguez, Jose M.; Stolarski, Richard S.;

Formulating Energy Policies Related to Fossil Fuel Use: Critical Uncertainties in the Global Carbon Cycle

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Post, W. M.; Dale, V. H.; DeAngelis, D. L.; Mann, L. K.; Mulholland, P. J.; O`Neill, R. V.; Peng, T. -H.; Farrell, M. P.

1990-02-01

The global carbon cycle is the dynamic interaction among the earth's carbon sources and sinks. Four reservoirs can be identified, including the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere, oceans, and sediments. Atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration is determined by characteristics of carbon fluxes among major reservoirs of the global carbon cycle. The objective of this paper is to document the knowns, and unknowns and uncertainties associated with key questions that if answered will increase the understanding of the portion of past, present, and future atmospheric CO{sub 2} attributable to fossil fuel burning. Documented atmospheric increases in CO{sub 2} levels are thought to result primarily from fossil fuel use and, perhaps, deforestation. However, the observed atmospheric CO{sub 2} increase is less than expected from current understanding of the global carbon cycle because of poorly understood interactions among the major carbon reservoirs.

Recent increases in terrestrial carbon uptake at little cost to the water cycle.

PubMed

Cheng, Lei; Zhang, Lu; Wang, Ying-Ping; Canadell, Josep G; Chiew, Francis H S; Beringer, Jason; Li, Longhui; Miralles, Diego G; Piao, Shilong; Zhang, Yongqiang

2017-07-24

Quantifying the responses of the coupled carbon and water cycles to current global warming and rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration is crucial for predicting and adapting to climate changes. Here we show that terrestrial carbon uptake (i.e. gross primary production) increased significantly from 1982 to 2011 using a combination of ground-based and remotely sensed land and atmospheric observations. Importantly, we find that the terrestrial carbon uptake increase is not accompanied by a proportional increase in water use (i.e. evapotranspiration) but is largely (about 90%) driven by increased carbon uptake per unit of water use, i.e. water use efficiency. The increased water use efficiency is positively related to rising CO 2 concentration and increased canopy leaf area index, and negatively influenced by increased vapour pressure deficits. Our findings suggest that rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration has caused a shift in terrestrial water economics of carbon uptake.The response of the coupled carbon and water cycles to anthropogenic climate change is unclear. Here, the authors show that terrestrial carbon uptake increased significantly from 1982 to 2011 and that this increase is largely driven by increased water-use efficiency, rather than an increase in water use.

Retrieval of Marine Water Constituents Using Atmospherically Corrected AVIRIS Hyperspectral Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagheri, Sima; Peters, Steef

2004-01-01

This paper reports on the validation of bio-optical models in estuarine and nearshore (case 2) waters of New Jersey-New York to retrieve accurate water-leaving radiance spectra and chlorophyll concentration from the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) imaging spectrometer data. MODTRAN-4 was applied to remove the effects of the atmosphere so as to infer the water-leaving radiance. The study area - Hudson/Raritan of New York and New Jersey (Figure 1) is an extremely complex estuarine system where tidal and wind-driven currents are modified by freshwater discharges from the Hudson, Raritan, Hackensack, and Passaic rivers. Over the last century, the estuarine water quality has degraded in part due to eutrophication, which has disrupted the preexisting natural balance, resulting in phytoplankton blooms of both increased frequency and intensity, increasing oxygen demand, and leading to episodes of hypoxia. As the end result, a thematic map of chlorophyll-a concentration was generated using an atmospherically corrected AVIRIS ratio image. This thematic map serves as an indication of phytoplankton concentration. Such maps are important input into the geographic information system (GIS) for use as a management tool for monitoring water resources.

Selenium Cycling Across Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Interfaces: A Critical Review

PubMed Central

Winkel, Lenny H.E.; Vriens, Bas; Jones, Gerrad D.; Schneider, Leila S.; Pilon-Smits, Elizabeth; Bañuelos, Gary S.

2015-01-01

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans and animals, which occurs ubiquitously in the environment. It is present in trace amounts in both organic and inorganic forms in marine and freshwater systems, soils, biomass and in the atmosphere. Low Se levels in certain terrestrial environments have resulted in Se deficiency in humans, while elevated Se levels in waters and soils can be toxic and result in the death of aquatic wildlife and other animals. Human dietary Se intake is largely governed by Se concentrations in plants, which are controlled by root uptake of Se as a function of soil Se concentrations, speciation and bioavailability. In addition, plants and microorganisms can biomethylate Se, which can result in a loss of Se to the atmosphere. The mobilization of Se across soil-plant-atmosphere interfaces is thus of crucial importance for human Se status. This review gives an overview of current knowledge on Se cycling with a specific focus on soil-plant-atmosphere interfaces. Sources, speciation and mobility of Se in soils and plants will be discussed as well as Se hyperaccumulation by plants, biofortification and biomethylation. Future research on Se cycling in the environment is essential to minimize the adverse health effects associated with unsafe environmental Se levels. PMID:26035246

Selenium cycling across soil-plant-atmosphere interfaces: a critical review.

PubMed

Winkel, Lenny H E; Vriens, Bas; Jones, Gerrad D; Schneider, Leila S; Pilon-Smits, Elizabeth; Bañuelos, Gary S

2015-05-29

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans and animals, which occurs ubiquitously in the environment. It is present in trace amounts in both organic and inorganic forms in marine and freshwater systems, soils, biomass and in the atmosphere. Low Se levels in certain terrestrial environments have resulted in Se deficiency in humans, while elevated Se levels in waters and soils can be toxic and result in the death of aquatic wildlife and other animals. Human dietary Se intake is largely governed by Se concentrations in plants, which are controlled by root uptake of Se as a function of soil Se concentrations, speciation and bioavailability. In addition, plants and microorganisms can biomethylate Se, which can result in a loss of Se to the atmosphere. The mobilization of Se across soil-plant-atmosphere interfaces is thus of crucial importance for human Se status. This review gives an overview of current knowledge on Se cycling with a specific focus on soil-plant-atmosphere interfaces. Sources, speciation and mobility of Se in soils and plants will be discussed as well as Se hyperaccumulation by plants, biofortification and biomethylation. Future research on Se cycling in the environment is essential to minimize the adverse health effects associated with unsafe environmental Se levels.

A nonlinear merging method of analog and photon signals for CO2 detection in lower altitudes using differential absorption lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Zhong; Zhang, Teng; Han, Ge; Li, Dongcang; Ma, Xin; Gong, Wei

2017-04-01

The current acquisition system of a lidar detects return signals in two modes (i.e., analog and photon counting); resulting in the lower (below 1500 m) and upper (higher than 1100 m) atmospheric parameters need analog and photon counting signal to retrieve, respectively. Hence, a lidar cannot obtain a continuous column of the concentrations of atmospheric components. For carbon cycle studies, the range-resolved concentration of atmospheric CO2 in the lower troposphere (below 1500 m) is one of the most significant parameters that should be determined. This study proposes a novel gluing method that merges the CO2 signal detected by ground-based DIAL in the lower troposphere. Through simulation experiments, the best uniform approximation polynomial theorem is utilized to determine the transformation coefficient to correlate signals from the different modes perfectly. The experimental results (both simulation experiments and actual measurement of signals) show that the proposed method is suitable and feasible for merging data in the region below 1500 m. Hence, the photon-counting signals whose SNRs are higher than those of the analog signals can be used to retrieve atmospheric parameters at an increased near range, facilitating atmospheric soundings using ground-based lidar in various fields.

Evaluation of CO2 Efflux From Soils: A New Method Using Streamwater CO2 Measurements, Field Data and a Watershed Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, A. B.; Mulholland, P. J.; Jones, J. B.

2001-05-01

Headwater streams are almost always supersaturated with CO2 compared to concentrations expected in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2. Direct measurements of CO2 in two streams in eastern Tennessee with different bedrock lithologies (Walker Branch, Upper Gum Hollow Branch) over a year revealed levels of supersaturation of two to five times atmospheric CO2. Highest levels were generally found during the summer months. Springs discharging into the stream had dissolved CO2 concentration up to an order of magnitude higher than that in streamwater. These levels of supersaturation are a reflection of the high concentrations of CO2 in soil produced by root respiration and organic matter decomposition. The hydrologic connection between soil CO2 and streamwater CO2 forms the basis of our method to determine soil CO2 concentrations and efflux from the soil to the atmosphere. The method starts with streamwater measurements of CO2. Then corrections are made for evasion from the stream surface using injections of a conservative solute tracer and volatile gas, and for instream metabolism using a dissolved oxygen change technique. The approach then works backward along the hydrologic flowpath and evaluates the contribution of bedrock weathering, which consumes CO2, by examining the changes in major ion chemistry between precipitation and the stream. This produces estimates of CO2 concentration in soil water and soil atmosphere, which when coupled with soil porosity, allows estimation of CO2 efflux from soil. The hydrologic integration of CO2 signals from whole watersheds into streamwater allows calculation of soil CO2 efflux at large scales. These estimates are at scales larger than current chamber or tower methods, and can provide broad estimates of soil CO2 efflux with easily collected stream chemistry data.

Abiotic production of methane in terrestrial planets.

PubMed

Guzmán-Marmolejo, Andrés; Segura, Antígona; Escobar-Briones, Elva

2013-06-01

On Earth, methane is produced mainly by life, and it has been proposed that, under certain conditions, methane detected in an exoplanetary spectrum may be considered a biosignature. Here, we estimate how much methane may be produced in hydrothermal vent systems by serpentinization, its main geological source, using the kinetic properties of the main reactions involved in methane production by serpentinization. Hydrogen production by serpentinization was calculated as a function of the available FeO in the crust, given the current spreading rates. Carbon dioxide is the limiting reactant for methane formation because it is highly depleted in aqueous form in hydrothermal vent systems. We estimated maximum CH4 surface fluxes of 6.8×10(8) and 1.3×10(9) molecules cm(-2) s(-1) for rocky planets with 1 and 5 M⊕, respectively. Using a 1-D photochemical model, we simulated atmospheres with volume mixing ratios of 0.03 and 0.1 CO2 to calculate atmospheric methane concentrations for the maximum production of this compound by serpentinization. The resulting abundances were 2.5 and 2.1 ppmv for 1 M⊕ planets and 4.1 and 3.7 ppmv for 5 M⊕ planets. Therefore, low atmospheric concentrations of methane may be produced by serpentinization. For habitable planets around Sun-like stars with N2-CO2 atmospheres, methane concentrations larger than 10 ppmv may indicate the presence of life.

Concentrations, Trends, and Air-Water Exchange of PAHs and PBDEs Derived from Passive Samplers in Lake Superior in 2011.

PubMed

Ruge, Zoe; Muir, Derek; Helm, Paul; Lohmann, Rainer

2015-12-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) are both currently released into the environment from anthropogenic activity. Both are hence primarily associated with populated or industrial areas, although wildfires can be an important source of PAHs, as well. Polyethylene passive samplers (PEs) were simultaneously deployed in surface water and near surface atmosphere to determine spatial trends and air-water gaseous exchange of 21 PAHs and 11 PBDEs at 19 sites across Lake Superior in 2011. Surface water and atmospheric PAH concentrations were greatest at urban sites (up to 65 ng L(-1) and 140 ng m(-3), respectively, averaged from June to October). Near populated regions, PAHs displayed net air-to-water deposition, but were near equilibrium off-shore. Retene, probably depositing following major wildfires in the region, dominated dissolved PAH concentrations at most Lake Superior sites. Atmospheric and dissolved PBDEs were greatest near urban and populated sites (up to 6.8 pg L(-1) and 15 pg m(-3), respectively, averaged from June to October), dominated by BDE-47. At most coastal sites, there was net gaseous deposition of BDE-47, with less brominated congeners contributing to Sault Ste. Marie and eastern open lake fluxes. Conversely, the central open lake and Eagle Harbor sites generally displayed volatilization of PBDEs into the atmosphere, mainly BDE-47.

Assessment of Ethanol Trends on the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, Jay; Carter, Layne; Kayatin, Matthew; Gazda, Daniel; McCoy, Torin; Limero, Thomas

2016-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) provides a working environment for six crewmembers through atmosphere revitalization and water recovery systems. In the last year, elevated ethanol levels have presented a unique challenge for the ISS ECLSS. Ethanol is monitored on the ISS by the Air Quality Monitor (AQM). The source of this increase is currently unknown. This paper documents the credible sources for the increased ethanol concentration, the monitoring provided by the AQM, and the impact on the atmosphere revitalization and water recovery systems.

Investigation of Airborne Chemical Concentrations in Certain Work Areas of Naval Air Rework Facility at North Island, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-12-01

temperature , degree of agitation purity, pH, etc. This is currently the responsibility of Mr. Raeburn Solberg, who has been of great help in providing the...liters. All work was done at room temperature (297°K) and atmospheric pressure of (1 atm). Based on this the following equation was used: VLIQ. PP m A...atmospheres (1 atm) LIQ. = Liquid density R = Gas constant (0.08205) T = Absolute temperature (297°K) Tables were made of V(yl ) versus C . These could

Equipment and techniques for low-altitude aerial sensing of water-vapor concentration and movement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howell, R.L.

1969-01-01

Progress in the development of equipment and techniques for making rapid measurements of moisture movement through the atmosphere over a large area is described. Airborne sensing elements measure relative humidity, temperature, and air currents. These data are telemetered to a ground-based station and recorded. A radar unit tracks the aircraft and electronically plots its position on a base map of the area being studied. Thus the distribution of atmospheric conditions can be directly related to the underlying terrain and vegetation features. ?? 1969 American Elsevier Publishing Company, Inc.

Toward the next generation of air quality monitoring: Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirrone, Nicola; Aas, Wenche; Cinnirella, Sergio; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Hedgecock, Ian M.; Pacyna, Jozef; Sprovieri, Francesca; Sunderland, Elsie M.

2013-12-01

Mercury is a global pollutant that is ubiquitous in the environment. Enrichment of mercury in the biosphere as the result of human activities and subsequent production of methylmercury (MeHg) has resulted in elevated concentrations in fish, wildlife and marine mammals globally. Elemental mercury (Hg0) is the most common form of mercury in the atmosphere, and the form that is most readily transported long distances from its emission source. Most mercury deposition from the atmosphere is in the highly soluble, oxidised inorganic form HgII. Thus, understanding atmospheric transport and oxidant distribution is essential for understanding mercury inputs to ecosystems. Methylmercury (MeHg) is the most toxic form of mercury that accumulates in aquatic food web and can cause a variety of negative health effects such as long-term IQ deficits and cardiovascular impairment in exposed individuals. Humans are predominately exposed to MeHg by consuming fish. Hg0 emitted from anthropogenic sources has a long (6 months-1 year) atmospheric residence time allowing it to be transported long distances in the atmosphere. It is eventually oxidised to the highly soluble HgII (likely by atomic Br and/or OH/O3) and rapidly deposited with precipitation. Some of the mercury deposited to terrestrial and marine ecosystems is converted to MeHg, which is the only form that bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs. Recent studies suggest that there is a first-order relationship between the supply of inorganic mercury to ecosystems and production of MeHg, thus implying that declines in deposition will translate directly into reduced concentrations in biota and human exposures. However, one of the major uncertainties in this cycle is the time scale required for these changes to take place and this is known to vary from years to centuries across different environmental compartments depending on their physical and biogeochemical attributes. Thus, a key challenge in the case of mercury pollution is understanding the link between the magnitude of mercury emissions and the concentrations found in the fish that we consume. For air quality monitoring, priorities include expanding the existing data collection network and widening the scope of atmospheric mercury measurements (elemental, oxidised, and particulate species as well as mercury in precipitation). Presently, the only accurate indicators of mercury impacts on human and biological health are methylmercury concentrations in biota. However, recent advances in analytical techniques (stable mercury isotopes) and integrated modelling tools are allowing greater understanding of the relationship between atmospheric deposition, concentrations in water, methylation and uptake by biota. This article recommends an expansion of the current atmospheric monitoring network and the establishment of new coordinated measurements of total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in seawater and concurrent concentrations and trends in marine fish.

A Global Assessment of Rain-Dissolved Organic Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safieddine, S.; Heald, C. L.

2017-12-01

Precipitation is the largest physical removal pathway of atmospheric organic carbon from the atmosphere. The removed carbon is transferred to the land and ocean in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Limited measurements have hindered efforts to characterize global DOC. In this poster presentation, we show the first simulated global DOC distribution based on a GEOS-Chem model simulation of the atmospheric reactive carbon budget. Over the ocean, simulated DOC concentrations are between 0.1 to 1 mgCL-1 with a total of 85 TgCyr-1 deposited. DOC concentrations are higher inland, ranging between 1 and 10 mgCL-1, producing a total of 188 TgCyr-1 terrestrial organic wet deposition. We compare the 2010 simulated DOC to a 30-year synthesis of available DOC measurements over different environments. Despite imperfect matching of observational and simulated time intervals, the model is able to reproduce much of the spatial variability of DOC (r= 0.63), with a low bias of 35%. We compare the global average carbon oxidation state (OSc) of both atmospheric and dissolved organic carbon, as a simple metric for describing the chemical composition of organics. In the global atmosphere reactive organic carbon (ROC) is dominated by hydrocarbons and ketones, and OSc, ranges from -1.8 to -0.6. In the dissolved form, formaldehyde, formic acid, primary and secondary semi-volatiles organic aerosol dominate the DOC concentrations. The increase in solubility upon oxidation leads to a global increase in OSc in rainwater with -0.6<=OSc <=0. This simulation provides new insight into the current model representation of the flow of atmospheric and rain-dissolved organic carbon, and new opportunities to use observations and simulations to understand the DOC reaching land and ocean.

Estimated effects of temperature on secondary organic aerosol concentrations.

PubMed

Sheehan, P E; Bowman, F M

2001-06-01

The temperature-dependence of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations is explored using an absorptive-partitioning model under a variety of simplified atmospheric conditions. Experimentally determined partitioning parameters for high yield aromatics are used. Variation of vapor pressures with temperature is assumed to be the main source of temperature effects. Known semivolatile products are used to define a modeling range of vaporization enthalpy of 10-25 kcal/mol-1. The effect of diurnal temperature variations on model predictions for various assumed vaporization enthalpies, precursor emission rates, and primary organic concentrations is explored. Results show that temperature is likely to have a significant influence on SOA partitioning and resulting SOA concentrations. A 10 degrees C decrease in temperature is estimated to increase SOA yields by 20-150%, depending on the assumed vaporization enthalpy. In model simulations, high daytime temperatures tend to reduce SOA concentrations by 16-24%, while cooler nighttime temperatures lead to a 22-34% increase, compared to constant temperature conditions. Results suggest that currently available constant temperature partitioning coefficients do not adequately represent atmospheric SOA partitioning behavior. Air quality models neglecting the temperature dependence of partitioning are expected to underpredict peak SOA concentrations as well as mistime their occurrence.

Continuous scanning of the mobility and size distribution of charged clusters and nanometer particles in atmospheric air and the Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzer BSMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tammet, H.

2006-12-01

Measuring of charged nanometer particles in atmospheric air is a routine task in research on atmospheric electricity, where these particles are called the atmospheric ions. An aspiration condenser is the most popular instrument for measuring atmospheric ions. Continuous scanning of a mobility distribution is possible when the aspiration condenser is connected as an arm of a balanced bridge. Transfer function of an aspiration condenser is calculated according to the measurements of geometric dimensions, air flow rate, driving voltage, and electric current. The most complicated phase of the calibration is the estimation of the inlet loss of ions due to the Brownian deposition. The available models of ion deposition on the protective inlet screen and the inlet control electrofilter have the uncertainty of about 20%. To keep the uncertainty of measurements low the adsorption should not exceed a few tens of percent. The online conversion of the mobility distribution to the size distribution and a correct reduction of inlet losses are possible when air temperature and pressure are measured simultaneously with the mobility distribution. Two instruments called the Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzers (BSMA) were manufactured and tested in routine atmospheric measurements. The concentration of atmospheric ions of the size of about a few nanometers is very low and a high air flow rate is required to collect enough of ion current. The air flow of 52 l/s exceeds the air flow in usual aerosol instruments by 2-3 orders of magnitude. The high flow rate reduces the time of ion passage to 60 ms and the heating of air in an analyzer to 0.2 K, which suppresses a possible transformation of ions inside the instrument. The mobility range of the BSMA of 0.032-3.2 cm 2 V - 1 s - 1 is logarithmically uniformly divided into 16 fractions. The size distribution is presented by 12 fractions in the diameter range of 0.4-7.5 nm. The measurement noise of a fraction concentration is typically about 5 cm - 3 and the time resolution is about 10 min when measuring simultaneously both positive and negative ions in atmospheric air.

Sediment record and atmospheric deposition of brominated flame retardants and organochlorine compounds in Lake Thun, Switzerland: lessons from the past and evaluation of the present.

PubMed

Bogdal, Christian; Schmid, Peter; Kohler, Martin; Müller, Claudia E; Iozza, Saverio; Bucheli, Thomas D; Scheringer, Martin; Hungerbühler, Konrad

2008-09-15

Chronology of brominated fame retardants (BFRs), a class of currentlywidely used chemicals, was compared to the respective historical profiles of legacy organochlorine compounds in three dated sediment cores from a prealpine lake (Lake Thun, Switzerland). Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) started to increase in the 1980s-1990s. In the more recent sediment layers, PBDEs still had steady or increasing concentrations, whereas for HBCDs one sediment core revealed a decreasing trend. In contrast to the contemporary BFRs, concentrations of legacy organochlorines, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), and dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), peaked in deeper sediment layers deposited some decades ago. Measurements of atmospheric deposition and evaluation of wastewater discharges pointtoward deposition on the lake surface as a relevant input pathway and wastewater as a minor source of POPs in Lake Thun. The effect of the environmental awareness and the regulations taken in the 1970s to reduce environmental pollution of organochlorines is well reflected in the analyzed sediment cores. The sediment burden closely follows estimated time trends of consumption and emission of PCBs and DDT. The current residues in sediment of BFRs are still lower than the historical peak levels of organochlorines. However, current atmospheric deposition of BFRs is similar to deposition of PCBs. Considering the high amount of BFRs presently stocked in the anthroposphere in flame proofed materials, further measures to reduce emissions during BFRs life cycle are recommended to prevent high environmental pollution as it occurred for the organochlorine compounds.

Using MERRA-2 analysis fields to simulate limb scattered radiance profiles for inhomogeneous atmospheric lines of sight: Preparation for data assimilation of OMPS LP radiances through 2D single-scattering GSLS radiative transfer model development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loughman, R. P.; Bhartia, P. K.; Moy, L.; Kramarova, N. A.; Wargan, K.

2016-12-01

Many remote sensing techniques used to monitor the Earth's upper atmosphere fall into the broad category of "limb viewing" (LV) measurements, which includes any method for which the line of sight (LOS) fails to intersect the surface. Occultation, limb emission and limb scattering (LS) measurements are all LV methods that offer strong sensitivity to changes in the atmosphere near the tangent point of the LOS, due to the enhanced geometric path through the tangent layer (where the concentration also typically peaks, for most atmospheric species). But many of the retrieval algorithms used to interpret LV measurements assume that the atmosphere consists of "spherical shells", in which the atmospheric properties vary only with altitude (creating a 1D atmosphere). This assumption simplifies the analysis, but at the possible price of misinterpreting measurements made in the real atmosphere. In this presentation, we focus on the problem of LOS inhomogeneity for LS measurements made by the OMPS Limb Profiler (LP) instrument during the 2015 ozone hole period. The GSLS radiative transfer model (RTM) used in the default OMPS LP algorithms assumes a spherical-shell atmosphere defined at levels spaced 1 km apart, with extinction coefficients assumed to vary linearly with height between levels. Several recent improvements enable an updated single-scattering version of the GSLS RTM to ingest 3D MERRA-2 analysis fields (including temperature, pressure, and ozone concentration) when creating the model atmosphere, by introducing flexible altitude grids, flexible atmospheric specification along the LOS, and improved treatment of the radiative transfer within each atmospheric layer. As a result, the effect of LOS inhomogeneity on the current (1D) OMPS LP retrieval algorithm can now be studied theoretically, using realistic 3D atmospheric profiles. This work also represents a step towards enabling OMPS LP data to be ingested as part of future data assimilation efforts.

Multi-year air monitoring of legacy and current-use brominated flame retardants in an urban center in northeastern China.

PubMed

Li, Wen-Long; Huo, Chun-Yan; Liu, Li-Yan; Song, Wei-Wei; Zhang, Zi-Feng; Ma, Wan-Li; Qiao, Li-Na; Li, Yi-Fan

2016-11-15

The occurrence and temporal trends of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and non-PBDE brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) were investigated in an urban atmosphere of Northeast China in consecutive six years (2008-2013). Among all chemicals, BDE-209, l,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) were the three most dominant compounds. During the period, the levels of pentabromodiphenyl ethers in the gas-phase and octabromodiphenyl ethers in the particle-phase significantly decreased, while the levels of BDE-209 and NBFRs increased in either the gas-phase or particle-phase. Ambient temperature was the most significant variable that influenced the gas-phase and particle-phase concentrations of BFRs, followed by wind speed and relative humidity. A stronger temperature dependence of the atmospheric concentrations was found for lower mass BFRs. Gas-particle partitioning studies suggested PBDEs in the urban atmosphere of Northeast China were at steady-state. Steady-state equation can also well describe the partitioning behavior for NBFRs, suggesting that the atmospheric partitioning behaviors of NBFRs were similar to those of PBDEs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PROPOSED ASTM METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ASBESTOS IN AIR BY TEM AND INFORMATION ON INTERFERING FIBERS

EPA Science Inventory

The draft of the ASTM Test Method for air entitled: "Airborne Asbestos Concentration in Ambient and Indoor Atmospheres as Determined by Transmission Electron Microscopy Direct Transfer (TEM)" (ASTM Z7077Z) is an adaptation of the International Standard, ISO 10312. It is currently...

A climate-change scenario for the Columbia River Basin.

Treesearch

Sue A. Ferguson

1997-01-01

This work describes the method used to generate a climate-change scenario for the Columbia River basin. The scenario considers climate patterns that may change if the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (C02), or its greenhouse gas equivalent, were to double over pre-Industrial Revolution values. Given the current rate of increase in...

EXPOSURE OF AMPHIBIANS TO SEMI-VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS AND CALIFORNIA CASCADES: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TADPOLE TISSUE AND SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Pesticides and other semi-volatile organic compounds (SOCs) undergo regional and longrange atmospheric transport. One such example is the transport of current-use pesticides from the intensely cultivated Central Valley of California into the adjacent Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mou...

New advances in 2-μm high-power dual-frequency single-mode Q-switched Ho:YLF laser for dial and IPDA application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibert, F.; Edouart, D.; Cénac, C.; Le Mounier, F.; Dumas, A.

2017-11-01

In the absence of climate change policies, the fossil fuel emissions are projected to increase in the next decades. Depending on how the current carbon sinks change in the future, the atmospheric CO2 concentration is predicted to be between 700-1000 ppmv by 2100, and global mean surface temperature between 1.1-6.4°C, with related changes in sea-level, extreme events and ecosystem drifts. Keeping the atmospheric CO2 concentration at a level that prevents dangerous interference with the climate system poses an unprecedent but necessary challenge to humanity. Beyond this point, global climate change would be very difficult and costly to deal with. There are two main approaches that are currently analysed: (1) to reduce emissions; (2) to capture CO2 and store it, i.e. sequestration. For these two ways, some monitoring at different scales ultimately from space would be needed. Lidar remote sensing is a powerful technique that enables measurements at various space and time resolution.

Response of giant sequoia canopy foliage to elevated concentrations of atmospheric ozone.

PubMed

Grulke, N E; Miller, P R; Scioli, D

1996-06-01

We examined the physiological response of foliage in the upper third of the canopy of 125-year-old giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum Buchholz.) trees to a 61-day exposure to 0.25x, 1x, 2x or 3x ambient ozone concentration. Four branch exposure chambers, one per ozone treatment, were installed on 1-m long secondary branches of each tree at a height of 34 m. No visible symptoms of foliar ozone damage were apparent throughout the 61-day exposure period and none of the ozone treatments affected branch growth. Despite the similarity in ozone concentrations in the branch chambers within a treatment, the trees exhibited different physiological responses to increasing ozone uptake. Differences in diurnal and seasonal patterns of g(s) among the trees led to a 2-fold greater ozone uptake in tree No. 2 compared with trees Nos. 1 and 3. Tree No. 3 had significantly higher CER and g(s) at 0.25x ambient ozone than trees Nos. 1 and 2, and g(s) and CER of tree No. 3 declined with increasing ozone uptake. The y-intercept of the regression for dark respiration versus ozone uptake was significantly lower for tree No. 2 than for trees Nos. 1 and 3. In the 0.25x and 1x ozone treatments, the chlorophyll concentration of current-year foliage of trees Nos. 1 and 2 was significantly higher than that of current-year foliage of tree No. 3. Chlorophyll concentration of current-year foliage on tree No. 1 did not decline with increasing ozone uptake. In all trees, total needle water potential decreased with increasing ozone uptake, but turgor was constant. Although tree No. 2 had the greatest ozone uptake, g(s) was highest and foliar chlorophyll concentration was lowest in tree No. 3 in the 0.25x and 1x ambient atmospheric ozone treatments.

Origin and spatial distribution of metals in moss samples in Albania: A hotspot of heavy metal contamination in Europe.

PubMed

Lazo, Pranvera; Steinnes, Eiliv; Qarri, Flora; Allajbeu, Shaniko; Kane, Sonila; Stafilov, Trajce; Frontasyeva, Marina V; Harmens, Harry

2018-01-01

This study presents the spatial distribution of 37 elements in 48 moss samples collected over the whole territory of Albania and provides information on sources and factors controlling the concentrations of elements in the moss. High variations of trace metals indicate that the concentrations of elements are affected by different factors. Relations between the elements in moss, geochemical interpretation of the data, and secondary effects such as redox conditions generated from local soil and/or long distance atmospheric transport of the pollutants are discussed. Zr normalized data, and the ratios of different elements are calculated to assess the origin of elements present in the current moss samples with respect to different geogenic and anthropogenic inputs. Factor analysis (FA) is used to identify the most probable sources of the elements. Four dominant factors are identified, i.e. natural contamination; dust emission from local mining operations; atmospheric transport of contaminants from local and long distance sources; and contributions from air borne marine salts. Mineral particle dust from local emission sources is classified as the most important factor affecting the atmospheric deposition of elements accumulated in the current moss samples. The open slag dumps of mining operation in Albania is probably the main factor contributing to high contents of Cr, Ni, Fe, Ti and Al in the moss. Enrichment factors (EF) were calculated to clarify whether the elements in the present moss samples mainly originate from atmospheric deposition and/or local substrate materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overview of the LADEE Ultraviolet-visible Spectrometer: Design, Performance and Planned Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colaprete, A.; Elphic, R. C.; Landis, D.; Karcz, J.; Osetinsky, L.; Shirley, M.; Vargo, K.; Wooden, D.

2013-01-01

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is an orbital lunar science mission currently under development to address the goals of the 2003 National Research Council decadal survey, the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Roadmap, and the "Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon" (SCEM) report, and has been recommended for execution by the 2011 Planetary Missions Decadal Survey. The mission s focus is to study the pristine state of the lunar atmosphere and dust environment prior to possible lunar exploration activities by countries, including the United States, China, India, and Japan, among others. Activity on the lunar surface has the potential of altering the tenuous lunar atmosphere, but changing the type and concentration of gases in the atmosphere. Before these activities occur it is important to make measurements of the current lunar atmosphere in its unmodified state. LADEE will determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere and investigate the processes that control its distribution and variability, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions. It will monitor variations in known gases, such as sodium, potassium, argon and helium, and will search for other, as-yet-undetected gases of both lunar and extra-lunar origin. LADEE will also determine whether dust is present in the lunar exosphere, and reveal the processes that contribute to its sources and variability. Launch is planned for August, 2013.

Industrial contributions of arsenic to the environment.

PubMed Central

Nelson, K W

1977-01-01

Arsenic is present in all copper, lead, and zinc sulfide ores and is carried along with those metals in the mining, milling and concentrating process. Separation, final concentration and refining of by-product arsenic as the trioxide is achieved at smelters. Arsenic is the essential consistent element of many compounds important and widely used in agriculture and wood preservation. Lesser amounts are used in metal alloys, glass-making, and feed additives. There is no significant recycling. Current levels of arsenic emissions to the atmosphere from smelters and power plants and ambient air concentrations are given as data of greatest environmental interest. PMID:908308

Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions.

PubMed

Solomon, Susan; Plattner, Gian-Kasper; Knutti, Reto; Friedlingstein, Pierre

2009-02-10

The severity of damaging human-induced climate change depends not only on the magnitude of the change but also on the potential for irreversibility. This paper shows that the climate change that takes place due to increases in carbon dioxide concentration is largely irreversible for 1,000 years after emissions stop. Following cessation of emissions, removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide decreases radiative forcing, but is largely compensated by slower loss of heat to the ocean, so that atmospheric temperatures do not drop significantly for at least 1,000 years. Among illustrative irreversible impacts that should be expected if atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increase from current levels near 385 parts per million by volume (ppmv) to a peak of 450-600 ppmv over the coming century are irreversible dry-season rainfall reductions in several regions comparable to those of the "dust bowl" era and inexorable sea level rise. Thermal expansion of the warming ocean provides a conservative lower limit to irreversible global average sea level rise of at least 0.4-1.0 m if 21st century CO(2) concentrations exceed 600 ppmv and 0.6-1.9 m for peak CO(2) concentrations exceeding approximately 1,000 ppmv. Additional contributions from glaciers and ice sheet contributions to future sea level rise are uncertain but may equal or exceed several meters over the next millennium or longer.

Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions

PubMed Central

Solomon, Susan; Plattner, Gian-Kasper; Knutti, Reto; Friedlingstein, Pierre

2009-01-01

The severity of damaging human-induced climate change depends not only on the magnitude of the change but also on the potential for irreversibility. This paper shows that the climate change that takes place due to increases in carbon dioxide concentration is largely irreversible for 1,000 years after emissions stop. Following cessation of emissions, removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide decreases radiative forcing, but is largely compensated by slower loss of heat to the ocean, so that atmospheric temperatures do not drop significantly for at least 1,000 years. Among illustrative irreversible impacts that should be expected if atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increase from current levels near 385 parts per million by volume (ppmv) to a peak of 450–600 ppmv over the coming century are irreversible dry-season rainfall reductions in several regions comparable to those of the “dust bowl” era and inexorable sea level rise. Thermal expansion of the warming ocean provides a conservative lower limit to irreversible global average sea level rise of at least 0.4–1.0 m if 21st century CO2 concentrations exceed 600 ppmv and 0.6–1.9 m for peak CO2 concentrations exceeding ≈1,000 ppmv. Additional contributions from glaciers and ice sheet contributions to future sea level rise are uncertain but may equal or exceed several meters over the next millennium or longer. PMID:19179281

Analysis of possible future atmospheric retention of fossil fuel CO/sub 2/

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edmonds, J.A.; Reilly, J.; Trabalka, J.R.

1984-09-01

This report investigates the likely rates and the potential range of future CO/sub 2/ emissions, combined with knowledge of the global cycle of carbon, to estimate a possible range of future atmospheric CO/sub 2/ concentrations through the year 2075. Historic fossil fuel usage to the present, growing at a rate of 4.5% per year until 1973 and at a slower rate of 1.9% after 1973, was combined with three scenarios of projected emissions growth ranging from approximately 0.2 to 2.8% per year to provide annual CO/sub 2/ emissions data for two different carbon cycle models. The emissions scenarios were constructedmore » using an energy-economic model and by varying key parameters within the bounds of currently expected future values. The extreme values for CO/sub 2/ emissions in the year 2075 are 6.8 x 10/sup 15/ and 91 x 10/sup 15/ g C year/sup -1/. Carbon cycle model simulations used a range of year - 1800 preindustrial atmospheric concentrations of 245 to 292 ppM CO/sub 2/ and three scenarios of bioshere conversion as additional atmospheric CO/sub 2/ source terms. These simulations yield a range of possible atmospheric CO/sub 2/ concentrations in year 2075 of approximately 500 to 1500 ppM, with a median of about 700 ppM. The time at which atmospheric CO/sub 2/ would potentially double from the preindustrial level ranges from year 2025 to >2075. The practical, programmatic value of this forecast exercise is that it forces quantitative definition of the assumptions, and the uncertainties therein, which form the basis of our understanding of the natural biogeochemical cycle of carbon and both historic and future human influences on the dynamics of the global cycle. Assumptions about the possible range of future atmospheric CO/sub 2/ levels provide a basis on which to evaluate the implications of these changes on climate and the biosphere. 44 references, 17 figures, 21 tables.« less

Removal of Atmospheric Ethanol by Wet Deposition: A Global Flux Estimate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felix, J. D. D.; Willey, J. D.; Avery, B.; Thomas, R.; Mullaugh, K.; Kieber, R. J.; Mead, R. N.; Helms, J. R.; Campos, L.; Shimizu, M. S.; Guibbina, F.

2017-12-01

Global ethanol fuel consumption has increased exponentially over the last two decades and the US plans to double annual renewable fuel production in the next five years as required by the renewable fuel standard. Regardless of the technology or feedstock used to produce the renewable fuel, the primary end product will be ethanol. Increasing ethanol fuel consumption will have an impact on the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere and increase atmospheric concentrations of the secondary pollutant peroxyacetyl nitrate as well a variety of VOCs with relatively high ozone reactivities (e.g. ethanol, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde). Despite these documented effects of ethanol emissions on atmospheric chemistry, current global atmospheric ethanol budget models have large uncertainties in the magnitude of ethanol sources and sinks. The presented work investigates the global wet deposition sink by providing the first estimate of the global wet deposition flux of ethanol (2.4 ± 1.6 Tg/yr) based on empirical wet deposition data (219 samples collected at 12 locations). This suggests the wet deposition sink removes between 6 and 17% of atmospheric ethanol annually. Concentrations of ethanol in marine wet deposition (25 ± 6 nM) were an order of magnitude less than in the majority of terrestrial deposition (345 ± 280 nM). Terrestrial deposition collected in locations impacted by high local sources of biofuel usage and locations downwind from ethanol distilleries were an order of magnitude higher in ethanol concentration (3090 ± 448 nM) compared to deposition collected in terrestrial locations not impacted by these sources. These results indicate that wet deposition of ethanol is heavily influenced by local sources and ethanol emission impacts on air quality may be more significant in highly populated areas. As established and developing countries continue to rapidly increase ethanol fuel consumption and subsequent emissions, understanding the magnitude of all ethanol sources and sinks and impacts on the atmosphere is essential.

Model of the dust-loaded ionospheres of Mars and Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witasse, Olivier; Cardnell, Sandy; Molina-Cuberos, Gregorio; Michael, Mary; Tripathi, Sachi; Deprez, Gregoire; Montmessin, Franck; O'Brien, Keran

2016-10-01

The ionization of lower atmospheres of celestial bodies and the presence of charged species are fundamental in the understanding of atmospheric electricity phenomena, such as electric discharges, large scale electric currents and Schumann resonances. On January 14, 2005, the Huygens Probe measured the electric conductivity of Titan's atmosphere from 140 km down to the surface. Micro-ARES, the electric field and conductivity sensor on board the ExoMars 2016 Schiaparelli lander, will conduct the very first measurement and characterization of Martian atmospheric electricity. The landing is scheduled for October 19, 2016 and the measurements will be performed over 2-4 sols.The present photochemical model is developed to compute the concentration of the most abundant charged species (cluster-ions, electrons and charged aerosols) and electric conductivity in the lower atmospheres of Mars (0-70 km) and Titan (0-145 km). For both cases, the main source of ionization is galactic cosmic rays. In addition, during daytime, photoionization of aerosols due to solar UV radiation is important at Mars. Ion and electron attachment to aerosols is another major source of aerosol charging, which can vary between -50 and +200 elementary charges for Mars and -55 and -25 for Titan. The steady state concentration of charged species is computed by solving the respective balance equations, which include the source and sink terms of the photochemical reactions. Since the amount of suspended dust in the Martian atmosphere can vary considerably and it has an important effect on the atmospheric properties, several dust scenarios, in addition to the day-night variations, are considered to characterize the variability of the concentration of charged species.The agreement between with the results of the model for Titan and the Huygens data suggests an improvement with respect to previous models. This gives confidence in the results of the model for Mars, which characterize the predicted electric environment in which Micro-ARES will operate, being essential to its data analysis and interpretation.

Deposition and accumulation of airborne organic contaminants in Yosemite National Park, Calfornia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mast, Alisa M.; Alvarez, David A.; Zaugg, Steven D.

2012-01-01

Deposition and accumulation of airborne organic contaminants in Yosemite National Park were examined by sampling atmospheric deposition, lichen, zooplankton, and lake sediment at different elevations. Passive samplers were deployed in high-elevation lakes to estimate surface-water concentrations. Detected compounds included current-use pesticides chlorpyrifos, dacthal, and endosulfans and legacy compounds chlordane, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-related compounds, dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Concentrations in snow were similar among sites and showed little variation with elevation. Endosulfan concentrations in summer rain appeared to coincide with application rates in the San Joaquin Valley. More than 70% of annual pesticide inputs from atmospheric deposition occurred during the winter, largely because most precipitation falls as snow. Endosulfan and chlordane concentrations in lichen increased with elevation, indicating that mountain cold-trapping might be an important control on accumulation of these compounds. By contrast, chlorpyrifos concentrations were inversely correlated with elevation, indicating that distance from source areas was the dominant control. Sediment concentrations were inversely correlated with elevation, possibly because of the organic carbon content of sediments but also perhaps the greater mobility of organic contaminants at lower elevations. Surface-water concentrations inferred from passive samplers were at sub-parts-per-trillion concentrations, indicating minimal exposure to aquatic organisms from the water column. Concentrations in sediment generally were low, except for dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane in Tenaya Lake, which exceeded sediment guidelines for protection of benthic organisms.

Estimating gas exchange of CO2 and CH4 between headwater systems and the atmosphere in Southwest Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somlai, Celia; Natchimuthu, Sivakiruthika; Bastviken, David; Lorke, Andreas

2015-04-01

Quantifying the role of inland water systems in terms of carbon sinks and sources and their connection to the terrestrial ecosystems and landscapes is fundamental for improving the balance approach of regional and global carbon budgets. Recent research showed that freshwater bodies emit significant amounts of CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere. The extent of the emissions from small streams and headwaters, however, remains uncertain due to a limited availability of data. Studies have shown that headwater systems receive most of the terrestrial organic carbon, have the highest dissolved CO2 concentration and the highest gas exchange velocities and cover the largest fractional surface area within fluvial networks. The gas exchange between inland waters and the atmosphere is controlled by two factors: the difference between the dissolved gas concentration and its atmospheric equilibrium concentration, and the gas exchange velocity. The direct measurement of the dissolved gas concentration of greenhouse gases can be measured straightforwardly, for example, by gas chromatography from headspace extraction of water sample. In contrast, direct measurement of gas exchange velocity is more complex and time consuming, as simultaneous measurements with a volatile and nonvolatile inert tracer gas are needed. Here we analyze measurements of gas exchange velocities, concentrations and fluxes of dissolved CO2 and CH4, as well as loads of total organic and inorganic carbon in 10 reaches in headwater streams in Southwest Sweden. We compare the gas exchange velocities measured directly through tracer injections with those estimated through various empirical approaches, which are based on modelled and measured current velocity, stream depth and slope. Furthermore, we estimate the resulting uncertainties of the flux estimates. We also present different time series of dissolved CO2, CH4 and O2 concentration, water temperature, barometric pressure, electro conductivity, and pH values measured during the period of tracer injection.

Impacts of artificial ocean alkalinization on the carbon cycle and climate in Earth system simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Miriam Ferrer; Ilyina, Tatiana

2016-06-01

Using the state-of-the-art emissions-driven Max Planck Institute Earth system model, we explore the impacts of artificial ocean alkalinization (AOA) with a scenario based on the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) framework. Addition of 114 Pmol of alkalinity to the surface ocean stabilizes atmospheric CO2 concentration to RCP4.5 levels under RCP8.5 emissions. This scenario removes 940 GtC from the atmosphere and mitigates 1.5 K of global warming within this century. The climate adjusts to the lower CO2 concentration preventing the loss of sea ice and high sea level rise. Seawater pH and the carbonate saturation state (Ω) rise substantially above levels of the current decade. Pronounced differences in regional sensitivities to AOA are projected, with the Arctic Ocean and tropical oceans emerging as hot spots for biogeochemical changes induced by AOA. Thus, the CO2 mitigation potential of AOA comes at a price of an unprecedented ocean biogeochemistry perturbation with unknown ecological consequences.

Atmospheric 7Be Concentration Changes as a Possible New Indicator for Early Warning on Indian Monsoon Onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terzi, L.; Kalinowski, M.; Schoeppner, M.; kusmierczyk-michulec, J.

2017-12-01

With 80 radionuclide detector systems worldwide, the International Monitoring System (IMS) offers an unprecedented opportunity to use 7Be as an aerosol tracer for global atmospheric cell dynamics. Meteorological processes such as ENSO onset, ITCZ shift, location and progression of Hadley-Ferrel cell convergence zone (HFCZ) have been reconstructed using long term timeseries of ground based 7Be observations. Cross correlation of 7Be activity concentrations also demonstrated to serve as an early warning indicator for Indian monsoons showing a possible 30-day warning prior to monsoon onset (Terzi and Kalinowski, 2017). Here we present what role phenomena that we can observe with 7Be, namely ITCZ and HFCZ, play in monsoon formation and how the prediction of monsoon onset relates to ENSO prediction. Performance, lead time and reliability of 7Be as monsoon onset indicator are then compared to current meteorological indicators. Near surface 7Be activity concentrations may help address outstanding challenges in monsoon research by integrating a new perspective across disciplines.

A 10-year climatology of pollen aerosol for the continental United States: implications for aerosol-climate interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wozniak, M. C.

2016-12-01

Our current understanding of biological particles and their role in the climate system is uncertain. Pollen, a primary biological aerosol particle, has been understudied in the context of climate and atmospheric science because of its coarse size (10-100 µm). Local coarse grain pollen concentrations can reach up to 10,000 grains m-3, and when ruptured by wet or turbulent atmospheric conditions, can produce fine particles (sub-pollen particles, 10-1000 nm) that may increase pollen's lifetime in the atmosphere. Therefore, pollen contributes to both coarse and fine particle loads in the atmosphere that may have climatic impacts. During peak pollen emissions season, what impacts does pollen have on aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere and their indirect forcing? Here we use a model of accurately timed and scaled pollen and sub-pollen particle emissions with climate-dependent phenological dates for four plant functional types (deciduous broadleaf, evergreen needleleaf, grass and ragweed) that dominate emissions across the continental United States. Terrestrial pollen emissions are coupled with the land component of a regional climate model (RegCM4-CLM), and are transported as atmospheric tracers that are allowed interact with radiation and clouds, accounting for the direct and indirect effects of pollen. A ten-year climatology of pollen emissions and climate interactions is calculated for both pollen grains and sub-pollen particles. Its implications for the local and overall radiation budget, aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions and regional climate are discussed.

Atmospheric methane isotopic record favors fossil sources flat in 1980s and 1990s with recent increase.

PubMed

Rice, Andrew L; Butenhoff, Christopher L; Teama, Doaa G; Röger, Florian H; Khalil, M Aslam K; Rasmussen, Reinhold A

2016-09-27

Observations of atmospheric methane (CH4) since the late 1970s and measurements of CH4 trapped in ice and snow reveal a meteoric rise in concentration during much of the twentieth century. Since 1750, levels of atmospheric CH4 have more than doubled to current globally averaged concentration near 1,800 ppb. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the CH4 growth rate slowed substantially and was near or at zero between 1999 and 2006. There is no scientific consensus on the drivers of this slowdown. Here, we report measurements of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CH4 ((13)C/(12)C and D/H) from a rare air archive dating from 1977 to 1998. Together with more modern records of isotopic atmospheric CH4, we performed a time-dependent retrieval of methane fluxes spanning 25 y (1984-2009) using a 3D chemical transport model. This inversion results in a 24 [18, 27] Tg y(-1) CH4 increase in fugitive fossil fuel emissions since 1984 with most of this growth occurring after year 2000. This result is consistent with some bottom-up emissions inventories but not with recent estimates based on atmospheric ethane. In fact, when forced with decreasing emissions from fossil fuel sources our inversion estimates unreasonably high emissions in other sources. Further, the inversion estimates a decrease in biomass-burning emissions that could explain falling ethane abundance. A range of sensitivity tests suggests that these results are robust.

Atmospheric methane isotopic record favors fossil sources flat in 1980s and 1990s with recent increase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Andrew L.; Butenhoff, Christopher L.; Teama, Doaa G.; Röger, Florian H.; Khalil, M. Aslam K.; Rasmussen, Reinhold A.

2016-09-01

Observations of atmospheric methane (CH4) since the late 1970s and measurements of CH4 trapped in ice and snow reveal a meteoric rise in concentration during much of the twentieth century. Since 1750, levels of atmospheric CH4 have more than doubled to current globally averaged concentration near 1,800 ppb. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the CH4 growth rate slowed substantially and was near or at zero between 1999 and 2006. There is no scientific consensus on the drivers of this slowdown. Here, we report measurements of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CH4 (13C/12C and D/H) from a rare air archive dating from 1977 to 1998. Together with more modern records of isotopic atmospheric CH4, we performed a time-dependent retrieval of methane fluxes spanning 25 y (1984-2009) using a 3D chemical transport model. This inversion results in a 24 [18, 27] Tg y-1 CH4 increase in fugitive fossil fuel emissions since 1984 with most of this growth occurring after year 2000. This result is consistent with some bottom-up emissions inventories but not with recent estimates based on atmospheric ethane. In fact, when forced with decreasing emissions from fossil fuel sources our inversion estimates unreasonably high emissions in other sources. Further, the inversion estimates a decrease in biomass-burning emissions that could explain falling ethane abundance. A range of sensitivity tests suggests that these results are robust.

Present state of knowledge of the upper atmosphere1993: An assessment report, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurylo, Michael J.; Kaye, Jack A.; Hampson, Robert F.; Schmoltner, Anne-Marie

1994-01-01

This document is issued in response to the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, Public Law 101-549, which mandates that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other key agencies submit triennial reports to Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency. NASA is charged with the responsibility to report on the state of our knowledge of the earth's upper atmosphere, particularly the stratosphere. Part 2 (this document) presents summaries of several scientific assessments of our current understanding of the chemical composition and physical structure of the stratosphere, in particular how the abundance and distribution of ozone is predicted to change in the future. These reviews include: (Section B) 'Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 1991'; (Section C) 'Methyl bromide and the Ozone Layer: A Summary of Current Understanding', published in 1992; (Section D) 'Concentrations, Lifetimes, and Trends of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), Halons, and Related Molecules in the Atmosphere'; (Section E) 'The Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft: Interim Assessment Report of the NASA High-Speed Research Program'; (Section F) 'Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Stratospheric Modeling'; and (Section G) a list of the contributors to this report.

Atmospheric pressure cold plasma as an antifungal therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun Peng; Wu Haiyan; Sun Yi

2011-01-10

A microhollow cathode based, direct-current, atmospheric pressure, He/O{sub 2} (2%) cold plasma microjet was used to inactive antifungal resistants Candida albicans, Candida krusei, and Candida glabrata in air and in water. Effective inactivation (>90%) was achieved in 10 min in air and 1 min in water. Antifungal susceptibility tests showed drastic reduction of the minimum inhibitory concentration after plasma treatment. The inactivation was attributed to the reactive oxygen species generated in plasma or in water. Hydroxyl and singlet molecular oxygen radicals were detected in plasma-water system by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. This approach proposed a promising clinical dermatology therapy.

Tracing changes in atmospheric sources of lead contamination using lead isotopic compositions in Australian red wine.

PubMed

Kristensen, Louise Jane; Taylor, Mark Patrick; Evans, Andrew James

2016-07-01

Air quality data detailing changes to atmospheric composition from Australia's leaded petrol consumption is spatially and temporally limited. In order to address this data gap, wine was investigated as a potential proxy for atmospheric lead conditions. Wine spanning sixty years was collected from two wine regions proximal to the South Australian capital city, Adelaide, and analysed for lead concentration and lead and strontium isotopic composition for source apportionment. Maximum wine lead concentrations (328 μg/L) occur prior to the lead-in-air monitoring in South Australia in the later 1970s. Wine lead concentrations mirror available lead-in-air measurements and show a declining trend reflecting parallel reductions in leaded petrol emissions. Lead from petrol dominated the lead in wine ((206)Pb/(207)Pb: 1.086; (208)Pb/(207)Pb: 2.360) until the introduction of unleaded petrol, which resulted in a shift in the wine lead isotopic composition closer to vineyard soil ((206)Pb/(207)Pb: 1.137; (208)Pb/(207)Pb: 2.421). Current mining activities or vinification processes appear to have no impact with recent wine samples containing less than 4 μg/L of lead. This study demonstrates wine can be used to chronicle changes in environmental lead emissions and is an effective proxy for atmospherically sourced depositions of lead in the absence of air quality data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solar UV Radiation and the Origin of Life on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sara R.; Hubeny, Ivan; Lanz, Thierry; Gaidos, Eric; Kasting, James; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We have started a comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of the influence of solar ultraviolet radiation on the atmosphere of of the early Earth. We plan to model the chemistry of the Earth atmosphere during its evolution, using observed UV flux distributions of early solar analogs as boundary conditions in photochemical models of the Earth's atmosphere. The study has four distinct but interlinked parts: (1) Establishing the radiation of the early Sun; (2) Determining the photochemistry of the early Earth's atmosphere; (3) Estimating the rates of H2 loss from the atmosphere; and (4) Ascertaining how sensitive is the photochemistry to the metallicity of the Sun. We are currently using STIS and EUVE to obtain high-quality far-UV and extreme-UV observations of three early-solar analogs. We will perform a detailed non-LTE study of each stars, and construct theoretical model photosphere, and an empirical model chromospheres, which can be used to extrapolate the continuum to the Lyman continuum region. Given a realistic flux distribution of the early Sun, we will perform photochemical modeling of weakly reducing primitive atmospheres to determine the lifetime and photochemistry of CH4. In particular, we will make estimates of the amount of CH4 present in the prebiotic atmosphere, and estimate the atmospheric CH4 concentration during the Late Archean (2.5-3.0 b.y. ago) and determine whether it would have been sufficiently abundant to help offset reduced solar luminosity at that time. Having obtained a photochemical model, we will solve for the concentrations of greenhouse gasses and important pre-biotic molecules, and perform a detailed radiative transfer calculations to compute the UV flux reaching the surface.

Simultaneous measurements of ozone outside and inside cabins of two B-747 airliners and a Gates Learjet business jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, P. J.; Briel, D.

1978-01-01

The average amount of ozone measured in the cabins of two B-747 airliners varied from 40 percent to 80 percent of the atmospheric concentrations without special ozone destruction systems. A charcoal filter in the cabin air inlet system of one B-747 reduced the ozone to about 5 percent of the atmospheric concentration. A Learjet 23 was also instrumented with monitors to measure simultaneously the atmospheric and ozone concentrations. Results indicate that a significant portion of the atmospheric ozone is not destroyed in the pressurization system and remains in the aircraft cabin of the Learjet. For the two cabin configurations tested, the ozone retentions were 63 and 41 percent of the atmospheric ozone concentrations. Ozone concentrations measured in the cabin near the conditioned-air outlets were reduced only slightly from atmospheric ozone concentrations. It is concluded that a constant difference between ozone concentrations inside and outside the cabin does not exist.

Competing Atmospheric and Surface-Driven Impacts of Absorbing Aerosols on the East Asian Summer Monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persad, G.; Paynter, D.; Ming, Y.; Ramaswamy, V.

2015-12-01

Absorbing aerosols, by attenuating shortwave radiation within the atmosphere and reemitting it as longwave radiation, redistribute energy both vertically within the surface-atmosphere column and horizontally between polluted and unpolluted regions. East Asia has the largest concentrations of anthropogenic absorbing aerosols globally, and these, along with the region's scattering aerosols, have both reduced the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface regionally ("solar dimming") and increased shortwave absorption within the atmosphere, particularly during the peak months of the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM). We here analyze how atmospheric absorption and surface solar dimming compete in driving the response of EASM circulation to anthropogenic absorbing aerosols, which dominates, and why—issues of particular importance for predicting how the EASM will respond to projected changes in absorbing and scattering aerosol emissions in the future. We probe these questions in a state-of-the-art general circulation model (GCM) using a combination of realistic and idealized aerosol perturbations that allow us to analyze the relative influence of absorbing aerosols' atmospheric and surface-driven impacts on EASM circulation. In combination, our results make clear that, although absorption-driven dimming has a less detrimental effect on EASM circulation than purely scattering-driven dimming, aerosol absorption is still a net impairment to EASM strength when both its atmospheric and surface effects are considered. Because atmospheric heating is not efficiently conveyed to the surface, the surface dimming and associated cooling from even a pure absorber is sufficient to counteract its atmospheric heating, resulting in a net reduction in EASM strength. These findings elevate the current understanding of the impacts of aerosol absorption on the EASM, improving our ability to diagnose EASM responses to current and future regional changes in aerosol emissions.

Variations of radon concentration in the atmosphere. Gamma dose rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tchorz-Trzeciakiewicz, D. E.; Solecki, A. T.

2018-02-01

The purposes of research were following: observation and interpretation of variations of radon concentration in the atmosphere - vertical, seasonal, spatial and analysis of relation between average annual radon concentration and ground natural radiation and gamma dose rate. Moreover we wanted to check the occurrence of radon density currents and the possibility of radon accumulation at the foot of the spoil tip. The surveys were carried out in Okrzeszyn (SW Poland) in the area of the spoil tip formed during uranium mining that took place in 60's of 20th century. The measurements were carried out in 20 measurements points at three heights: 0.2 m, 1 m and 2 m a.g.l. using SSNTD LR-115. The survey lasted one year and detectors were exchanged at the beginning of every season. Uranium eU (ppm), thorium eTh (ppm) and potassium K (%) contents were measured using gamma ray spectrometer Exploranium RS-230, ambient gamma dose rate using radiometer RK-100. The average radon concentration on this area was 52.8 Bq m-3. The highest radon concentrations were noted during autumn and the lowest during winter. We observed vertical variations of radon concentration. Radon concentrations decreased with increase of height above ground level. The decrease of radon with increase of height a.g.l. had logarithmic character. Spatial variations of radon concentrations did not indicate the occurrence of radon density currents and accumulation of radon at the foot of the spoil tip. The analysis of relation between average radon concentrations and ground natural radiation (uranium and thorium content) or gamma dose rate revealed positive relation between those parameters. On the base of results mentioned above we suggested that gamma spectrometry measurements or even cheaper and simpler ambient gamma dose rate measurements can be a useful tool in determining radon prone areas. This should be confirmed by additional research.

Effects of Atmospheric Water and Surface Wind on Passive Microwave Retrievals of Sea Ice Concentration: a Simulation Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, D.; Chiu, L. S.; Clemente-Colon, P.

2006-05-01

The atmospheric effects on the retrieval of sea ice concentration from passive microwave sensors are examined using simulated data typical for the Arctic summer. The simulation includes atmospheric contributions of cloud liquid water, water vapor and surface wind on the microwave signatures. A plane parallel radiative transfer model is used to compute brightness temperatures at SSM/I frequencies over surfaces that contain open water, first-year (FY) ice and multi-year (MY) ice and their combinations. Synthetic retrievals in this study use the NASA Team (NT) algorithm for the estimation of sea ice concentrations. This study shows that if the satellite sensor's field of view is filled with only FY ice the retrieval is not much affected by the atmospheric conditions due to the high contrast between emission signals from FY ice surface and the signals from the atmosphere. Pure MY ice concentration is generally underestimated due to the low MY ice surface emissivity that results in the enhancement of emission signals from the atmospheric parameters. Simulation results in marginal ice areas also show that the atmospheric effects from cloud liquid water, water vapor and surface wind tend to degrade the accuracy at low sea ice concentration. FY ice concentration is overestimated and MY ice concentration is underestimated in the presence of atmospheric water and surface wind at low ice concentration. This compensating effect reduces the retrieval uncertainties of total (FY and MY) ice concentration. Over marginal ice zones, our results suggest that strong surface wind is more important than atmospheric water in contributing to the retrieval errors of total ice concentrations in the normal ranges of these variables.

Regional modelling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: WRF-Chem-PAH model development and East Asia case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Qing; Lammel, Gerhard; Gencarelli, Christian N.; Hedgecock, Ian M.; Chen, Ying; Přibylová, Petra; Teich, Monique; Zhang, Yuxuan; Zheng, Guangjie; van Pinxteren, Dominik; Zhang, Qiang; Herrmann, Hartmut; Shiraiwa, Manabu; Spichtinger, Peter; Su, Hang; Pöschl, Ulrich; Cheng, Yafang

2017-10-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous pollutants, with increasing emissions in pace with economic development in East Asia, but their distribution and fate in the atmosphere are not yet well understood. We extended the regional atmospheric chemistry model WRF-Chem (Weather Research Forecast model with Chemistry module) to comprehensively study the atmospheric distribution and the fate of low-concentration, slowly degrading semivolatile compounds. The WRF-Chem-PAH model reflects the state-of-the-art understanding of current PAHs studies with several new or updated features. It was applied for PAHs covering a wide range of volatility and hydrophobicity, i.e. phenanthrene, chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene, in East Asia. Temporally highly resolved PAH concentrations and particulate mass fractions were evaluated against observations. The WRF-Chem-PAH model is able to reasonably well simulate the concentration levels and particulate mass fractions of PAHs near the sources and at a remote outflow region of East Asia, in high spatial and temporal resolutions. Sensitivity study shows that the heterogeneous reaction with ozone and the homogeneous reaction with the nitrate radical significantly influence the fate and distributions of PAHs. The methods to implement new species and to correct the transport problems can be applied to other newly implemented species in WRF-Chem.

Arsenic in groundwater of the Paraiba do Sul delta, Brazil: An atmospheric source?

PubMed

Mirlean, N; Baisch, P; Diniz, D

2014-06-01

High concentrations of arsenic (>50μg L(-1)) have been detected for the first time in groundwater of the wave-dominated Paraiba do Sul delta, Brazil. The deltaic shallow groundwater aquifer is enriched in arsenic fixed by authigenic sulfides. A study of palynomorphs confirmed that aquifer sediments were formed in inter-dune lakes/swamps lately covered by eolian sands. The organic sediments of contemporaneous inter-dune lake/swamp contain very high concentration of As: up to 180mg kg(-1) and 163μg L(-1) in dry gyttja material and interstitial water, respectively. The As in recent lake/swamp sediments is retained by iron hydroxides in upper and probably by sulfides in lower layers. In the absence of connection of inter-dune lakes/swamps with fluvial currents, the atmospheric input of As could be considered as the principal source in sediments. The calculation demonstrates the possibility of high concentrations of As accumulation in sediments of inter-dune lakes/swamps from atmospheric precipitations within several centuries before they will be covered by eolian sands and turned into shallow aquifer. Considering the commonalities of wave-dominated delta formations, we can predict more prevalent As accumulation in delta plain groundwater. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from In Situ Measurements at Mt. Cimone (1979-1997)

DOE Data Explorer

Colombo, Tiziano [Italian Meteorological Service, Sestola (MO), Italy; Santaguida, Riccardo

1998-01-01

Continuous atmospheric CO2 measurements have been carried out at Mt. Cimone since 1979. Since December 1988, air samples have also been collected approximately once per week in a pair of 2-L, electropolished, stainless steel cylindrical flasks. From 1979 until December 1988, a Hartmann and Braun URAS-2T NDIR gas analyzer was used for CO2 determinations. Currently, CO2 determinations are made through the use of a Siemens Ultramat-5E NDIR gas analyzer. Water vapor is eliminated by passing the air through a U-tube placed in an alcohol bath at -600°C. Calibration of the Ultramat-5E is accomplished by using two CO2-in-air working standard gases. These working standard gas concentrations are checked 10 days apart against three CO2-in-air mixtures that serve as secondary standards. The secondary standards are checked every 6 months against five other CO2-in-air primary standards. Hourly CO2 values are routinely plotted together with wind data. Anomalous concentrations and those affected by instrument failures or local sources are rejected. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations from Mt. Cimone are reported in the 1993 WMO/Scripps mole fraction scale. For further details on the measurement apparatus and sampling techniques used at Mt. Cimone, see Cundari et al. (1990).

Final Report: Fundamental Research on the Fractionation of Carbon Isotopes during Photosynthesis, New Interpretations of Terrestrial Organic Carbon within Geologic Substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jahren, A. Hope; Schubert, Brian A.

2017-08-02

The goal for the current grant period (2013 – 2016) was to quantify the effect of changing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (pCO2) on published terrestrial carbon isotope excursion events. This work supported four scientists across multiple career stages, and resulted in 5 published papers.

Continuous ozone concentrations during cold storage to control postharvest gray mold in grapes, 2011

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Gray mold, caused by B. cinerea, causes severe losses since it spreads easily among berries during cold storage. Currently, it is controlled by fumigation with SO2 or SO2 emitting sheets within boxes. Alternative methods, such as storage in ozone atmospheres, are needed because SO2 is banned in orga...

Effective pollutant emission heights for atmospheric transport modelling based on real-world information.

PubMed

Pregger, Thomas; Friedrich, Rainer

2009-02-01

Emission data needed as input for the operation of atmospheric models should not only be spatially and temporally resolved. Another important feature is the effective emission height which significantly influences modelled concentration values. Unfortunately this information, which is especially relevant for large point sources, is usually not available and simple assumptions are often used in atmospheric models. As a contribution to improve knowledge on emission heights this paper provides typical default values for the driving parameters stack height and flue gas temperature, velocity and flow rate for different industrial sources. The results were derived from an analysis of the probably most comprehensive database of real-world stack information existing in Europe based on German industrial data. A bottom-up calculation of effective emission heights applying equations used for Gaussian dispersion models shows significant differences depending on source and air pollutant and compared to approaches currently used for atmospheric transport modelling.

Earth history. Low mid-Proterozoic atmospheric oxygen levels and the delayed rise of animals.

PubMed

Planavsky, Noah J; Reinhard, Christopher T; Wang, Xiangli; Thomson, Danielle; McGoldrick, Peter; Rainbird, Robert H; Johnson, Thomas; Fischer, Woodward W; Lyons, Timothy W

2014-10-31

The oxygenation of Earth's surface fundamentally altered global biogeochemical cycles and ultimately paved the way for the rise of metazoans at the end of the Proterozoic. However, current estimates for atmospheric oxygen (O2) levels during the billion years leading up to this time vary widely. On the basis of chromium (Cr) isotope data from a suite of Proterozoic sediments from China, Australia, and North America, interpreted in the context of data from similar depositional environments from Phanerozoic time, we find evidence for inhibited oxidation of Cr at Earth's surface in the mid-Proterozoic (1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago). These data suggest that atmospheric O2 levels were at most 0.1% of present atmospheric levels. Direct evidence for such low O2 concentrations in the Proterozoic helps explain the late emergence and diversification of metazoans. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Atmospheric and oceanographic research review, 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Papers generated by atmospheric, oceanographic, and climatological research performed during 1979 at the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences are presented. The GARP/global weather research is aimed at developing techniques for the utilization and analysis of the FGGE data sets. Observing system studies were aimed at developing a GLAS TIROS N sounding retrieval system and preparing for the joint NOAA/NASA AMTS simulation study. The climate research objective is to support the development and effective utilization of space acquired data systems by developing the GLAS GCM for short range climate predictions, studies of the sensitivity of climate to boundary conditions, and predictability studies. Ocean/air interaction studies concentrated on the development of models for the prediction of upper ocean currents, temperatures, sea state, mixed layer depths, and upwelling zones, and on studies of the interactions of the atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems on time scales of a month or more.

Thoron detection with an active Radon exposure meter—First results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Irlinger, J., E-mail: josef.irlinger@helmholtz-muenchen.de; Wielunski, M.; Rühm, W.

For state-of-the-art discrimination of Radon and Thoron several measurement techniques can be used, such as active sampling, electrostatic collection, delayed coincidence method, and alpha-particle-spectroscopy. However, most of the devices available are bulky and show high power consumption, rendering them unfeasible for personal exposition monitoring. Based on a Radon exposure meter previously realized at the Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU), a new electronic prototype for Radon/Thoron monitoring is currently being developed, which features small size and weight. Operating with pin-diode detectors, the low-power passive-sampling device can be used for continuous concentration measurements, employing alpha-particle-spectroscopy and coincidence event registration to distinguish decays originatingmore » either from Radon or Thoron isotopes and their decay products. In open geometry, preliminary calibration measurements suggest that one count per hour is produced by a 11 Bq m{sup −3} Radon atmosphere or by a 15 Bq m{sup −3} Thoron atmosphere. Future efforts will concentrate on measurements in mixed Radon/Thoron atmospheres.« less

Formation and fate of gaseous and particulate mutagens and carcinogens in real and simulated atmospheres.

PubMed Central

Pitts, J N

1983-01-01

The growing use of coal for heating and electric power generation and diesel engines in light duty motor vehicles will increase not only the existing atmospheric concentrations of criteria pollutants such as NO2, SO2, O3 and fine particulates, but also the concentrations of a number of highly reactive gaseous copollutants such as HONO, HONO2, PAN and the nitrate radical, NO3. These gaseous noncriteria pollutants are of interest not only because of their roles in the chemistry of the "clean" and polluted troposphere, including "acid rain," but also because they may pose health risks disproportionate to their relatively low ambient concentrations, and through complex heterogeneous reactions, they may serve as precursors or catalysts in the formation of "nonclassical" particulate mutagens and carcinogens such as certain nitroarenes associated with combustion generated particulate polycyclic organic matter (POM). Results of research efforts to establish current ambient levels of these noncriteria pollutants and to develop an understanding of their sources, formation and sinks are reported here. First, long pathlength (greater than or equal to 1 km) infrared and UV-visible spectroscopic studies of ambient levels of gaseous HONO, NO3, HONO2, PAN, HCHO and HCOOH in southern California atmospheres are described, and data given on their ambient concentrations. Second, an integrated chemical/microbiological investigation is described. It is directed toward identifying the nature of direct-acting mutagens found in extracts of diesel and ambient POM, as well as those formed upon exposure of environmentally relevant PAH to simulated natural and polluted atmospheres. The identification of certain of these mutagens, including a newly identified class of mutagenic PAH-lactones is discussed, along with the mechanisms of their formation and fate in the natural and polluted troposphere. PMID:6337822

Overview of NASA's Carbon Monitoring System Flux-Pilot Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawson, Steven; Gunson, Michael R.; Jucks, Kenneth

2011-01-01

NASA's space-based observations of physical, chemical and biological parameters in the Earth System along with state-of-the-art modeling capabilities provide unique capabilities for analyses of the carbon cycle. The Carbon Monitoring System is developing an exploratory framework for detecting carbon in the environment and its changes, with a view towards contributing to national and international monitoring activities. The Flux-Pilot Project aims to provide a unified view of land-atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere carbon exchange, using observation-constrained models. Central to the project is the application of NASA's satellite observations (especially MODIS), the ACOS retrievals of the JAXA-GOSAT observations, and the "MERRA" meteorological reanalysis produced with GEOS-S. With a primary objective of estimating uncertainty in computed fluxes, two land- and two ocean-systems are run for 2009-2010 and compared with existing flux estimates. An transport model is used to evaluate simulated CO2 concentrations with in-situ and space-based observations, in order to assess the realism of the fluxes and how uncertainties in fluxes propagate into atmospheric concentrations that can be more readily evaluated. Finally, the atmospheric partial CO2 columns observed from space are inverted to give new estimates of surface fluxes, which are evaluated using the bottom-up estimates and independent datasets. The focus of this presentation will be on the science goals and current achievements of the pilot project, with emphasis on how policy-relevant questions help focus the scientific direction. Examples include the issue of what spatio-temporal resolution of fluxes can be detected from polar-orbiting satellites and whether it is possible to use space-based observations to separate contributions to atmospheric concentrations of (say) fossil-fuel and biological activity

New particle formation in the fresh flue-gas plume from a coal-fired power plant: effect of flue-gas cleaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mylläri, Fanni; Asmi, Eija; Anttila, Tatu; Saukko, Erkka; Vakkari, Ville; Pirjola, Liisa; Hillamo, Risto; Laurila, Tuomas; Häyrinen, Anna; Rautiainen, Jani; Lihavainen, Heikki; O'Connor, Ewan; Niemelä, Ville; Keskinen, Jorma; Dal Maso, Miikka; Rönkkö, Topi

2016-06-01

Atmospheric emissions, including particle number and size distribution, from a 726 MWth coal-fired power plant were studied experimentally from a power plant stack and flue-gas plume dispersing in the atmosphere. Experiments were conducted under two different flue-gas cleaning conditions. The results were utilized in a plume dispersion and dilution model taking into account particle formation precursor (H2SO4 resulted from the oxidation of emitted SO2) and assessment related to nucleation rates. The experiments showed that the primary emissions of particles and SO2 were effectively reduced by flue-gas desulfurization and fabric filters, especially the emissions of particles smaller than 200 nm in diameter. Primary pollutant concentrations reached background levels in 200-300 s. However, the atmospheric measurements indicated that new particles larger than 2.5 nm are formed in the flue-gas plume, even in the very early phases of atmospheric ageing. The effective number emission of nucleated particles were several orders of magnitude higher than the primary particle emission. Modelling studies indicate that regardless of continuing dilution of the flue gas, nucleation precursor (H2SO4 from SO2 oxidation) concentrations remain relatively constant. In addition, results indicate that flue-gas nucleation is more efficient than predicted by atmospheric aerosol modelling. In particular, the observation of the new particle formation with rather low flue-gas SO2 concentrations changes the current understanding of the air quality effects of coal combustion. The results can be used to evaluate optimal ways to achieve better air quality, particularly in polluted areas like India and China.

A European-wide 222radon and 222radon progeny comparison study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmithüsen, Dominik; Chambers, Scott; Fischer, Bernd; Gilge, Stefan; Hatakka, Juha; Kazan, Victor; Neubert, Rolf; Paatero, Jussi; Ramonet, Michel; Schlosser, Clemens; Schmid, Sabine; Vermeulen, Alex; Levin, Ingeborg

2017-04-01

Although atmospheric 222radon (222Rn) activity concentration measurements are currently performed worldwide, they are being made by many different laboratories and with fundamentally different measurement principles, so compatibility issues can limit their utility for regional-to-global applications. Consequently, we conducted a European-wide 222Rn / 222Rn progeny comparison study in order to evaluate the different measurement systems in use, determine potential systematic biases between them, and estimate correction factors that could be applied to harmonize data for their use as a tracer in atmospheric applications. Two compact portable Heidelberg radon monitors (HRM) were moved around to run for at least 1 month at each of the nine European measurement stations included in this comparison. Linear regressions between parallel data sets were calculated, yielding correction factors relative to the HRM ranging from 0.68 to 1.45. A calibration bias between ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) two-filter radon monitors and the HRM of ANSTO / HRM = 1.11 ± 0.05 was found. Moreover, for the continental stations using one-filter systems that derive atmospheric 222Rn activity concentrations from measured atmospheric progeny activity concentrations, preliminary 214Po / 222Rn disequilibrium values were also estimated. Mean station-specific disequilibrium values between 0.8 at mountain sites (e.g. Schauinsland) and 0.9 at non-mountain sites for sampling heights around 20 to 30 m above ground level were determined. The respective corrections for calibration biases and disequilibrium derived in this study need to be applied to obtain a compatible European atmospheric 222Rn data set for use in quantitative applications, such as regional model intercomparison and validation or trace gas flux estimates with the radon tracer method.

Mapping Critical Loads of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in the Rocky Mountains, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanus, L.; Clow, D. W.; Stephens, V. C.; Saros, J. E.

2010-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can adversely affect sensitive aquatic ecosystems at high-elevations in the western United States. Critical loads are the amount of deposition of a given pollutant that an ecosystem can receive below which ecological effects are thought not to occur. GIS-based landscape models were used to create maps for high-elevation areas across the Rocky Mountain region showing current atmospheric deposition rates of nitrogen (N), critical loads of N, and exceedances of critical loads of N. Atmospheric N deposition maps for the region were developed at 400 meter resolution using gridded precipitation data and spatially interpolated chemical concentrations in rain and snow. Critical loads maps were developed based on chemical thresholds corresponding to observed ecological effects, and estimated ecosystem sensitivities calculated from basin characteristics. Diatom species assemblages were used as an indicator of ecosystem health to establish critical loads of N. Chemical thresholds (concentrations) were identified for surface waters by using a combination of in-situ growth experiments and observed spatial patterns in surface-water chemistry and diatom species assemblages across an N deposition gradient. Ecosystem sensitivity was estimated using a multiple-linear regression approach in which observed surface water nitrate concentrations at 530 sites were regressed against estimates of inorganic N deposition and basin characteristics (topography, soil type and amount, bedrock geology, vegetation type) to develop predictive models of surface water chemistry. Modeling results indicated that the significant explanatory variables included percent slope, soil permeability, and vegetation type (including barren land, shrub, and grassland) and were used to predict high-elevation surface water nitrate concentrations across the Rocky Mountains. Chemical threshold concentrations were substituted into an inverted form of the model equations and applied to estimate critical loads for each stream reach within a basin, from which critical loads maps were created. Atmospheric N deposition maps were overlaid on the critical loads maps to identify areas in the Rocky Mountain region where critical loads are being exceeded, or where they may do so in the future. This approach may be transferable to other high-elevation areas of the United States and the world.

Atmospheric chemistry of ethane and ethylene

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aikin, A. C.; Herman, J. R.; Maier, E. J.; Mcquillan, C. J.

1982-01-01

It is shown by a study of ethane and ethylene photochemistry that the loss of ethane is controlled by OH in the troposphere and Cl in the stratosphere. Ethane observations indicating free Cl concentrations below 30 km that are only 10% of the value predicted by the present model calculations cannot be explained by heterogeneous aerosol concentration processes, and contradict current stratospheric photochemistry. The chemical destruction of ethane and ethylene leads to the generation of such compounds as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, and it is found that the tropospheric concentrations of the latter are enhanced by nearly a factor of three for an ethylene mixing ratio of 2 ppb.

Status of Middle Atmosphere-Climate Models: Results SPARC-GRIPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawson, Steven; Kodera, Kunihiko

2003-01-01

The middle atmosphere is an important component of the climate system, primarily because of the radiative forcing of ozone. Middle atmospheric ozone can change, over long times, because of changes in the abundance of anthropogenic pollutants which catalytically destroy it, and because of the temperature sensitivity of kinetic reaction rates. There is thus a complex interaction between ozone, involving chemical and climatic mechanisms. One question of interest is how ozone will change over the next decades , as the "greenhouse-gas cooling" of the middle atmosphere increases but the concentrations of chlorine species decreases (because of policy changes). concerns the climate biases in current middle atmosphere-climate models, especially their ability to simulate the correct seasonal cycle at high latitudes, and the existence of temperature biases in the global mean. A major obstacle when addressing this question This paper will present a summary of recent results from the "GCM-Reality Intercomparison Project for SPARC" (GRIPS) initiative. A set of middle atmosphere-climate models has been compared, identifying common biases. Mechanisms for these biases are being studied in some detail, including off-line assessments of the radiation transfer codes and coordinated studies of the impacts of gravity wave drag due to sub-grid-scale processes. ensemble of models will be presented, along with numerical experiments undertaken with one or more models, designed to investigate the mechanisms at work in the atmosphere. The discussion will focus on dynamical and radiative mechanisms in the current climate, but implications for coupled ozone chemistry and the future climate will be assessed.

Comment on "Carbon farming in hot, dry coastal areas: an option for climate change mitigation" by Becker et al. (2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heimann, M.

2014-01-01

Becker et al. (2013) argue that an afforestation of 0.73 × 109 ha with Jatropha curcas plants would generate an additional terrestrial carbon sink of 4.3 PgC yr-1, enough to stabilise the atmospheric mixing ratio of carbon dioxide (CO2) at current levels. However, this is not consistent with the dynamics of the global carbon cycle. Using a well-established global carbon cycle model, the effect of adding such a hypothetical sink leads to a reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels in the year 2030 by 25 ppm compared to a reference scenario. However, the stabilisation of the atmospheric CO2 concentration requires a much larger additional sink or corresponding reduction of anthropogenic emissions.

Comment on "Carbon farming in hot, dry coastal areas: an option for climate change mitigation" by Becker et al. (2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heimann, M.

2013-08-01

Becker et al. (2013) argue that an afforestation of 0.73 109 ha with Jatropha curcas plants would generate an additional terrestrial carbon sink of 4.3 PgC yr-1, enough to stabilise the atmospheric mixing ratio of carbon dioxide (CO2) at current levels. However, this is not consistent with the dynamics of the global carbon cycle. Using a well established global carbon cycle model, the effect of adding such a hypothetical sink leads to a reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels in the year 2030 by 25 ppm compared to a reference scenario. However, the stabilisation of the atmospheric CO2 concentration requires a much larger additional sink or corresponding reduction of anthropogenic emissions.

Soil-plant-atmosphere ammonia exchange associated with calluna vulgaris and deschampsia flexuosa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schjoerring, Jan K.; Husted, Søren; Poulsen, Mette M.

Ammonia fluxes and compensation points at atmospheric NH 3 concentrations corresponding to those occurring under natural growth conditions (0-26 nmol NH 3 mol air -1) were measured for canopies of two species native to heathland in N.W. Europe, viz. Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull and Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin. The NH 3 compensation point in 2 yr-old C. vulgaris plants, in which current year's shoots had just started growing, was below the detection limit (0.1 nmol mol -1 at 8°C). Fifty days later, when current year's shoots were elongating and flowers developed, the NH 3 compensation point was approximately 6±2.0 nmol mol -1 at 22°C (0.8±0.3 nmol mol -1 at 8°C). The plants in which the shoot tips had just started growing were characterized by a low N concentration in the shoot dry matter (5.8 mg N g -1 shoot dry weight) and a low photosynthetic CO 2 assimilation compared to the flowering plants in which the average dry matter N concentration in old shoots and woody stems was 7.4 and in new shoots 9.5 mg N g -1 shoot dry weight. Plant-atmosphere NH 3 fluxes in C. vulgaris responded approximately linearly to changes in the atmospheric NH 3 concentration. The maximum net absorption rate at 26 nmol NH 3 mol -1 air was 12 nmol NH 3 m -2 ground surface s -1 (equivalent to 13.3 pmol NH 3 g -1 shoot dry matter s -1). Ammonia absorption in Deschampsia flexuosa plants increased approximately linearly with increasing NH 3 concentrations up to 20 nmol mol -1. The maximum NH 3 absorption was 8.5 nmol m -2 ground surface s -1 (30.4 pmol g -1 shoot dry weight s -1). The NH 3 compensation point at 24°C was 3.0±1.1, and at 31°C 7.5±0.6 nmol mol air -1. These values correspond to a NH 3 compensation point of 0.45±0.15 at 8°C. The soil used for cultivation of C. vulgaris (peat soil with pH 6.9) initially adsorbed NH 3 at a rate which exceeded the absorption by the plant canopy. During a 24 d period following the harvest of the plants soil NH 3 adsorption declined and the soil NH 3 compensation point increased from below the detection limit to 8.0±1.8 nmol NH 3 mol air -1 (22°C). No detectable NH 3 exchange took place between the D. flexuosa soil (sandy soil with pH 6.8) and the atmosphere.

Modeling short-term concentration fluctuations of semi-volatile pollutants in the soil-plant-atmosphere system.

PubMed

Bao, Zhongwen; Haberer, Christina M; Maier, Uli; Beckingham, Barbara; Amos, Richard T; Grathwohl, Peter

2016-11-01

Temperature changes can drive cycling of semi-volatile pollutants between different environmental compartments (e.g. atmosphere, soil, plants). To evaluate the impact of daily temperature changes on atmospheric concentration fluctuations we employed a physically based model coupling soil, plants and the atmosphere, which accounts for heat transport, effective gas diffusion, sorption and biodegradation in the soil as well as eddy diffusion and photochemical oxidation in the atmospheric boundary layer of varying heights. The model results suggest that temperature-driven re-volatilization and uptake in soils cannot fully explain significant diurnal concentration fluctuations of atmospheric pollutants as for example observed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This holds even for relatively low water contents (high gas diffusivity) and high sorption capacity of the topsoil (high organic carbon content and high pollutant concentration in the topsoil). Observed concentration fluctuations, however, can be easily matched if a rapidly-exchanging environmental compartment, such as a plant layer, is introduced. At elevated temperatures, plants release organic pollutants, which are rapidly distributed in the atmosphere by eddy diffusion. For photosensitive compounds, e.g. some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), decreasing atmospheric concentrations would be expected during daytime for the bare soil scenario. This decline is buffered by a plant layer, which acts as a ground-level reservoir. The modeling results emphasize the importance of a rapidly-exchanging compartment above ground to explain short-term atmospheric concentration fluctuations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric pollutants in peri-urban forests of Quercus ilex: evidence of pollution abatement and threats for vegetation.

PubMed

García-Gómez, Héctor; Aguillaume, Laura; Izquieta-Rojano, Sheila; Valiño, Fernando; Àvila, Anna; Elustondo, David; Santamaría, Jesús M; Alastuey, Andrés; Calvete-Sogo, Héctor; González-Fernández, Ignacio; Alonso, Rocío

2016-04-01

Peri-urban vegetation is generally accepted as a significant remover of atmospheric pollutants, but it could also be threatened by these compounds, with origin in both urban and non-urban areas. To characterize the seasonal and geographical variation of pollutant concentrations and to improve the empirical understanding of the influence of Mediterranean broadleaf evergreen forests on air quality, four forests of Quercus ilex (three peri-urban and one remote) were monitored in different areas in Spain. Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia (NH3), nitric acid (HNO3) and ozone (O3) were measured during 2 years in open areas and inside the forests and aerosols (PM10) were monitored in open areas during 1 year. Ozone was the only air pollutant expected to have direct phytotoxic effects on vegetation according to current thresholds for the protection of vegetation. The concentrations of N compounds were not high enough to directly affect vegetation but could be contributing through atmospheric N deposition to the eutrophization of these ecosystems. Peri-urban forests of Q. ilex showed a significant below-canopy reduction of gaseous concentrations (particularly NH3, with a mean reduction of 29-38%), which indicated the feasibility of these forests to provide an ecosystem service of air quality improvement. Well-designed monitoring programs are needed to further investigate air quality improvement by peri-urban ecosystems while assessing the threat that air pollution can pose to vegetation.

Haze production in the atmospheres of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes: Insight from PHAZER lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, Sarah; He, Chao; Kempton, Eliza; Moses, Julianne I.; Vuitton, Veronique; Lewis, Nikole

2017-10-01

Super-Earths and mini-Neptunes (~1.2-3 Earth radii) comprise a large fraction of planets in the universe and TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) will increase the number that are amenable to atmospheric characterization with observatories like JWST (James Webb Space Telescope). These atmospheres should span a large range of temperature and atmospheric composition phase space, with no solar system analogues. Interpretation of current and future atmospheric observations of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes requires additional knowledge about atmospheric chemistry and photochemical haze production. We have experimentally investigated haze formation for H2, H2O, and CO2 dominated atmospheres (100x, 1000x, and 10000x solar metallicity) for a range of temperatures (300 K, 400 K, and 600 K) using the PHAZER (Planetary Haze Research) experiment at Johns Hopkins University. This is a necessary step in understanding which, if any, super-Earths and mini-Neptunes possess the conditions required for efficient production of photochemical haze in their atmospheres. We find that the production rates vary over a few orders of magnitudes with some higher than our nominal Titan experiments. We therefore expect that planets in this temperature and atmospheric composition phase space will exhibit a range of particle concentrations and some may be as hazy as Titan.

An evaluation of in situ ozone sensor performance during a cold frontal passage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, C. L.

1978-01-01

The capabilities of the electrochemical concentration cell ozonesonde for measuring the vertical profile of atmospheric ozone were studied during a three day experiment at Wallops Island, Virginia, and Norfolk, Virginia. Using ancillary measurements at the surface and the spectrophotometer, it was concluded that the ozonesonde measures the total ozone overburden to within 10% of the real value. By releasing the balloon-borne instruments at a rate of four per day at each of the two sites, an indication was obtained of the temporal and spatial scales of atmospheric ozone variability. No significant effects of a weak cold front passage or of the loss of insolation at night were seen. An isolated incident of anomalously high ozone concentration at the peak of the profile was attributed to sporadic instrument performance effects. The data base currently available is not adequate for determining an exact cause of the anomaly.

Oxygen produced by cyanobacteria in simulated Archaean conditions partly oxidizes ferrous iron but mostly escapes-conclusions about early evolution.

PubMed

Rantamäki, Susanne; Meriluoto, Jussi; Spoof, Lisa; Puputti, Eeva-Maija; Tyystjärvi, Taina; Tyystjärvi, Esa

2016-12-01

The Earth has had a permanently oxic atmosphere only since the great oxygenation event (GOE) 2.3-2.4 billion years ago but recent geochemical research has revealed short periods of oxygen in the atmosphere up to a billion years earlier before the permanent oxygenation. If these "whiffs" of oxygen truly occurred, then oxygen-evolving (proto)cyanobacteria must have existed throughout the Archaean aeon. Trapping of oxygen by ferrous iron and other reduced substances present in Archaean oceans has often been suggested to explain why the oxygen content of the atmosphere remained negligible before the GOE although cyanobacteria produced oxygen. We tested this hypothesis by growing cyanobacteria in anaerobic high-CO 2 atmosphere in a medium with a high concentration of ferrous iron. Microcystins are known to chelate iron, which prompted us also to test the effects of microcystins and nodularins on iron tolerance. The results show that all tested cyanobacteria, especially nitrogen-fixing species grown in the absence of nitrate, and irrespective of the ability to produce cyanotoxins, were iron sensitive in aerobic conditions but tolerated high concentrations of iron in anaerobicity. This result suggests that current cyanobacteria would have tolerated the high-iron content of Archaean oceans. However, only 1 % of the oxygen produced by the cyanobacterial culture was trapped by iron, suggesting that large-scale cyanobacterial photosynthesis would have oxygenated the atmosphere even if cyanobacteria grew in a reducing ocean. Recent genomic analysis suggesting that ability to colonize seawater is a secondary trait in cyanobacteria may offer a partial explanation for the sustained inefficiency of cyanobacterial photosynthesis during the Archaean aeon, as fresh water has always covered a very small fraction of the Earth's surface. If oxygenic photosynthesis originated in fresh water, then the GOE marks the adaptation of cyanobacteria to seawater, and the late-Proterozoic increase in oxygen concentration of the atmosphere is caused by full oxidation of the oceans.

Role of Megafauna and Frozen Soil in the Atmospheric CH4 Dynamics

PubMed Central

Zimov, Sergey; Zimov, Nikita

2014-01-01

Modern wetlands are the world’s strongest methane source. But what was the role of this source in the past? An analysis of global 14C data for basal peat combined with modelling of wetland succession allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of global wetland methane emission through time. These data show that the rise of atmospheric methane concentrations during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition was not connected with wetland expansion, but rather started substantially later, only 9 thousand years ago. Additionally, wetland expansion took place against the background of a decline in atmospheric methane concentration. The isotopic composition of methane varies according to source. Owing to ice sheet drilling programs past dynamics of atmospheric methane isotopic composition is now known. For example over the course of Pleistocene-Holocene transition atmospheric methane became depleted in the deuterium isotope, which indicated that the rise in methane concentrations was not connected with activation of the deuterium-rich gas clathrates. Modelling of the budget of the atmospheric methane and its isotopic composition allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of all main methane sources. For the late Pleistocene, the largest methane source was megaherbivores, whose total biomass is estimated to have exceeded that of present-day humans and domestic animals. This corresponds with our independent estimates of herbivore density on the pastures of the late Pleistocene based on herbivore skeleton density in the permafrost. During deglaciation, the largest methane emissions originated from degrading frozen soils of the mammoth steppe biome. Methane from this source is unique, as it is depleted of all isotopes. We estimated that over the entire course of deglaciation (15,000 to 6,000 year before present), soils of the mammoth steppe released 300–550 Pg (1015 g) of methane. From current study we conclude that the Late Quaternary Extinction significantly affected the global methane cycle. PMID:24695117

Ice-nucleating particle emissions from photochemically aged diesel and biodiesel exhaust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schill, G. P.; Jathar, S. H.; Kodros, J. K.; Levin, E. J. T.; Galang, A. M.; Friedman, B.; Link, M. F.; Farmer, D. K.; Pierce, J. R.; Kreidenweis, S. M.; DeMott, P. J.

2016-05-01

Immersion-mode ice-nucleating particle (INP) concentrations from an off-road diesel engine were measured using a continuous-flow diffusion chamber at -30°C. Both petrodiesel and biodiesel were utilized, and the exhaust was aged up to 1.5 photochemically equivalent days using an oxidative flow reactor. We found that aged and unaged diesel exhaust of both fuels is not likely to contribute to atmospheric INP concentrations at mixed-phase cloud conditions. To explore this further, a new limit-of-detection parameterization for ice nucleation on diesel exhaust was developed. Using a global-chemical transport model, potential black carbon INP (INPBC) concentrations were determined using a current literature INPBC parameterization and the limit-of-detection parameterization. Model outputs indicate that the current literature parameterization likely overemphasizes INPBC concentrations, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. These results highlight the need to integrate new INPBC parameterizations into global climate models as generalized INPBC parameterizations are not valid for diesel exhaust.

Staggering reductions in atmospheric nitrogen dioxide across Canada in response to legislated transportation emissions reductions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, Holly; Aherne, Julian

2016-12-01

It is well established that atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2), associated mainly with emissions from transportation and industry, can have adverse effects on both human and ecosystem health. Specifically, atmospheric NO2 plays a role in the formation of ozone, and in acidic and nutrient deposition. As such, international agreements and national legislation, such as the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations (SOR/2003-2), and the Federal Agenda on Cleaner Vehicles, Engines and Fuel have been put into place to regulate and limit oxidized nitrogen emissions. The objective of this study was to assess the response of ambient air concentrations of NO2 across Canada to emissions regulations. Current NO2 levels across Canada were examined at 137 monitoring sites, and long-term annual and quarterly trends were evaluated for 63 continuous monitoring stations that had at least 10 years of data during the period 1988-2013. A non-parametric Mann-Kendall test (Z values) and Sen's slope estimate were used to determine monotonic trends; further changepoint analysis was used to determine periods with significant changes in NO2 air concentration and emissions time-series data. Current annual average NO2 levels in Canada range between 1.16 and 14.96 ppb, with the national average being 8.43 ppb. Provincially, average NO2 ranges between 3.77 and 9.25 ppb, with Ontario and British Columbia having the highest ambient levels of NO2. Long-term tend analysis indicated that the annual average NO2 air concentration decreased significantly at 87% of the stations (55 of 63), and decreased non-significantly at 10% (5 of 63) during the period 1998-2013. Concentrations increased (non-significantly) at only 3% (2 of 63) of the sites. Quarterly long-term trends showed similar results; significant decreases occurred at 84% (January-March), 88% (April-June), 83% (July-September), and 81% (October-December) of the sites. Declines in transportation emissions had the most influence on NO2 air concentrations, and changepoint analysis identified three significant changepoints for the air concentration of NO2 and transportation emissions data. The air concentration changepoints occurred immediately following changepoints in transportation emissions. The introduction of emissions limiting legislation, primarily from transportation sources, has lead to dramatic decreases of 32% in NO× emissions (42% from transportation sources [road, rail, air, marine]) and 47% in ambient NO2 concentrations across Canada. With respect to human health, legislated changes in transportation emissions have the greatest impact on ambient concentration in urban areas.

Final Technical Report: Fundamental Research on the Fractionation of Carbon Isotopes during Photosynthesis, New Interpretations of Terrestrial Organic Carbon within Geologic Substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schubert, Brian; Jahren, A. Hope

The goal for the current grant period (2013 – 2016) was to quantify the effect of changing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (pCO2) on published terrestrial carbon isotope excursion events. This work supported four scientists across multiple career stages, and resulted in 5 published papers.

Transcriptional and metabolic insights into the differential physiological responses of Arabidopsis to optimal and supraoptimal atomospheric CO2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biological activity in tightly closed systems can lead to excessively high CO2 concentrations of between one and two orders of magnitude greater than current ambient levels in Earth’s atmosphere. While there is a wealth of information on the influence of elevated CO2 on plants at two to three times...

Microplasma-based flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow (FAPA) source for ambient desorption-ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zeiri, Offer M; Storey, Andrew P; Ray, Steven J; Hieftje, Gary M

2017-02-01

A new direct-current microplasma-based flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow (FAPA) source was developed for use in ambient desorption-ionization mass spectrometry. The annular-shaped microplasma is formed in helium between two concentric stainless-steel capillaries that are separated by an alumina tube. Current-voltage characterization of the source shows that this version of the FAPA operates in the normal glow-discharge regime. A glass surface placed in the path of the helium afterglow reaches temperatures of up to approximately 400 °C; the temperature varies with distance from the source and helium flow rate through the source. Solid, liquid, and vapor samples were examined by means of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Results suggest that ionization occurs mainly through protonation, with only a small amount of fragmentation and adduct formation. The mass range of the source was shown to extend up to at least m/z 2722 for singly charged species. Limits of detection for several small organic molecules were in the sub-picomole range. Examination of competitive ionization revealed that signal suppression occurs only at high (mM) concentrations of competing substances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seasonal characteristics and current sources of OCPs and PCBs and enantiomeric signatures of chiral OCPs in the atmosphere of Vietnam.

PubMed

Wang, Weitao; Wang, Yinghui; Zhang, Ruijie; Wang, Shaopeng; Wei, Chaoshuai; Chaemfa, Chakra; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Yu, Kefu

2016-01-15

Passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed concurrently at 15 locations (nine urban sites and six rural sites) in Vietnam and exposed for approximately 6 weeks from June 26, 2012 to August 26, 2012 and from December 8, 2012 to February 8, 2013. The concentration, composition and enantiomeric signatures of the target compound and Air Mass Backward Trajectories of the 15 sampling sites are presented and discussed in this study. Relatively clean air mass from ocean and similar concentrations and composition of POPs between the south and north of Vietnam indicate that local emissions is most likely the major source of POPs in Vietnam. Technical DDT and technical HCH were widely used in Vietnam and corresponding quantitative data suggests the sporadic use. The preferential degradation of (+)-α-HCH was found in all sampling sites, which could be a regional characteristic of Vietnam. High trans-/cis-chlordane (TC/CC) ratios indicate the current use of technical chlordane for termite control. PCA estimated that main source of PCBs present in the atmosphere of Vietnam was uncontrolled discarded e-waste. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Airborne Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric Pressure Made Using the Oxygen A-Band

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riris, Haris; Rodriquez, Michael D.; Allan, Graham R.; Hasselbrack, William E.; Mao, Jianping; Stephen, Mark A.; Abshire, James B.

2012-01-01

Accurate measurements of greenhouse gas mixing ratios on a global scale are currently needed to gain a better understanding of climate change and its possible impact on our planet. In order to remotely measure greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere with regard to dry air, the air number density in the atmosphere is also needed in deriving the greenhouse gas concentrations. Since oxygen is stable and uniformly mixed in the atmosphere at 20.95%, the measurement of an oxygen absorption in the atmosphere can be used to infer the dry air density and used to calculate the dry air mixing ratio of a greenhouse gas, such as carbon dioxide or methane. OUT technique of measuring Oxygen uses integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) with an Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDF A) laser system and single photon counting module (SPCM). It measures the absorbance of several on- and off-line wavelengths tuned to an O2 absorption line in the A-band at 764.7 nm. The choice of wavelengths allows us to maximize the pressure sensitivity using the trough between two absorptions in the Oxygen A-band. Our retrieval algorithm uses ancillary meteorological and aircraft altitude information to fit the experimentally obtained lidar O2 line shapes to a model atmosphere and derives the pressure from the profiles of the two lines. We have demonstrated O2 measurements from the ground and from an airborne platform. In this paper we will report on our airborne measurements during our 2011 campaign for the ASCENDS program.

Effect of particle surface area on ice active site densities retrieved from droplet freezing spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beydoun, Hassan; Polen, Michael; Sullivan, Ryan C.

2016-10-01

Heterogeneous ice nucleation remains one of the outstanding problems in cloud physics and atmospheric science. Experimental challenges in properly simulating particle-induced freezing processes under atmospherically relevant conditions have largely contributed to the absence of a well-established parameterization of immersion freezing properties. Here, we formulate an ice active, surface-site-based stochastic model of heterogeneous freezing with the unique feature of invoking a continuum assumption on the ice nucleating activity (contact angle) of an aerosol particle's surface that requires no assumptions about the size or number of active sites. The result is a particle-specific property g that defines a distribution of local ice nucleation rates. Upon integration, this yields a full freezing probability function for an ice nucleating particle. Current cold plate droplet freezing measurements provide a valuable and inexpensive resource for studying the freezing properties of many atmospheric aerosol systems. We apply our g framework to explain the observed dependence of the freezing temperature of droplets in a cold plate on the concentration of the particle species investigated. Normalizing to the total particle mass or surface area present to derive the commonly used ice nuclei active surface (INAS) density (ns) often cannot account for the effects of particle concentration, yet concentration is typically varied to span a wider measurable freezing temperature range. A method based on determining what is denoted an ice nucleating species' specific critical surface area is presented and explains the concentration dependence as a result of increasing the variability in ice nucleating active sites between droplets. By applying this method to experimental droplet freezing data from four different systems, we demonstrate its ability to interpret immersion freezing temperature spectra of droplets containing variable particle concentrations. It is shown that general active site density functions, such as the popular ns parameterization, cannot be reliably extrapolated below this critical surface area threshold to describe freezing curves for lower particle surface area concentrations. Freezing curves obtained below this threshold translate to higher ns values, while the ns values are essentially the same from curves obtained above the critical area threshold; ns should remain the same for a system as concentration is varied. However, we can successfully predict the lower concentration freezing curves, which are more atmospherically relevant, through a process of random sampling from g distributions obtained from high particle concentration data. Our analysis is applied to cold plate freezing measurements of droplets containing variable concentrations of particles from NX illite minerals, MCC cellulose, and commercial Snomax bacterial particles. Parameterizations that can predict the temporal evolution of the frozen fraction of cloud droplets in larger atmospheric models are also derived from this new framework.

Future trends in soil cadmium concentration under current cadmium fluxes to European agricultural soils.

PubMed

Six, L; Smolders, E

2014-07-01

The gradual increase of soil cadmium concentrations in European soils during the 20th century has prompted environmental legislation to limit soil cadmium (Cd) accumulation. Mass balances (input-output) reflecting the period 1980-1995 predicted larger Cd inputs via phosphate (P) fertilizers and atmospheric deposition than outputs via crop uptake and leaching. This study updates the Cd mass balance for the agricultural top soils of EU-27+Norway (EU-27+1). Over the past 15 years, the use of P fertilizers in the EU-27+1 has decreased by 40%. The current mean atmospheric deposition of Cd in EU is 0.35 g Cd ha(-1) yr(-1), this is strikingly smaller than values used in the previous EU mass balances (~3 g Cd ha(-1) yr(-1)). Leaching of Cd was estimated with most recent data of soil solution Cd concentrations in 151 soils, which cover the range of European soil properties. No significant time trends were found in the data of net applications of Cd via manure, compost, sludge and lime, all being small sources of Cd at a large scale. Modelling of the future long-term changes in soil Cd concentrations in agricultural top soils under cereal or potato culture predicts soil Cd concentrations to decrease by 15% over the next 100 years in an average scenario, with decreasing trends in some scenarios being more prevalent than increasing trends in other scenarios. These Cd balances have reverted from the general positive balances estimated 10 or more years ago. Uncertainty analysis suggests that leaching is the most uncertain relative to other fluxes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Current-use pesticides and organochlorine compounds in precipitation and lake sediment from two high-elevation national parks in the Western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mast, M.A.; Foreman, W.T.; Skaates, S.V.

2007-01-01

Current-use pesticides (CUPs) and banned organochlorine compounds (OCCs) were measured in precipitation (snowpack and rain) and lake sediments from two national parks in the Western United States to determine their occurrence and distribution in high-elevation environments. CUPs frequently detected in snow were endosulfan, dacthal, and chlorothalonil in concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 2.4 ng/L. Of the OCCs, chlordane, hexachlorobenzene, and two polychlorinated biphenyl congeners were detected in only one snow sample each. Pesticides most frequently detected in rain were atrazine, carbaryl, and dacthal in concentrations from 3.0 to 95 ng/L. Estimated annual deposition rates in one of the parks were 8.4 ??g/m2 for atrazine, 9.9 ??g/m2 for carbaryl, and 2.6 ??g/m2 for dacthal, of which >85% occurred during summer. p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDD were the most frequently detected OCCs in surface sediments from lakes. However, concentrations were low (0.12 to 4.7 ??g/kg) and below levels at which harmful effects for benthic organisms are likely to be observed. DDD and DDE concentrations in an age-dated sediment core suggest that atmospheric deposition of DDT and its degradates, and possibly other banned OCCs, to high-elevation areas have been decreasing since the 1970s. Dacthal and endosulfan sulfate were present in low concentrations (0.11 to 1.2 ??g/kg) and were the only CUPs detected in surface sediments. Both pesticides were frequently detected in snow, confirming that some CUPs entering high-elevation aquatic environments through atmospheric deposition are accumulating in lake sediments and potentially in aquatic biota as well. ?? 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Requirements for estimation of doses from contaminants dispersed by a 'dirty bomb' explosion in an urban area.

PubMed

Andersson, K G; Mikkelsen, T; Astrup, P; Thykier-Nielsen, S; Jacobsen, L H; Hoe, S C; Nielsen, S P

2009-12-01

The ARGOS decision support system is currently being extended to enable estimation of the consequences of terror attacks involving chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological substances. This paper presents elements of the framework that will be applied in ARGOS to calculate the dose contributions from contaminants dispersed in the atmosphere after a 'dirty bomb' explosion. Conceptual methodologies are presented which describe the various dose components on the basis of knowledge of time-integrated contaminant air concentrations. Also the aerosolisation and atmospheric dispersion in a city of different types of conceivable contaminants from a 'dirty bomb' are discussed.

DETECTING PLANETARY GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES ON EXOPLANETS: ATMOSPHERIC SIGNATURES AND THE CASE OF SO{sub 2}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaltenegger, L.; Sasselov, D., E-mail: lkaltene@cfa.harvard.ed

2010-01-10

We study the spectrum of a planetary atmosphere to derive detectable features in low resolution of different global geochemical cycles on exoplanets-using the sulfur cycle as our example. We derive low-resolution detectable features for first generation space- and ground-based telescopes as a first step in comparative planetology. We assume that the surfaces and atmospheres of terrestrial exoplanets (Earth-like and super-Earths) will most often be dominated by a specific geochemical cycle. Here we concentrate on the sulfur cycle driven by outgassing of SO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S followed by their transformation to other sulfur-bearing species, which is clearly distinguishable from themore » carbon cycle, which is driven by outgassing of CO{sub 2}. Due to increased volcanism, the sulfur cycle is potentially the dominant global geochemical cycle on dry super-Earths with active tectonics. We calculate planetary emission, reflection, and transmission spectrum from 0.4 mum to 40 mum with high and low resolution to assess detectable features using current and Archean Earth models with varying SO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S concentrations to explore reducing and oxidizing habitable environments on rocky planets. We find specific spectral signatures that are observable with low resolution in a planetary atmosphere with high SO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S concentration. Therefore, first generation space- and ground-based telescopes can test our understanding of geochemical cycles on rocky planets and potentially distinguish planetary environments dominated by the carbon and sulfur cycles.« less

"Atmospheric Measurements by Ultra-Light SpEctrometer" (AMULSE) dedicated to vertical profile measurements of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4) under stratospheric balloons: instrumental development and field application.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maamary, Rabih; Joly, Lilian; Decarpenterie, Thomas; Cousin, Julien; Dumelié, Nicolas; Grouiez, Bruno; Albora, Grégory; Chauvin, Nicolas; Miftah-El-Khair, Zineb; Legain, Dominique; Tzanos, Diane; Barrié, Joel; Moulin, Eric; Ramonet, Michel; Bréon, François-Marie; Durry, Georges

2016-04-01

Human activities disrupt natural biogeochemical cycles such as the carbon and contribute to an increase in the concentrations of the greenhouse gases (carbone dioxide and methane) in the atmosphere. The current atmospheric transport modeling (the vertical trade) still represents an important source of uncertainty in the determination of regional flows of greenhouse gases, which means that a good knowledge of the vertical distribution of CO2 is necessary to (1) make the link between the ground measurements and spatial measurements that consider an integrated concentration over the entire column of the atmosphere, (2) validate and if possible improve CO2 transport model to make the link between surface emissions and observed concentration. The aim of this work is to develop a lightweight instrument (based on mid-infrared laser spectrometry principles) for in-situ measuring at high temporal/spatial resolution (5 Hz) the vertical profiles of the CO2 and the CH4 using balloons (meteorological and BSO at high precision levels (< 1 ppm in 1 second integration time for the CO2 sensor, and smaller than several tenths of ppb in 1 second integration time for the CH4 sensor). The instrument should be lighter than 2.5 kg in order to facilitate authorizations, costs and logistics flights. These laser spectrometers are built on recent instrumental developments. Several flights were successfully done in the region Champagne-Ardenne and in Canada recently. Aknowledgments: The authors acknowledge financial supports from CNES, CNRS défi instrumental and the region Champagne-Ardenne.

Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction Over Agulhas Extension Meanders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, W. Timothy; Xie, Xiaosu; Niiler, Pearn P.

2007-01-01

Many years of high-resolution measurements by a number of space-based sensors and from Lagrangian drifters became available recently and are used to examine the persistent atmospheric imprints of the semi-permanent meanders of the Agulhas Extension Current (AEC), where strong surface current and temperature gradients are found. The sea surface temperature (SST) measured by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) and the chlorophyll concentration measured by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) support the identification of the meanders and related ocean circulation by the drifters. The collocation of high and low magnitudes of equivalent neutral wind (ENW) measured by Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT), which is uniquely related to surface stress by definition, illustrates not only the stability dependence of turbulent mixing but also the unique stress measuring capability of the scatterometer. The observed rotation of ENW in opposition to the rotation of the surface current clearly demonstrates that the scatterometer measures stress rather than winds. The clear differences between the distributions of wind and stress and the possible inadequacy of turbulent parameterization affirm the need of surface stress vector measurements, which were not available before the scatterometers. The opposite sign of the stress vorticity to current vorticity implies that the atmosphere spins down the current rotation through momentum transport. Coincident high SST and ENW over the southern extension of the meander enhance evaporation and latent heat flux, which cools the ocean. The atmosphere is found to provide negative feedback to ocean current and temperature gradients. Distribution of ENW convergence implies ascending motion on the downwind side of local SST maxima and descending air on the upwind side and acceleration of surface wind stress over warm water (deceleration over cool water); the convection may escalate the contrast of ENW over warm and cool water set up by the dependence of turbulent mixing on stability; this relation exerts a positive feedback to the ENW-SST relation. The temperature sounding measured by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder(AIRS) is consistent with the spatial coherence between the cloud-top temperature provided by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) and SST. Thus ocean mesoscale SST anomalies associated with the persistent meanders may have a long-term effect well above the midlatitude atmospheric boundary layer, an observation not addressed in the past.

Integration of Ground-Based Solar FT-IR Absorption Spectroscopy and Open-Path Systems for Atmospheric Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steill, J. D.; Hager, J. S.; Compton, R. N.

2006-05-01

Air quality issues in the Knoxville and East Tennessee region are of great concern, particularly as regards the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Infrared absorption spectroscopy of the atmosphere provides a unique opportunity to analyze the local chemical composition, since many trace atmospheric constituents are open to this analysis, such as O3, CO, CH4, and N2O. Integration of a Bomem DA8 FT-IR spectrometer with rooftop sun-tracking optics and an open-path system provide solar-sourced and boundary- layer atmospheric infrared spectra of these and other relevant atmospheric components. Boundary layer concentrations as well as total column abundances and vertical concentration profiles are derived. Vertical concentration profiles are determined by fitting solar-sourced absorbance lines with the SFIT2 algorithm. Improved fitting of solar spectra has been demonstrated by incorporating the tropospheric concentrations as determined by open-path measurements. A record of solar-sourced atmospheric spectra of greater than two years duration is under analysis to characterize experimental error and thus the limit of precision in the concentration determinations. Initial efforts using atmospheric O2 as a calibration indicate the solar- sourced spectra may not yet meet the precision required for accurate atmospheric CO2 quantification by such efforts as the OCO and NDSC. However, this variability is also indicative of local concentration fluxes pertinent to the regional atmospheric chemistry. In addition to providing a means to improve the analysis of solar spectra, the open-path data is useful for elucidation of seasonal and diurnal trends in the local trace gas concentrations.

Changes in groundwater reserves and radiocarbon and chloride content due to a wet period intercalated in an arid climate sequence in a large unconfined aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Custodio, E.; Jódar, J.; Herrera, C.; Custodio-Ayala, J.; Medina, A.

2018-01-01

The concentration of atmospheric tracers in groundwater samples collected from springs and deep wells is, in most cases, the result of a mixture of waters with a wide range of residence times in the ground. Such is the case of an unconfined aquifer recharged over all its surface area. Concentrations greatly differ from the homogeneous residence time case. Data interpretation relies on knowledge of the groundwater flow pattern. To study relatively large systems, the conservative ion chloride and the decaying radiocarbon (14C) are considered. Radiocarbon (14C) activity in groundwater, after correction to discount the non-biogenic contribution, is often taken as an indication of water age, while chloride can be used to quantify recharge. In both cases, the observed tracer content in groundwater is an average value over a wide range which is related to water renewal time in the ground. This is shown considering an unconfined aquifer recharged all over its area under arid conditions, in which a period of greater recharge happened some millennia ago. The mathematical solution is given. As the solution cannot be made general, to show and discuss the changes in water reserve and in chloride and radiocarbon concentration (apparent ages), two scenarios are worked out, which are loosely related to current conditions in Northern Chile. It is shown that tracer concentration and the estimated water age are not directly related to the time since recharge took place. The existence of a previous wetter-than-present period has an important and lasting effect on current aquifer water reserves and chloride concentration, although the effect on radiocarbon activity is less pronounced. Chloride concentrations are smaller than in current recharge and apparent 14C ages do not coincide with the timing, duration and characteristics of the wet period, except in the case in which recharge before and after the wet period is negligible and dead aquifer reserves are non-significant. The use of chloride concentration in springs as a proxy of chloride concentration in recharge to estimate recharge from atmospheric deposition leads to recharge value larger than the real one and it approaches the wet period recharge. Drawing inferences about radiocarbon data and recharge by the chloride balance method has rarely been taken into account before. It is important to consider the variable aquifer groundwater reserve. Current recharge estimation can be improved by careful selection of groundwater samples, supported by tritium and radiocarbon measurements.

Spectra of Earth-like Planets through Geological Evolution around FGKM Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rugheimer, S.; Kaltenegger, L.

2018-02-01

Future observations of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres will occur for planets at different stages of geological evolution. We expect to observe a wide variety of atmospheres and planets with alternative evolutionary paths, with some planets resembling Earth at different epochs. For an Earth-like atmospheric time trajectory, we simulate planets from the prebiotic to the current atmosphere based on geological data. We use a stellar grid F0V to M8V ({T}{eff}=7000–2400 K) to model four geological epochs of Earth's history corresponding to a prebiotic world (3.9 Ga), the rise of oxygen at 2.0 Ga and at 0.8 Ga, and the modern Earth. We show the VIS–IR spectral features, with a focus on biosignatures through geological time for this grid of Sun-like host stars and the effect of clouds on their spectra. We find that the observability of biosignature gases reduces with increasing cloud cover and increases with planetary age. The observability of the visible O2 feature for lower concentrations will partly depend on clouds, which, while slightly reducing the feature, increase the overall reflectivity, and thus the detectable flux of a planet. The depth of the IR ozone feature contributes substantially to the opacity at lower oxygen concentrations, especially for the high near-UV stellar environments around F stars. Our results are a grid of model spectra for atmospheres representative of Earth's geological history to inform future observations and instrument design and are available online at http://carlsaganinstitute.org/data/.

Wet and Dry Atmospheric Mercury Deposition Accumulates in Watersheds of the Northeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyer, E. W.; Grant, C.; Grimm, J.; Drohan, P. J.; Bennett, J.; Lawler, D.

2013-12-01

Mercury emissions to the atmosphere from coal-fired power plants and other sources such as waste incineration can be deposited to landscapes in precipitation and in dry fallout. Some mercury reaches watersheds and streams, where it can accumulate in sediments and biota. Human exposure to mercury occurs primarily through fish consumption, and currently mercury fish eating advisories are in place for many of the streams and lakes in the state. Here, we explored mercury in air, soils, water, and biota. To quantify atmospheric mercury deposition, we measured both wet and dry mercury deposition at over 10 locations in Pennsylvania, from which we present variation in mercury deposition and initial assessments of factors affecting the patterns. Further, we simulated mercury deposition at unmonitored locations in Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States over space and time with a high-resolution modeling technique that reflects storm tracks and air flow patterns. To consider mercury accumulation in watersheds, we collected data on soil mercury concentrations in a set of soil samples, and collected baseline data on mercury in streams draining 35 forested watersheds across Pennsylvania, spanning gradients of atmospheric deposition, climate and geology. Mercury concentrations were measured in stream water under base-flow conditions, in streambed sediments, aquatic mosses, and in fish tissues from brook trout. Results indicate that wet and dry atmospheric deposition is a primary source of mercury that is accumulating in watersheds of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States.

Electrochemical Measurement of Atmospheric Corrosion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeArmond, Anna H.; Davis, Dennis D.; Beeson, Harold D.

1999-01-01

Corrosion of Shuttle thruster components in atmospheres containing high concentrations of nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) and water is an important issue in ground operations of bipropellant systems in humid locations. Measurements of the corrosivities of NTO-containing atmospheres and the responses of different materials to these atmospheres have been accomplished using an electrochemical sensor. The sensor is composed of alternating aluminum/titanium strips separated by thin insulating layers. Under high humidity conditions a thin film of water covers the surface of the sensor. Added NTO vapor reacts with the water film to form a conductive medium and establishes a galvanic cell. The current from this cell can be integrated with respect to time and related to the corrosion activity. The surface layer formed from humid air/NTO reacts in the same way as an aqueous solution of nitric acid. Nitric acid is generally considered an important agent in NTO corrosion situations. The aluminum/titanium sensor is unresponsive to dry air, responds slightly to humid air (> 75% RH), and responds strongly to the combination of humid air and NTO. The sensor response is a power function (n = 2) of the NTO concentration. The sensor does not respond to NTO in dry air. The response of other materials in this type of sensor is related to position of the material in a galvanic series in aqueous nitric acid. The concept and operation of this electrochemical corrosion measurement is being applied to other corrosive atmospheric contaminants such as hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, sulfur dioxide, and acidic aerosols.

Boundary-Layer & health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costigliola, V.

2010-09-01

It has long been known that specific atmospheric processes, such as weather and longer-term climatic fluctuations, affect human health. The biometeorological literature refers to this relationship as meteorotropism, defined as a change in an organism that is correlated with a change in atmospheric conditions. Plenty of (patho)physiological functions are affected by those conditions - like the respiratory diseases - and currently it is difficult to put any limits for pathologies developed in reply. Nowadays the importance of atmospheric boundary layer and health is increasingly recognised. A number of epidemiologic studies have reported associations between ambient concentrations of air pollution, specifically particulate pollution, and adverse health effects, even at the relatively low concentrations of pollution found. Since 1995 there have been over twenty-one studies from four continents that have explicitly examined the association between ambient air pollutant mixes and daily mortality. Statistically significant and positive associations have been reported in data from various locations around the world, all with varying air pollutant concentrations, weather conditions, population characteristics and public health policies. Particular role has been given to atmospheric boundary layer processes, the impact of which for specific patient-cohort is, however, not well understood till now. Assessing and monitoring air quality are thus fundamental to improve Europe's welfare. One of current projects run by the "European Medical Association" - PASODOBLE will develop and demonstrate user-driven downstream information services for the regional and local air quality sectors by combining space-based and in-situ data with models in 4 thematic service lines: - Health community support for hospitals, pharmacies, doctors and people at risk - Public information for regions, cities, tourist industry and sporting event organizers - Compliance monitoring support on particulate matter for regional environmental agencies - Local forecast model evaluation support for local authorities and city bodies. Giving value to the above listed aspects, PASODOBLE objectives are following: - Evolution of existing and development of new sustainable air quality services for Europe on regional and local scales - Development and testing of a generic service framework for coordinated input data acquisition and customizable user-friendly access to services - Utilization of multiple cycles of delivery, use and assessment versus requirements and market planning in cooperation with users - Promotion and harmonisation of best practise tools for air quality communities. Further European multidisciplinary projects should be created to better understand the most prevalent atmospheric factors to be impacted in predictive, preventive and personalised medicine considered as the central concept for future medicine.

Recent global methane trends: an investigation using hierarchical Bayesian methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigby, M. L.; Stavert, A.; Ganesan, A.; Lunt, M. F.

2014-12-01

Following a decade with little growth, methane concentrations began to increase across the globe in 2007, and have continued to rise ever since. The reasons for this renewed growth are currently the subject of much debate. Here, we discuss the recent observed trends, and highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses in current "inverse" methods for quantifying fluxes using observations. In particular, we focus on the outstanding problems of accurately quantifying uncertainties in inverse frameworks. We examine to what extent the recent methane changes can be explained by the current generation of flux models and inventories. We examine the major modes of variability in wetland models along with the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED) and the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR). Using the Model for Ozone and Related Tracers (MOZART), we determine whether the spatial and temporal atmospheric trends predicted using these emissions can be brought into consistency with in situ atmospheric observations. We use a novel hierarchical Bayesian methodology in which scaling factors applied to the principal components of the flux fields are estimated simultaneously with the uncertainties associated with the a priori fluxes and with model representations of the observations. Using this method, we examine the predictive power of methane flux models for explaining recent fluctuations.

Measurements of CO2 Column Abundance in the Low Atmosphere Using Ground Based 1.6 μm CO2 DIAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abo, M.; Shibata, Y.; Nagasawa, C.

2017-12-01

Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration are believed to produce the largest radiative forcing for the current climate system. Accurate predictions of atmospheric CO2 concentration rely on the knowledge of its sinks and sources, transports, and its variability with time. Although this knowledge is currently unsatisfactory, numerical models use it as a way in simulating CO2 fluxes. Validating and improving the global atmospheric transport model, therefore, requires precise measurement of the CO2 concentration profile. There are two further variations on Lidar: the differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) and the integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) Lidar. DIAL/IPDA are basically for profile/total column measurement, respectively. IPDA is a special case of DIAL and can measure the total column-averaged mixing ratio of trace gases using return signals from the Earth's surface or from thick clouds based on an airborne or a satellite. We have developed a ground based 1.6 μm DIAL to measure vertical CO2 mixing ratio profiles from 0.4 to 2.5 km altitude. The goals of the CO2 DIAL are to produce atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio measurements with much smaller seasonal and diurnal biases from the ground surface. But, in the ground based lidar, return signals from around ground surface are usually suppressed in order to handle the large dynamic range. To receive the return signals as near as possible from ground surface, namely, the field of view (FOV) of the telescope must be wide enough to reduce the blind range of the lidar. While the return signals from the far distance are very weak, to enhance the sensitivity and heighten the detecting distance, the FOV must be narrow enough to suppress the sky background light, especially during the daytime measurements. To solve this problem, we propose a total column measurement method from the ground surface to 0.4 km altitude. Instead of strong signals from thick clouds such as the IPDA, the proposed method uses atmospheric return signals from 0.4 km altitude. Although laser outputs of two wavelengths, which are the system parameter of DIAL, are canceled, the proposed method needs to constantly monitor laser outputs. When the laser output ratio with two wavelengths is 1.0 ± 0.01, the error simulation result of the CO2 mixing ratio is 420.0 ± 3.9 ppm.

Global risk from the atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides by nuclear power plant accidents in the coming decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christoudias, T.; Proestos, Y.; Lelieveld, J.

2014-05-01

We estimate the global risk from the release and atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides from nuclear power plant accidents using the EMAC atmospheric chemistry-general circulation model. We included all nuclear reactors that are currently operational, under construction and planned or proposed. We implemented constant continuous emissions from each location in the model and simulated atmospheric transport and removal via dry and wet deposition processes over 20 years (2010-2030), driven by boundary conditions based on the IPCC A2 future emissions scenario. We present global overall and seasonal risk maps for potential surface layer concentrations and ground deposition of radionuclides, and estimate potential doses to humans from inhalation and ground-deposition exposures to radionuclides. We find that the risk of harmful doses due to inhalation is typically highest in the Northern Hemisphere during boreal winter, due to relatively shallow boundary layer development and limited mixing. Based on the continued operation of the current nuclear power plants, we calculate that the risk of radioactive contamination to the citizens of the USA will remain to be highest worldwide, followed by India and France. By including stations under construction and those that are planned and proposed, our results suggest that the risk will become highest in China, followed by India and the USA.

Global risk from the atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides by nuclear power plant accidents in the coming decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christoudias, T.; Proestos, Y.; Lelieveld, J.

2013-11-01

We estimate the global risk from the release and atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides from nuclear power plant accidents using the EMAC atmospheric chemistry-general circulation model. We included all nuclear reactors that are currently operational, under construction and planned or proposed. We implemented constant continuous emissions from each location in the model and simulated atmospheric transport and removal via dry and wet deposition processes over 20 yr (2010-2030), driven by boundary conditions based on the IPCC A2 future emissions scenario. We present global overall and seasonal risk maps for potential surface layer concentrations and ground deposition of radionuclides, and estimate potential dosages to humans from the inhalation and the exposure to ground deposited radionuclides. We find that the risk of harmful doses due to inhalation is typically highest during boreal winter due to relatively shallow boundary layer development and reduced mixing. Based on the continued operation of the current nuclear power plants, we calculate that the risk of radioactive contamination to the citizens of the USA will remain to be highest worldwide, followed by India and France. By including stations under construction and those that are planned and proposed our results suggest that the risk will become highest in China, followed by India and the USA.

Global Risk from the Atmospheric Dispersion of Radionuclides by Nuclear Power Plant Accidents in the Coming Decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christoudias, T.; Proestos, Y.; Lelieveld, J.

2014-12-01

We estimate the global risk from the release and atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides from nuclear power plant accidents using the EMAC atmospheric chemistry-general circulation model. We included all nuclear reactors that are currently operational, under construction and planned or proposed. We implemented constant continuous emissions from each location in the model and simulated atmospheric transport and removal via dry and wet deposition processes over 20 years (2010-2030), driven by boundary conditions based on the IPCC A2 future emissions scenario. We present global overall and seasonal risk maps for potential surface layer concentrations and ground deposition of radionuclides, and estimate potential doses to humans from inhalation and ground-deposition exposures to radionuclides. We find that the risk of harmful doses due to inhalation is typically highest in the Northern Hemisphere during boreal winter, due to relatively shallow boundary layer development and limited mixing. Based on the continued operation of the current nuclear power plants, we calculate that the risk of radioactive contamination to the citizens of the USA will remain to be highest worldwide, followed by India and France. By including stations under construction and those that are planned and proposed, our results suggest that the risk will become highest in China, followed by India and the USA.

Biogeochemistry of beetle-killed forests: Explaining a weak nitrate response

PubMed Central

Rhoades, Charles C.; McCutchan, James H.; Cooper, Leigh A.; Clow, David; Detmer, Thomas M.; Briggs, Jennifer S.; Stednick, John D.; Veblen, Thomas T.; Ertz, Rachel M.; Likens, Gene E.; Lewis, William M.

2013-01-01

A current pine beetle infestation has caused extensive mortality of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) in forests of Colorado and Wyoming; it is part of an unprecedented multispecies beetle outbreak extending from Mexico to Canada. In United States and European watersheds, where atmospheric deposition of inorganic N is moderate to low (<10 kg⋅ha⋅y), disturbance of forests by timber harvest or violent storms causes an increase in stream nitrate concentration that typically is close to 400% of predisturbance concentrations. In contrast, no significant increase in streamwater nitrate concentrations has occurred following extensive tree mortality caused by the mountain pine beetle in Colorado. A model of nitrate release from Colorado watersheds calibrated with field data indicates that stimulation of nitrate uptake by vegetation components unaffected by beetles accounts for significant nitrate retention in beetle-infested watersheds. The combination of low atmospheric N deposition (<10 kg⋅ha⋅y), tree mortality spread over multiple years, and high compensatory capacity associated with undisturbed residual vegetation and soils explains the ability of these beetle-infested watersheds to retain nitrate despite catastrophic mortality of the dominant canopy tree species. PMID:23319612

[Study on the effect of solar spectra on the retrieval of atmospheric CO2 concentration using high resolution absorption spectra].

PubMed

Hu, Zhen-Hua; Huang, Teng; Wang, Ying-Ping; Ding, Lei; Zheng, Hai-Yang; Fang, Li

2011-06-01

Taking solar source as radiation in the near-infrared high-resolution absorption spectrum is widely used in remote sensing of atmospheric parameters. The present paper will take retrieval of the concentration of CO2 for example, and study the effect of solar spectra resolution. Retrieving concentrations of CO2 by using high resolution absorption spectra, a method which uses the program provided by AER to calculate the solar spectra at the top of atmosphere as radiation and combine with the HRATS (high resolution atmospheric transmission simulation) to simulate retrieving concentration of CO2. Numerical simulation shows that the accuracy of solar spectrum is important to retrieval, especially in the hyper-resolution spectral retrieavl, and the error of retrieval concentration has poor linear relation with the resolution of observation, but there is a tendency that the decrease in the resolution requires low resolution of solar spectrum. In order to retrieve the concentration of CO2 of atmosphere, the authors' should take full advantage of high-resolution solar spectrum at the top of atmosphere.

[Direct Observation on the Temporal and Spatial Patterns of the CO2 Concentration in the Atmospheric of Nanjing Urban Canyon in Summer].

PubMed

Gao, Yun-qiu; Liu, Shou-dong; Hu, Ning; Wang, Shu-min; Deng, Li-chen; Yu, Zhou; Zhang, Zhen; Li, Xu-hui

2015-07-01

Direct observation of urban atmospheric CO2 concentration is vital for the research in the contribution of anthropogenic activity to the atmospheric abundance since cities are important CO2 sources. The observations of the atmospheric CO2 concentration at multiple sites/heights can help us learn more about the temporal and spatial patterns and influencing mechanisms. In this study, the CO2 concentration was observed at 5 sites (east, west, south, north and middle) in the main city area of Nanjing from July 18 to 25, 2014, and the vertical profile of atmospheric CO2 concentration was measured in the middle site at 3 heights (30 m, 65 m and 110 m). The results indicated that: (1) An obvious vertical CO2 gradient was found, with higher CO2 concentration [molar fraction of 427. 3 x 10(-6) (±18. 2 x 10(-6))] in the lower layer due to the strong influences of anthropogenic emissions, and lower CO2 concentration in the upper layers [411. 8 x 10(-6) (±15. 0 x 10(-6)) and 410. 9 x 10(-6) (±14. 6 x 10(-6)) at 65 and 110 m respectively] for the well-mixed condition. The CO2 concentration was higher and the vertical gradient was larger when the atmosphere was stable. (2) The spatial distribution pattern of CO2 concentration was dominated by wind and atmospheric stability. During the observation, the CO2 concentration in the southwest was higher than that in the northeast region with the CO2 concentration difference of 7. 8 x 10(-6), because the northwest wind was prevalent. And the CO2 concentration difference reduced with increasing wind speed since stronger wind diluted CO2 more efficiently. The more stable the atmosphere was, the higher the CO2 concentration was. (3) An obvious diurnal variation of CO2 concentration was shown in the 5 sites. A peak value occurred during the morning rush hours, the valley value occurred around 17:00 (Local time) and another high value occurred around 19:00 because of evening rush hour sometimes.

Multi-model study of mercury dispersion in the atmosphere: atmospheric processes and model evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Travnikov, Oleg; Angot, Hélène; Artaxo, Paulo; Bencardino, Mariantonia; Bieser, Johannes; D'Amore, Francesco; Dastoor, Ashu; De Simone, Francesco; Diéguez, María del Carmen; Dommergue, Aurélien; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Feng, Xin Bin; Gencarelli, Christian N.; Hedgecock, Ian M.; Magand, Olivier; Martin, Lynwill; Matthias, Volker; Mashyanov, Nikolay; Pirrone, Nicola; Ramachandran, Ramesh; Read, Katie Alana; Ryjkov, Andrei; Selin, Noelle E.; Sena, Fabrizio; Song, Shaojie; Sprovieri, Francesca; Wip, Dennis; Wängberg, Ingvar; Yang, Xin

2017-04-01

Current understanding of mercury (Hg) behavior in the atmosphere contains significant gaps. Some key characteristics of Hg processes, including anthropogenic and geogenic emissions, atmospheric chemistry, and air-surface exchange, are still poorly known. This study provides a complex analysis of processes governing Hg fate in the atmosphere involving both measured data from ground-based sites and simulation results from chemical transport models. A variety of long-term measurements of gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) and reactive Hg (RM) concentration as well as Hg wet deposition flux have been compiled from different global and regional monitoring networks. Four contemporary global-scale transport models for Hg were used, both in their state-of-the-art configurations and for a number of numerical experiments to evaluate particular processes. Results of the model simulations were evaluated against measurements. As follows from the analysis, the interhemispheric GEM gradient is largely formed by the prevailing spatial distribution of anthropogenic emissions in the Northern Hemisphere. The contributions of natural and secondary emissions enhance the south-to-north gradient, but their effect is less significant. Atmospheric chemistry has a limited effect on the spatial distribution and temporal variation of GEM concentration in surface air. In contrast, RM air concentration and wet deposition are largely defined by oxidation chemistry. The Br oxidation mechanism can reproduce successfully the observed seasonal variation of the RM / GEM ratio in the near-surface layer, but it predicts a wet deposition maximum in spring instead of in summer as observed at monitoring sites in North America and Europe. Model runs with OH chemistry correctly simulate both the periods of maximum and minimum values and the amplitude of observed seasonal variation but shift the maximum RM / GEM ratios from spring to summer. O3 chemistry does not predict significant seasonal variation of Hg oxidation. Hence, the performance of the Hg oxidation mechanisms under study differs in the extent to which they can reproduce the various observed parameters. This variation implies possibility of more complex chemistry and multiple Hg oxidation pathways occurring concurrently in various parts of the atmosphere.

Nuclear Emergency and the Atmospheric Dispersion of Nuclear Aerosols: Discussion of the Shared Nuclear Future - 13163

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rana, Mukhtar A.; Ali, Nawab; Akhter, Parveen

2013-07-01

This paper has a twofold objective. One is to analyze the current status of high-level nuclear waste disposal along with presentation of practical perspectives about the environmental issues involved. Present disposal designs and concepts are analyzed on a scientific basis and modifications to existing designs are proposed from the perspective of environmental safety. Other is to understand the aerosol formation in the atmosphere for the case of the leakage from the nuclear waste containers or a nuclear accident. Radio-nuclides released from the waste will attach themselves to the existing aerosols in the atmosphere along with formation of new aerosols. Anticipatingmore » the nuclear accident when a variety of radioactive aerosols will form and exist in the atmosphere, as a simple example, measurement of naturally existing radioactive aerosols are made in the atmosphere of Islamabad and Murree. A comparison with similar measurements in 3 cities of France is provided. Measurement of radionuclides in the atmosphere, their attachment to aerosols and follow up transport mechanisms are key issues in the nuclear safety. It is studied here how {sup 7}Be concentration in the atmospheric air varies in the capital city of Islamabad and a Himalaya foothill city of Murree (Pakistan). Present results are compared with recent related published results to produce a {sup 7}Be concentration versus altitude plot up to an altitude of 4000 m (a.s.l.). Origin and variance of {sup 7}Be concentration at different altitudes is discussed in detail. The relevance of results presented here with the evaluation of implications of Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters has been discussed in a conclusive manner. It is the first international report of a joint collaboration/project. The project is being generalized to investigate and formulate a smooth waste storage and disposal policy. The project will address the fission and fusion waste reduction, its storage, its recycling, air, water and soil quality monitoring, and the final disposal with the major foci of dealing with related chemical, biogical, physical, geophysical, engineering, management and administration aspects. (authors)« less

[Evaluation of different oxygen therapies on therapeutic effects in rats with acute carbon dioxide poisoning].

PubMed

Niu, Ying-mei; Hao, Feng-tong; Xue, Chang-jiang; Xia, Yu-jing; Zhou, Shuo; Lu, Qing-sheng; Liu, Jian-zhong; Zhang, Peng

2011-03-01

To study therapeutic effects by using different oxygen therapies in rats with acute carbon dioxide poisoning, to select the best oxygen therapy technology for patients with acute carbon dioxide poisoning on the spot. Sixty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into normal control group, carbon dioxide exposure group, hyperbaric oxygen treatment group (pressure 2 ATA, FiO(2)100%), high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group (FiO(2)50%), low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group (FiO(2)33%). After treated with different oxygen in rats with acute carbon dioxide poisoning, arterial pH, PO2 and PCO2 of rats were detected, in addition observe pathological changes of lung tissue and brain tissue. The arterial pH (7.31 ± 0.06) and PO2 [(68.50 ± 15.02) mm Hg] of carbon dioxide exposure group were lower than those of control group [pH (7.42 ± 0.02) and PO2 (92.83 ± 8.27) mm Hg], PCO2 [(71.66 ± 12.10) mm Hg] was higher than that of control group [(48.25 ± 2.59) mm Hg] (P < 0.05); the arterial pH (hyperbaric oxygen treatment group 7.37 ± 0.02, high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group 7.39 ± 0.03, low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group 7.38 ± 0.02) and PO2 of oxygen treatment groups [hyperbaric oxygen treatment group, high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group, low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group were (82.25 ± 12.98), (84.75 ± 11.24), (83.75 ± 16.77) mm Hg, respectively] were higher than that of carbon dioxide exposure group, PCO2 [hyperbaric oxygen treatment group, high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group, low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group were (52.25 ± 4.95), (51.75 ± 4.82), (52.66 ± 5.61) mm Hg, respectively] was lower than that of carbon dioxide exposure group (P < 0.05); there was no significant difference of the arterial pH, PO2 and PCO2 between oxygen treatment groups and control group (P > 0.05); there was no significant difference of the arterial pH, PO2 and PCO2 among oxygen treatment groups (P > 0.05). There was large area of bleeding of lungs in rats with carbon dioxide poisoning, the bleeding of lungs in rats with high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment and low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment was better than the rats with carbon dioxide poisoning, there was no abnormal appearance of lungs in rats with hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The light microscope observation showed that there were diffuse bleeding and exudation of lungs in rats with carbon dioxide poisoning, the bleeding and exudation of lungs in rats with high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment and low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment were better than the rats with carbon dioxide poisoning, there were only minor bleeding and exudation of lungs in rats with hyperbaric oxygen treatment. There was no difference of brain in anatomy and microscopy among all groups, there were no significant bleeding, edema, cell degeneration and necrosis. Lung pathology in acute carbon dioxide poisoning rats with hyperbaric oxygen treatment is better than the rats with high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment and low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment, there is no significant difference of effect between high concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group and low concentration of atmospheric oxygen treatment group, however, the results of blood gas analysis and lung pathology than the exposure group improved, so qualified medical unit for hyperbaric oxygen therapy as soon as possible, hyperbaric oxygen treatment facilities in the absence of circumstances, the emergency treatment of early oxygen is also a good measure.

Aerosol specification in single-column Community Atmosphere Model version 5

DOE PAGES

Lebassi-Habtezion, B.; Caldwell, P. M.

2015-03-27

Single-column model (SCM) capability is an important tool for general circulation model development. In this study, the SCM mode of version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) is shown to handle aerosol initialization and advection improperly, resulting in aerosol, cloud-droplet, and ice crystal concentrations which are typically much lower than observed or simulated by CAM5 in global mode. This deficiency has a major impact on stratiform cloud simulations but has little impact on convective case studies because aerosol is currently not used by CAM5 convective schemes and convective cases are typically longer in duration (so initialization is less important).more » By imposing fixed aerosol or cloud-droplet and crystal number concentrations, the aerosol issues described above can be avoided. Sensitivity studies using these idealizations suggest that the Meyers et al. (1992) ice nucleation scheme prevents mixed-phase cloud from existing by producing too many ice crystals. Microphysics is shown to strongly deplete cloud water in stratiform cases, indicating problems with sequential splitting in CAM5 and the need for careful interpretation of output from sequentially split climate models. Droplet concentration in the general circulation model (GCM) version of CAM5 is also shown to be far too low (~ 25 cm −3) at the southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site.« less

Decreased abundance of crustose coralline algae due to ocean acidification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuffner, Ilsa B.; Andersson, Andreas J; Jokiel, Paul L.; Rodgers, Ku'ulei S.; Mackenzie, Fred T.

2008-01-01

Owing to anthropogenic emissions, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide could almost double between 2006 and 2100 according to business-as-usual carbon dioxide emission scenarios1. Because the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere2, 3, 4, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations will lead to increasing dissolved inorganic carbon and carbon dioxide in surface ocean waters, and hence acidification and lower carbonate saturation states2, 5. As a consequence, it has been suggested that marine calcifying organisms, for example corals, coralline algae, molluscs and foraminifera, will have difficulties producing their skeletons and shells at current rates6, 7, with potentially severe implications for marine ecosystems, including coral reefs6, 8, 9, 10, 11. Here we report a seven-week experiment exploring the effects of ocean acidification on crustose coralline algae, a cosmopolitan group of calcifying algae that is ecologically important in most shallow-water habitats12, 13, 14. Six outdoor mesocosms were continuously supplied with sea water from the adjacent reef and manipulated to simulate conditions of either ambient or elevated seawater carbon dioxide concentrations. The recruitment rate and growth of crustose coralline algae were severely inhibited in the elevated carbon dioxide mesocosms. Our findings suggest that ocean acidification due to human activities could cause significant change to benthic community structure in shallow-warm-water carbonate ecosystems.

Hotspots of Very Short Lived Halocarbons in the Tropical Ocean and Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Y.; Tegtmeier, S.; Quack, B.; Atlas, E. L.

2017-12-01

Very short lived halocarbons (VSLH) with atmospheric lifetimes shorter than 6 months are known to have natural oceanic sources. VSLH have drawn lots of attentions due to their contribution to stratospheric ozone depletion and tropospheric chemistry. VSLH in the ocean show a large spatial variability often with enhanced concentrations in coastal and upwelling regions. It is unclear how this variability in oceanic concentration and emissions impacts the atmospheric VSLH distribution. Such knowledge however is relevant in order to understand their impact on atmospheric chemistry and in order to design meaningful aircraft campaigns and measurement stations. Measurements from three tropical ship campaigns (TransBrom 2009, SHIVA 2011, and OASIS, 2014) suggest localized oceanic "hotspot", regions with very high VSLH emissions from the ocean into the atmosphere. It is also an open question if there's significant impact of these hotspots on the concentrations of VSLH in the atmosphere or if atmospheric transport and mixing obliterates their signals in the atmosphere. In our study, the Lagrangian transport model FLEXPART is used to investigate the atmospheric transport of CHBr3, CH2Br2, and CH3I emitted from the ocean into atmosphere. First, we derive typical atmospheric background concentrations of VSLH from (uniform and non-uniform) oceanic emissions found in the open ocean. In these simulations, the clear structures of meteorological processes (i.e. typhoons and other convective systems) are captured in the VSLHs background concentrations. In a second step, we apply VSLH emissions derived during the ship campaigns to analyze the impacts of the strong oceanic hotspots on the atmospheric VSLH distributions. These hotspots do not show an atmospheric signature if their regional extent is limited, even if their emissions are orders of magnitudes larger than the background emissions. However, if the hotspots extend over a region larger than roughly 0.3° x 0.3° (latitude x longitude), they produce a clear signal of enhanced atmospheric VSLH abundance. Our results will help to understand how oceanic VSLH concentrations, atmospheric transport patterns and atmospheric VSLH distributions are coupled, and predict the maximum mixing ratios that can be expected in the vicinity of oceanic hotspots.

Evidence that PCBs are approaching stable concentrations in Lake Michigan fishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stow, Craig A.; Carpenter, Stephen R.; Eby, Lisa A.; Amrhein, James F.; Hesselberg, Robert J.

1995-01-01

We examined PCB concentration data for seven species of Lake Michigan fishes to determine what trends were apparent °20 yr after PCB restrictions became effective. Total PCB concentrations in all seven species, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (Salmo trutta), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), and bloater chub (Coregonus hoyi) declined and appeared to stabilize in the mid-to-late 1980s. Concentrations in two species, chinook and coho salmon, appear to have increased slightly since the late 1980s. All species are currently well below the high PCB levels that existed when PCB use was curtailed in the 1970s. We believe stabilizing concentrations are the result of large pools of PCBs that are being recycled in the environment. Atmospheric and sediment PCB inputs to the lake probably constitute current PCB sources. Increasing concentrations in chinook and coho salmon are likely the result of changing growth dynamics caused by alterations in the mid-trophic levels of the food web. Median stable PCB concentrations estimated in this analysis are below the current FDA action level of 2 mg/kg, but not appreciably below this threshold. Improvements beyond these levels may result if management practices that maximize fish growth rates are implemented. Detection of future improvements in PCB levels may require samples in the range of 1000-2000 fish because of the high variability in PCB concentrations among individuals.

Trends of atmospheric black carbon concentration over the United Kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Vikas; Ravindra, Khaiwal; Sahu, Lokesh; Sokhi, Ranjeet

2018-04-01

The continuous observations over a period of 7 years (2009-2016) available at 7 locations show declining trend of atmospheric BC in the UK. Among all the locations, the highest decrease of 8 ± 3 percent per year was observed at the Marylebone road in London. The detailed analysis performed at 21 locations during 2009-2011 shows that average annual mean atmospheric BC concentration were 0.45 ± 0.10, 1.47 ± 0.58, 1.34 ± 0.31, 1.83 ± 0.46 and 9.72 ± 0.78 μgm-3 at rural, suburban, urban background, urban centre and kerbside sites respectively. Around 1 μgm-3 of atmospheric BC could be attributed to urban emission, whereas traffic contributed up to 8 μg m-3 of atmospheric BC near busy roads. Seasonal pattern was also observed at all locations except rural and kerbside location, with maximum concentrations (1.2-4 μgm-3) in winter. Further, minimum concentrations (0.3-1.2 μgm-3) were observed in summer and similar concentrations in spring and fall. At suburban and urban background locations, similar diurnal pattern were observed with atmospheric BC concentration peaks (≈1.8 μg m-3) in the morning (around 9 a.m.) and evening (7-9 p.m.) rush hours, whereas minimum concentrations were during late night hours (peak at 5 a.m.) and the afternoon hours (peak at 2 p.m.). The urban centre values show a similar morning pattern (peak at 9 a.m.; concentration - 2.5 μgm-3) in relation to background locations but only a slight decrease in concentration in the afternoon which remained above 2 μgm-3 till midnight. It is concluded that the higher flow of traffic at urban centre locations results in higher atmospheric BC concentrations throughout the day. Comparison of weekday and weekend daily averaged atmospheric BC showed maximum concentrations on Friday, having minimum levels on Sunday. This study will help to refine the atmospheric BC emission inventories and provide data for air pollution and climate change models evaluation, which are used to formulate air pollution mitigation policies.

Untangling the confusion around land carbon science and climate change mitigation policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackey, Brendan; Prentice, I. Colin; Steffen, Will; House, Joanna I.; Lindenmayer, David; Keith, Heather; Berry, Sandra

2013-06-01

Depletion of ecosystem carbon stocks is a significant source of atmospheric CO2 and reducing land-based emissions and maintaining land carbon stocks contributes to climate change mitigation. We summarize current understanding about human perturbation of the global carbon cycle, examine three scientific issues and consider implications for the interpretation of international climate change policy decisions, concluding that considering carbon storage on land as a means to 'offset' CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels (an idea with wide currency) is scientifically flawed. The capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon is finite and the current sequestration potential primarily reflects depletion due to past land use. Avoiding emissions from land carbon stocks and refilling depleted stocks reduces atmospheric CO2 concentration, but the maximum amount of this reduction is equivalent to only a small fraction of potential fossil fuel emissions.

Kinetics of OH + CO reaction under atmospheric conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hynes, A. J.; Wine, P. H.; Ravishankara, A. R.

1986-01-01

A pulsed laser photolysis-pulsed laser-induced fluorescence technique is used to directly measure the temperature, pressure, and H2O concentration dependence on k1 in air. K1 is found to increase linearly with increasing pressure at pressures of not greater than 1 atm, and the pressure dependence of k1 at 299 K is the same in N2 buffer gas as in O2 buffer gas. The rate constant in the low-pressure limit and the slope of the k1 versus pressure dependence are shown to be the same at 262 K as at 299 K. The present results significantly reduce the current atmospheric model uncertainties in the temperature dependence under atmospheric conditions, in the third body efficiency of O2, and in the effect of water vapor on k1.

Detecting Industrial Pollution in the Atmospheres of Earth-like Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Henry W.; Gonzalez Abad, Gonzalo; Loeb, Abraham

2014-09-01

Detecting biosignatures, such as molecular oxygen in combination with a reducing gas, in the atmospheres of transiting exoplanets has been a major focus in the search for alien life. We point out that in addition to these generic indicators, anthropogenic pollution could be used as a novel biosignature for intelligent life. To this end, we identify pollutants in the Earth's atmosphere that have significant absorption features in the spectral range covered by the James Webb Space Telescope. We focus on tetrafluoromethane (CF4) and trichlorofluoromethane (CCl3F), which are the easiest to detect chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) produced by anthropogenic activity. We estimate that ~1.2 days (~1.7 days) of total integration time will be sufficient to detect or constrain the concentration of CCl3F (CF4) to ~10 times the current terrestrial level.

Assessment of the Olea pollen and its major allergen Ole e 1 concentrations in the bioearosol of two biogeographical areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno-Grau, S.; Aira, M. J.; Elvira-Rendueles, B.; Fernández-González, M.; Fernández-González, D.; García-Sánchez, A.; Martínez-García, M. J.; Moreno, J. M.; Negral, L.; Vara, A.; Rodríguez-Rajo, F. J.

2016-11-01

The Olea pollen is currently an important allergy source. In some regions of Southern Spain, olive pollen is the main cause of allergic sensitization exceeding 40% of the sensitized individuals. Due to the scarce presence of olive trees in Northern Spain, limited to some cultivated fields in the South of the Galicia region where they also grow wild, only 8% of the sensitized individuals showed positive results for Olea pollen. The aim of the paper was to assess the behaviour pattern of the Olea pollen and its aeroallergens in the atmosphere, as this information could help us to improve the understanding and prevention of clinical symptoms. Airborne Olea pollen and Ole e 1 allergens were quantified in Cartagena (South-eastern Spain) and Ourense (North-western Spain). A volumetric pollen trap and a Burkard Cyclone sampler were used for pollen and allergen quantification. The Olea flowering took place in April or May in both biometeorological sampling areas. The higher concentrations were registered in the Southern area of Spain, for both pollen and Ole e 1, with values 8 times higher for pollen concentrations and 40 times higher for allergens. An alternate bearing pattern could be observed, characterized by years with high pollen values and low allergen concentrations and vice versa. Moreover, during some flowering seasons the allergen concentrations did not correspond to the atmospheric pollen values. Variations in weather conditions or Long Distance Transport (LDT) processes could explain the discordance. The back trajectory analysis shows that the most important contributions of pollen and allergens in the atmosphere are coincident with air masses passing through potential source areas. The exposure to olive pollen may not be synonym of antigen exposure.

A model to determine open or closed cellular convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helfand, H. M.; Kalnay, E.

1981-01-01

A simple mechanism is proposed to explain the observed presence in the atmosphere of open or closed cellular convection. If convection is produced by cooling concentrated near the top of the cloud layer, as in radiative cooling of stratus clouds, it develops strong descending currents which are compensated by weak ascent over most of the horizontal area, and closed cells result. Conversely, heating concentrated near the bottom of a layer, as when an air mass is heated by warm water, results in strong ascending currents compensated by weak descent over most of the area, or open cells. This mechanism is similar to the one suggested by Stommel (1962) to explain the smallness of the oceans' sinking regions. The mechanism is studied numerically by means of a two-dimensional, nonlinear Boussinesq model.

Ionospheric chemistry of NO(+)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breig, E. L.; Hanson, W. B.; Hoffman, J. H.

1984-01-01

An investigation is described of the behavior of NO(+) in the daytime F region, with basic ion concentration measurements from the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite. The data set was acquired along select orbits at low latitudes and exhibits substantial variations in the NO(+) concentration, both along and between nearby orbits. An excellent consistency is demonstrated between these observations and current chemical equilibrium theory, in contrast to differences that have been reported for the related N2(+) ion. Large variations in the concurrently observed electron temperature permit a relevant comparison between different laboratory determinations of the dissociative recombination rate coefficient. Contributions to the NO(+) production from several secondary sources are also evaluated. Results strengthen the basis for the current theoretical ionospheric chemistry of NO(+) and establish important constraints on resolution of the difficulties with N2(+).

Projecting the climatic effects of increasing carbon dioxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MacCracken, M C; Luther, F M

This report presents the current knowns, unknowns, and uncertainties regarding the projected climate changes that might occur as a result of an increasing atmospheric CO/sub 2/ concentration. Further, the volume describes what research is required to estimate the magnitude and rate of a CO/sub 2/-induced clamate change with regional and seasonal resolution. Separate abstracts have been prepared for the individual papers. (ACR)

The Greenhouse Effect - Re-examination of the Impact of an Increase in Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Underwood, T. G.

2017-12-01

Examination of the radiation budget at the surface of the Earth shows that there are three factors affecting the surface temperature; the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere and by the surface respectively, and the amount of leakage of infrared radiation emitted from the surface directly into space. If there were no leakage, the upwelling infrared radiation from the Earth's surface would be equal to the incoming solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere plus twice the solar radiation absorbed by the surface. This results from the summation of a sequence of equal upward and downward re-emissions of infrared radiation absorbed by the atmosphere following the initial absorption of solar radiation. At current levels of solar absorption, this would result in total upwelling radiation of approximately 398.6 W/m2, or a maximum surface temperature of 16.4°C. Allowing for leakage of infrared radiation through the atmospheric window, the resulting emission from the Earth's surface is reduced to around 396 W/m2, corresponding to the current average global surface temperature of around 15.9°C. Absorption of solar and infrared radiation by greenhouse gases is determined by the absorption bands for the respective gases and their concentrations. Absorption of incoming solar radiation is largely by water vapor and ozone, and an increase in absorption would reduce not increase the surface temperature. Moreover, it is probable that all emitted infrared radiation that can be absorbed by greenhouse gases, primarily water vapor, with a small contribution from carbon dioxide and ozone, is already fully absorbed, and the leakage of around 5.5 % corresponds to the part of the infrared red spectrum that is not absorbed by greenhouse gases. The carbon dioxide absorption bands, which represent a very small percentage of the infrared spectrum, are most likely fully saturated. In these circumstances, increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide in particular, will have no effect on the emitted radiation. The surface temperature is probably at the thermodynamic limit for the current luminosity of the sun. Satellite based measurements since 1979 suggest that any global warming over the past 150 years may be due to an increase in total solar irradiance, which we are still a decade or two from being able to confirm.

Challenges in tracing the fate and effects of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon deposition in vascular plants.

PubMed

Desalme, Dorine; Binet, Philippe; Chiapusio, Geneviève

2013-05-07

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous organic pollutants that raise environmental concerns because of their toxicity. Their accumulation in vascular plants conditions harmful consequences to human health because of their position in the food chain. Consequently, understanding how atmospheric PAHs are taken up in plant tissues is crucial for risk assessment. In this review we synthesize current knowledge about PAH atmospheric deposition, accumulation in both gymnosperms and angiosperms, mechanisms of transfer, and ecological and physiological effects. PAHs emitted in the atmosphere partition between gas and particulate phases and undergo atmospheric deposition on shoots and soil. Most PAH concentration data from vascular plant leaves suggest that contamination occurs by both direct (air-leaf) and indirect (air-soil-root) pathways. Experimental studies demonstrate that PAHs affect plant growth, interfering with plant carbon allocation and root symbioses. Photosynthesis remains the most studied physiological process affected by PAHs. Among scientific challenges, identifying specific physiological transfer mechanisms and improving the understanding of plant-symbiont interactions in relation to PAH pollution remain pivotal for both fundamental and applied environmental sciences.

Seasonal Variations of Atmospheric Black Carbon Concentrations and Implications for Nutrient Inputs and Organic Carbon Partitioning in the Marine Coastal Ecosystem of Halong Bay, North Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mari, X.; Thuoc, C. V.; Guinot, B. P.; Brune, J.; Lefebvre, J. P.; Raimbault, P.; Niggemann, J.; Dittmar, T.

2016-02-01

Black Carbon (BC) is an aerosol emitted during biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion. On a global scale, BC deposits on the ocean at a rate of 12-45 Tg per year, with higher fluxes in the northern hemisphere and in inter-tropical regions, following the occurrence of hotspots of atmospheric BC concentration. In the present study conducted in a coastal site located in a regional hotspot of atmospheric BC concentration, North Vietnam, we monitored the seasonal variations of atmospheric and marine BC during an annual cycle. Atmospheric BC followed a seasonal pattern characterized by high concentrations during the dry season, i.e. from October to April, and low concentrations during the wet season, i.e. from May to September. This trend is linked to a change in wind regime, with air masses originating from the North during the dry season and from the South during the wet season. On average, the contribution of BC to the particulate and the dissolved organic carbon pools was 43% and 3%, respectively. The concentration of particulate BC (PBC) was on average 50 times higher in the surface microlayer (SML) than in the water column. In the water column, the concentration of PBC was higher during the dry season than the wet season, which is consistent with variations of atmospheric BC concentrations. On the contrary, the concentration of dissolved BC (DBC) was lower during the dry season than the wet season. This seasonal pattern suggests that PBC concentration in coastal marine systems depends upon atmospheric BC concentration, while increased DBC concentration is linked to rainy conditions. The deposition of BC during the dry season was concomitant with a strong enrichment of organic phosphorus in the SML. During the annual cycle, the POC:DOC ratio was positively correlated with the concentration of PBC, suggesting adsorption of DOC onto BC particles and formation of POC via stimulation of aggregation processes.

Reduced CO2 fertilization effect in temperate C3 grasslands under more extreme weather conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obermeier, W. A.; Lehnert, L. W.; Kammann, C. I.; Müller, C.; Grünhage, L.; Luterbacher, J.; Erbs, M.; Moser, G.; Seibert, R.; Yuan, N.; Bendix, J.

2017-02-01

The increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations from anthropogenic activities is the major driver of recent global climate change. The stimulation of plant photosynthesis due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO2]) is widely assumed to increase the net primary productivity (NPP) of C3 plants--the CO2 fertilization effect (CFE). However, the magnitude and persistence of the CFE under future climates, including more frequent weather extremes, are controversial. Here we use data from 16 years of temperate grassland grown under `free-air carbon dioxide enrichment’ conditions to show that the CFE on above-ground biomass is strongest under local average environmental conditions. The observed CFE was reduced or disappeared under wetter, drier and/or hotter conditions when the forcing variable exceeded its intermediate regime. This is in contrast to predictions of an increased CO2 fertilization effect under drier and warmer conditions. Such extreme weather conditions are projected to occur more intensely and frequently under future climate scenarios. Consequently, current biogeochemical models might overestimate the future NPP sink capacity of temperate C3 grasslands and hence underestimate future atmospheric [CO2] increase.

Effect of Wind Speed and Relative Humidity on Atmospheric Dust Concentrations in Semi-Arid Climates

PubMed Central

Csavina, Janae; Field, Jason; Félix, Omar; Corral-Avitia, Alba Y.; Sáez, A. Eduardo; Betterton, Eric A.

2014-01-01

Atmospheric particulate have deleterious impacts on human health. Predicting dust and aerosol emission and transport would be helpful to reduce harmful impacts but, despite numerous studies, prediction of dust events and contaminant transport in dust remains challenging. In this work, we show that relative humidity and wind speed are both determinants in atmospheric dust concentration. Observations of atmospheric dust concentrations in Green Valley, AZ, USA, and Juárez, Chihuahua, México, show that PM10 concentrations are not directly correlated with wind speed or relative humidity separately. However, selecting the data for high wind speeds (> 4 m/s at 10 m elevation), a definite trend is observed between dust concentration and relative humidity: dust concentration increases with relative humidity, reaching a maximum around 25% and it subsequently decreases with relative humidity. Models for dust storm forecasting may be improved by utilizing atmospheric humidity and wind speed as main drivers for dust generation and transport. PMID:24769193

Detection in subsurface air of radioxenon released from medical isotope production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Christine; Biegalski, Steven; Haas, Derek

Abstract Under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, an On-Site Inspection (OSI) may be conducted to clarify whether a nuclear explosion has been carried out in violation of Article I of the Treaty. A major component of an OSI is the measurement of subsurface gases in order to detect radioactive noble gases that are produced in a nuclear explosion, particularly radioxenon and radioargon. In order to better understand potential backgrounds of these gases, a sampling campaign was performed near Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in the Ottawa River Valley, a major source of environmental radioxenon. First of their kind measurements of atmospheric radioxenon imprintedmore » into the shallow subsurface from an atmospheric pressure driven force were made using current OSI techniques to measure both atmospheric and subsurface gas samples which were analyzed for radioxenon. These measurements indicate that under specific sampling conditions, on the order of one percent of the atmospheric radioxenon concentration may be measured via subsurface sampling.« less

Positive feedback between increasing atmospheric CO2 and ecosystem productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelfand, I.; Hamilton, S. K.; Robertson, G. P.

2009-12-01

Increasing atmospheric CO2 will likely affect both the hydrologic cycle and ecosystem productivity. Current assumptions that increasing CO2 will lead to increased ecosystem productivity and plant water use efficiency (WUE) are driving optimistic predictions of higher crop yields as well as greater availability of freshwater resources due to a decrease in evapotranspiration. The plant physiological response that drives these effects is believed to be an increase in carbon uptake either by (a) stronger CO2 gradient between the stomata and the atmosphere, or by (b) reduced CO2 limitation of enzymatic carboxylation within the leaf. The (a) scenario will lead to increased water use efficiency (WUE) in plants. However, evidence for increased WUE is mostly based on modeling studies, and experiments producing a short duration or step-wise increase in CO2 concentration (e.g. free-air CO2 enrichment). We hypothesize that the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration is having a positive effect on ecosystem productivity and WUE. To investigate this hypothesis, we analyzed meteorological, ANPP, and soil CO2 flux datasets together with carbon isotopic ratio (13C/12C) of archived plant samples from the long term ecological research (LTER) program at Kellogg Biological Station. The datasets were collected between 1989 and 2007 (corresponding to an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration of ~33 ppmv at Mauna Loa). Wheat (Triticum aestivum) samples taken from 1989 and 2007 show a significant decrease in the C isotope discrimination factor (Δ) over time. Stomatal conductance is directly related to Δ, and thus Δ is inversely related to plant intrinsic WUE (iWUE). Historical changes in the 13C/12C ratio (δ13C) in samples of a perennial forb, Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), taken from adjacent successional fields, indicate changes in Δ upon uptake of CO2 as well. These temporal trends in Δ suggest a positive feedback between the increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, air temperature, and plant iWUE. This positive feedback is expressed by (a) nonparallel changes of δ13C signal of atmospheric CO2 (δa) and plant samples (δp), (b) negative correlation between the Δ and average temperatures during the growth season, although only for temperatures up to 21°C. The lack of effect at higher temperatures suggests a negative influence of growing season warming on the iWUE. These results suggest a complex feedback between atmospheric CO2 increase, plant physiology, ecosystem productivity, and soil CO2 fluxes. These complex effects support our hypothesis of a CO2 fertilization effect on plant productivity, and they raise additional questions regarding adaptation of plants to changing atmospheric CO2 and climate.

The atmospheric chemistry of trace gases and particulate matter emitted by different land uses in Borneo

PubMed Central

MacKenzie, A. R.; Langford, B.; Pugh, T. A. M.; Robinson, N.; Misztal, P. K.; Heard, D. E.; Lee, J. D.; Lewis, A. C.; Jones, C. E.; Hopkins, J. R.; Phillips, G.; Monks, P. S.; Karunaharan, A.; Hornsby, K. E.; Nicolas-Perea, V.; Coe, H.; Gabey, A. M.; Gallagher, M. W.; Whalley, L. K.; Edwards, P. M.; Evans, M. J.; Stone, D.; Ingham, T.; Commane, R.; Furneaux, K. L.; McQuaid, J. B.; Nemitz, E.; Seng, Yap Kok; Fowler, D.; Pyle, J. A.; Hewitt, C. N.

2011-01-01

We report measurements of atmospheric composition over a tropical rainforest and over a nearby oil palm plantation in Sabah, Borneo. The primary vegetation in each of the two landscapes emits very different amounts and kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), resulting in distinctive VOC fingerprints in the atmospheric boundary layer for both landscapes. VOCs over the Borneo rainforest are dominated by isoprene and its oxidation products, with a significant additional contribution from monoterpenes. Rather than consuming the main atmospheric oxidant, OH, these high concentrations of VOCs appear to maintain OH, as has been observed previously over Amazonia. The boundary-layer characteristics and mixing ratios of VOCs observed over the Borneo rainforest are different to those measured previously over Amazonia. Compared with the Bornean rainforest, air over the oil palm plantation contains much more isoprene, monoterpenes are relatively less important, and the flower scent, estragole, is prominent. Concentrations of nitrogen oxides are greater above the agro-industrial oil palm landscape than over the rainforest, and this leads to changes in some secondary pollutant mixing ratios (but not, currently, differences in ozone). Secondary organic aerosol over both landscapes shows a significant contribution from isoprene. Primary biological aerosol dominates the super-micrometre aerosol over the rainforest and is likely to be sensitive to land-use change, since the fungal source of the bioaerosol is closely linked to above-ground biodiversity. PMID:22006961

Experimental Study on NO Emission Concentration of Pulverized Coal in Different Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jinghui; Yuan, Hui; Deng, jianhua

2018-02-01

The NO emission of pulverized coal during combustion in the O2/N2 atmosphere and O2/CO2 atmosphere was studied by using the sedimentation furnace test bed. The effects of CO2 concentration, temperature and excess air concentration on the NO emission characteristics of single coal and mixed coal The results show that the NO content of the pulverized coal is lower than that of the O2/N2 combustion atmosphere, and the decrease of the NO content in the O2/CO2 atmosphere is about 30%~35%. When the CO2 concentration changes from 20% to 50% of the process, the amount of NO produced in the selected coal gradually decreased, the change range is not large; with the pulverized coal combustion temperature continues to rise, the selected coal in the two kinds of atmosphere combustion NO content increased And the NO emission concentration is more obvious in the O2/N2 atmosphere. When the temperature reaches 1200°C and 1500°C the slope of the NO emission curve can be found to vary greatly. With the increase of the excess air coefficient α Increase, in these two atmosphere NO production also showed a rising trend.

Evaluation of simulated biospheric carbon dioxide fluxes and atmospheric concentrations using global in situ observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philip, S.; Johnson, M. S.; Potter, C. S.; Genovese, V. B.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) are largely controlled by anthropogenic emission sources and biospheric sources/sinks. Global biospheric fluxes of CO2 are controlled by complex processes facilitating the exchange of carbon between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. These processes which play a key role in these terrestrial ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges are currently not fully understood, resulting in large uncertainties in the quantification of biospheric CO2 fluxes. Current models with these inherent deficiencies have difficulties simulating the global carbon cycle with high accuracy. We are developing a new modeling platform, GEOS-Chem-CASA by integrating the year-specific NASA-CASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) biosphere model with the GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observation System-Chemistry) chemical transport model to improve the simulation of atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange. We use NASA-CASA to explicitly represent the exchange of CO2 between terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere by replacing the baseline GEOS-Chem land net CO2 flux and forest biomass burning CO2 emissions. We will present the estimation and evaluation of these "bottom-up" land CO2 fluxes, simulated atmospheric mixing ratios, and forest disturbance changes over the last decade. In addition, we will present our initial comparison of atmospheric column-mean dry air mole fraction of CO2 predicted by the model and those retrieved from NASA's OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) satellite instrument and model-predicted surface CO2 mixing ratios with global in situ observations. This evaluation is the first step necessary for our future work planned to constrain the estimates of biospheric carbon fluxes through "top-down" inverse modeling, which will improve our understanding of the processes controlling atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem greenhouse gas exchanges, especially over regions which lack in situ observations.

B33C-0612: Evaluation of Simulated Biospheric Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Atmospheric Concentrations Using Global in Situ Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philip, Sajeev; Johnson, Matthew S.; Potter, Christopher S.; Genovese, Vanessa

2016-01-01

Atmospheric mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) are largely controlled by anthropogenic emission sources and biospheric sources/sinks. Global biospheric fluxes of CO2 are controlled by complex processes facilitating the exchange of carbon between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. These processes which play a key role in these terrestrial ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges are currently not fully understood, resulting in large uncertainties in the quantification of biospheric CO2 fluxes. Current models with these inherent deficiencies have difficulties simulating the global carbon cycle with high accuracy. We are developing a new modeling platform, GEOS-Chem-CASA by integrating the year-specific NASA-CASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) biosphere model with the GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observation System-Chemistry) chemical transport model to improve the simulation of atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange. We use NASA-CASA to explicitly represent the exchange of CO2 between terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere by replacing the baseline GEOS-Chem land net CO2 flux and forest biomass burning CO2 emissions. We will present the estimation and evaluation of these "bottom-up" land CO2 fluxes, simulated atmospheric mixing ratios, and forest disturbance changes over the last decade. In addition, we will present our initial comparison of atmospheric column-mean dry air mole fraction of CO2 predicted by the model and those retrieved from NASA's OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) satellite instrument and model-predicted surface CO2 mixing ratios with global in situ observations. This evaluation is the first step necessary for our future work planned to constrain the estimates of biospheric carbon fluxes through "top-down" inverse modeling, which will improve our understanding of the processes controlling atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem greenhouse gas exchanges, especially over regions which lack in situ observations.

Effects of Oxygen Concentration on Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Helium-Oxygen Mixture at Atmospheric Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaolong; Tan, Zhenyu; Pan, Jie; Chen, Xinxian

2016-08-01

In this work the effects of O2 concentration on the pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in helium-oxygen mixture at atmospheric pressure have been numerically researched by using a one-dimensional fluid model in conjunction with the chosen key species and chemical reactions. The reliability of the used model has been examined by comparing the calculated discharge current with the reported experiments. The present work presents the following significant results. The dominative positive and negative particles are He2+ and O2-, respectively, the densities of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) get their maxima nearly at the central position of the gap, and the density of the ground state O is highest in the ROS. The increase of O2 concentration results in increasingly weak discharge and the time lag of the ignition. For O2 concentrations below 1.1%, the density of O is much higher than other species, the averaged dissipated power density presents an evident increase for small O2 concentration and then the increase becomes weak. In particular, the total density of the reactive oxygen species reaches its maximums at the O2 concentration of about 0.5%. This characteristic further convinces the experimental observation that the O2 concentration of 0.5% is an optimal O2/He ratio in the inactivation of bacteria and biomolecules when radiated by using the plasmas produced in a helium oxygen mixture. supported by the Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University, China (No. 2016JC016)

Validation of NH3 satellite observations by ground-based FTIR measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dammers, Enrico; Palm, Mathias; Van Damme, Martin; Shephard, Mark; Cady-Pereira, Karen; Capps, Shannon; Clarisse, Lieven; Coheur, Pierre; Erisman, Jan Willem

2016-04-01

Global emissions of reactive nitrogen have been increasing to an unprecedented level due to human activities and are estimated to be a factor four larger than pre-industrial levels. Concentration levels of NOx are declining, but ammonia (NH3) levels are increasing around the globe. While NH3 at its current concentrations poses significant threats to the environment and human health, relatively little is known about the total budget and global distribution. Surface observations are sparse and mainly available for north-western Europe, the United States and China and are limited by the high costs and poor temporal and spatial resolution. Since the lifetime of atmospheric NH3 is short, on the order of hours to a few days, due to efficient deposition and fast conversion to particulate matter, the existing surface measurements are not sufficient to estimate global concentrations. Advanced space-based IR-sounders such as the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) enable global observations of atmospheric NH3 that help overcome some of the limitations of surface observations. However, the satellite NH3 retrievals are complex requiring extensive validation. Presently there have only been a few dedicated satellite NH3 validation campaigns performed with limited spatial, vertical or temporal coverage. Recently a retrieval methodology was developed for ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) instruments to obtain vertical concentration profiles of NH3. Here we show the applicability of retrieved columns from nine globally distributed stations with a range of NH3 pollution levels to validate satellite NH3 products.

Southeast Atmosphere Studies: learning from model-observation syntheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Jingqiu; Carlton, Annmarie; Cohen, Ronald C.; Brune, William H.; Brown, Steven S.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Pye, Havala O. T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Xu, Lu; McNeill, V. Faye; Tsigaridis, Kostas; McDonald, Brian C.; Warneke, Carsten; Guenther, Alex; Alvarado, Matthew J.; de Gouw, Joost; Mickley, Loretta J.; Leibensperger, Eric M.; Mathur, Rohit; Nolte, Christopher G.; Portmann, Robert W.; Unger, Nadine; Tosca, Mika; Horowitz, Larry W.

2018-02-01

Concentrations of atmospheric trace species in the United States have changed dramatically over the past several decades in response to pollution control strategies, shifts in domestic energy policy and economics, and economic development (and resulting emission changes) elsewhere in the world. Reliable projections of the future atmosphere require models to not only accurately describe current atmospheric concentrations, but to do so by representing chemical, physical and biological processes with conceptual and quantitative fidelity. Only through incorporation of the processes controlling emissions and chemical mechanisms that represent the key transformations among reactive molecules can models reliably project the impacts of future policy, energy and climate scenarios. Efforts to properly identify and implement the fundamental and controlling mechanisms in atmospheric models benefit from intensive observation periods, during which collocated measurements of diverse, speciated chemicals in both the gas and condensed phases are obtained. The Southeast Atmosphere Studies (SAS, including SENEX, SOAS, NOMADSS and SEAC4RS) conducted during the summer of 2013 provided an unprecedented opportunity for the atmospheric modeling community to come together to evaluate, diagnose and improve the representation of fundamental climate and air quality processes in models of varying temporal and spatial scales.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. The effort focused primarily on model representation of fundamental atmospheric processes that are essential to the formation of ozone, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and other trace species in the troposphere, with the ultimate goal of understanding the radiative impacts of these species in the southeast and elsewhere. Here we address questions surrounding four key themes: gas-phase chemistry, aerosol chemistry, regional climate and chemistry interactions, and natural and anthropogenic emissions. We expect this review to serve as a guidance for future modeling efforts.

Southeast Atmosphere Studies: learning from model-observation syntheses

PubMed Central

Mao, Jingqiu; Carlton, Annmarie; Cohen, Ronald C.; Brune, William H.; Brown, Steven S.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Pye, Havala O. T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Xu, Lu; McNeill, V. Faye; Tsigaridis, Kostas; McDonald, Brian C.; Warneke, Carsten; Guenther, Alex; Alvarado, Matthew J.; de Gouw, Joost; Mickley, Loretta J.; Leibensperger, Eric M.; Mathur, Rohit; Nolte, Christopher G.; Portmann, Robert W.; Unger, Nadine; Tosca, Mika; Horowitz, Larry W.

2018-01-01

Concentrations of atmospheric trace species in the United States have changed dramatically over the past several decades in response to pollution control strategies, shifts in domestic energy policy and economics, and economic development (and resulting emission changes) elsewhere in the world. Reliable projections of the future atmosphere require models to not only accurately describe current atmospheric concentrations, but to do so by representing chemical, physical and biological processes with conceptual and quantitative fidelity. Only through incorporation of the processes controlling emissions and chemical mechanisms that represent the key transformations among reactive molecules can models reliably project the impacts of future policy, energy and climate scenarios. Efforts to properly identify and implement the fundamental and controlling mechanisms in atmospheric models benefit from intensive observation periods, during which collocated measurements of diverse, speciated chemicals in both the gas and condensed phases are obtained. The Southeast Atmosphere Studies (SAS, including SENEX, SOAS, NOMADSS and SEAC4RS) conducted during the summer of 2013 provided an unprecedented opportunity for the atmospheric modeling community to come together to evaluate, diagnose and improve the representation of fundamental climate and air quality processes in models of varying temporal and spatial scales. 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. The effort focused primarily on model representation of fundamental atmospheric processes that are essential to the formation of ozone, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and other trace species in the troposphere, with the ultimate goal of understanding the radiative impacts of these species in the southeast and elsewhere. Here we address questions surrounding four key themes: gas-phase chemistry, aerosol chemistry, regional climate and chemistry interactions, and natural and anthropogenic emissions. We expect this review to serve as a guidance for future modeling efforts.

Southeast Atmosphere Studies: Learning from Model-Observation Syntheses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mao, Jingqiu; Carlton, Annmarie; Cohen, Ronald C.; Brune, William H.; Brown, Steven S.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Pye, Havala O. T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Xu, Lu;

Abiotic production of nitrous oxide by lightning. Implications for a false positive identification of life on Earth-Like Planets around quiescent M Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro, Karina F.; Navarro-Gonzalez, Rafael; McKay, Christopher P.

Nitrous oxide (N _{2}O) is uniformly mixed in the troposphere with a concentration of about 310 ppb but disappears in the stratosphere (Prinn et al., 1990); N _{2}O is mostly emitted at a rate of 1x10 (13) g yr (-1) as a byproduct of microbial activity in soils and in the ocean by two processes: a) denitrification (reduction of nitrate and nitrite), and b) nitrification (oxidation of ammonia) (Maag and Vinther, 1996). The abiotic emission of N _{2}O in the contemporaneous Earth is small, mostly arising from lightning activity (2x10 (9) g yr (-1) , Hill et al., 1984) and by reduction of nitrite by Fe(II)-minerals in soils in Antarctica (Samarkin et al., 2010). Since N _{2}O has absorption bands in the mid-IR (7.8, 8.5, and 17 mumm) that makes it detectable by remote sensing (Topfer et al., 1997; Des Marais et al., 2002), it has been suggested as a potential biosignature in the search for life in extrasolar planets (Churchill and Kasting, 2000). However, the minimum required concentration for positive identification is 10,000 ppb with missions like Terrestrial Planet Finder and Darwin (Churchill and Kasting, 2000). Therefore, it is not a suitable biomarker for extrasolar Earth-like planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun. Because N _{2}O is protected in the troposphere from UV photolysis by the stratospheric ozone layer, its concentration would decrease with decreasing oxygen (O _{2}) concentrations, if the biological source strength remains constant (Kasting and Donahue, 1980). For a primitive Earth-like (Hadean) atmosphere dominated by CO _{2}, and no free O _{2}, the expected N _{2}O concentration would be about 3 ppb with the current microbial N _{2}O flux (Churchill and Kasting, 2000). The resulting N _{2}O spectral signature of this atmosphere would be undetectable unless the N _{2}O microbial flux would be 10 (4) greater than its present value (Churchill and Kasting, 2000). Since this flux is unlikely, it is impossible to use it as a biomarker in anoxic CO _{2} dominated primitive Earth-like atmospheres. However, during the rise in atmospheric O _{2} at the start of the Proterozoic, the ocean became stratified (anoxic at the bottom and oxygenic at the surface). During this period, the emissions of N _{2}O were probably higher than today associated with a stronger microbial activity in the early anoxic ocean layer (Grenfell et al., 2011). Under this scenario, the predicted N _{2}O concentration would be about 3920 ppb, considering 10% the current atmospheric O _{2} concentrations, 100 times higher the current microbial N _{2}O flux, and a fainter Sun (94.3%) (Grenfell et al., 2011). This concentration would be still undetectable (Grenfell et al., 2011). A completely different scenario could be expected in Earth-like planets orbiting M dwarfs, which are the most abundant stars in the galaxy, representing about 75% of the total stellar population. M stars exhibit a large range in activity levels from very low levels of chromospheric and coronal activity, the so-called “quiescent” to high levels, the so-called “active" states. Photochemical models predict that the N _{2}O concentration would only increase to about 1,000 ppb for the current Earth orbiting an active M star, but surprisingly up to about 1,000 ppm for the current Earth orbiting a quiescent M star (Segura et al., 2005). Therefore, N _{2}O becomes a promising biomarker. Under this scenario it is important to constrain the abiotic sources of N _{2}O under different atmospheric conditions to avoid a false positive identification of life. Here we report an experimental study of the effects of lightning discharges on the nitrogen fixation rate during the evolution of the Earth’s early atmosphere from 10 to 1 percent of carbon dioxide in molecular nitrogen. We extended our study from no methane up to 1,000 ppm CH _{4}, which would be applicable to the postbiotic Earth (Tian et al., 2011). Lightning was simulated in the laboratory by a plasma generated with a pulsed Nd-YAG laser (Navarro-González et al., 2001). Our results show that the energy yield of N _{2}O slightly increases from 3.6x10 (13) molecules J (-1) at 1% CO _{2} to 4.7x10 (13) molecules J (-1) at 10% CO _{2}, and is independent of the initial methane concentration. It is unclear how the lightning flashing rate would have varied on the early Earth, and how different would be it on an Earth-like planet orbiting a quiescent M star; however, assuming that it is similar to the present value of about 1x10 (18) J yr (-1) (Navarro-González et al., 2001), our results imply that the production rate of N _{2}O was about 2x10 (9) g yr (-1) , about 5,000 times less the current microbial flux. This abiotic flux of N _{2}O by lightning is about 200 times higher than that produced by corona discharges (Nna Mvondo et al., 2005). Extrapolating this flux in Segura et al.’s (2005) model, an assuming no effect for the lack of atmospheric oxygen, implies a N _{2}O concentration of 200 ppb. This value could be underestimated if lightning activity would be enhanced on Earth-like planets orbiting a quiescent M star. However, we conclude that lightning activity could not interfere with the remote detection of life using N _{2}O as a biosignature. References: Churchill, D. and Kasting, J.: 2000, Nitrous oxide in the early atmosphere: A marker for life? ESA SP 451. Des Marais, D.J., Harwit, M.O., Jucks, K.W., Kasting, J.F., Lin, D.N.C., Lunine, J.I,. Schneider, J., Seager, S., Traub, W.A., and Woolf, N.J.: 2002, Remote Sensing of Planetary Properties and Biosignatures on Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets, Astrobio. 2, 153-181. Grenfell, J.L., Gebauer, S., von Paris, P.,, Godolt, M, Hedelt, P., Patzer, A.B.C., Stracke, B., and Rauer, H.: 2011, Sensitivity of biomarkers to changes in chemical emissions in the Earth’s Proterozoic atmosphere, Icarus 211, 81-88. Hill, R.D., Rinker, R.G., and Coucouvinos, A.: 1984, Nitrous oxide production by lightning, J. Geophys. Res. 89, 1411-1421. Kasting, J.F. and Donahue, T.M.: 1980. The evolution of atmospheric ozone. J. Geophys. Res. 85, 3255-3263. Maag, M., and Vinther, F.P.: 1996, Nitrous oxide emission by nitrification and denitrification in different soil types and at different soil moisture contents and temperatures. Appl. Soil Ecol. 4, 5-14. Navarro-González, R., McMay, C.P. and Nna Mvondo, D.: 2001, A posible nitrogen crisis for Archaean life due to reduced nitrogen fixation by lightning. Nature 412, 61-64. Nna Mvondo, D., Navarro-González, R., Raulin, F., and Coll, P.: 2005, Nitrogen fixation by corona discharge on the early precambrian Earth. Origins Life Evol. Biosph. 35, 401-409. Prinn, R., Cunnold, D., Rasmussen, R., Simmonds, P., Alyea, F., Crawford, A., Fraser P., and Rosen R.: 1990, Atmospheric emissions and trends of nitrous oxide deduced from 10 years of ALE-GAGE data.J.Geophys. Res. 95, 18369-18385. Samarkin, V.A., Madigan, M.T., Bowles, M.W., Casciotti, K.L., Priscu, J.C., McKay, C.P., and Joye, S.B.: 2010, Abiotic nitrous oxide emission from the hypersaline Don Juan Pond in Antarctica. Nature Geosci. 3, 341-344. Segura, A., Kasting, J.F., Meadows, V., Cohen, M., Scalo, J., Crisp, D.,Butler, R.A.H.,and Tinetti, G.: 2005, Biosignatures from Earth-Like Planets Around M Dwarfs. Astrobiology 5, 706-725. Tian, F., Kasting, J.F. and Zahnle, K.: 2011, Revisiting HCN formation in Earth's early atmosphere. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 308, 417-423. Topfer T., Petrov, K.P., Mine Y., Jundt D., Curl, R.F. and F.K. Tittel: 1997, Room-temperature mid-infrared laser sensor for trace gas detection. Appl. Optics 36, 8042-8049.

Effects of atmospheric composition on respiratory behavior, weight loss, and appearance of Camembert-type cheeses during chamber ripening.

PubMed

Picque, D; Leclercq-Perlat, M-N; Corrieu, G

2006-08-01

Respiratory activity, weight loss, and appearance of Camembert-type cheeses were studied during chamber ripening in relation to atmospheric composition. Cheese ripening was carried out in chambers under continuously renewed, periodically renewed, or nonrenewed gaseous atmospheres or under a CO(2) concentration kept constant at either 2 or 6% throughout the chamber-ripening process. It was found that overall atmospheric composition, and especially CO(2) concentration, of the ripening chamber affected respiratory activity. When CO(2) was maintained at either 2 or 6%, O(2) consumption and CO(2) production (and their kinetics) were higher compared with ripening trials carried out without regulating CO(2) concentration over time. Global weight loss was maximal under continuously renewed atmospheric conditions. In this case, the airflow increased exchanges between cheeses and the atmosphere. The ratio between water evaporation and CO(2) release also depended on atmospheric composition, especially CO(2) concentration. The thickening of the creamy underrind increased more quickly when CO(2) was present in the chamber from the beginning of the ripening process. However, CO(2) concentrations higher than 2% negatively influenced the appearance of the cheeses.

On the Utility of the Molecular Oxygen Dayglow Emissions as Proxies for Middle Atmospheric Ozone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mlynczak, Martin G.; Olander, Daphne S.

1995-01-01

Molecular oxygen dayglow emissions arise in part from processes related to the Hartley band photolysis of ozone. It is therefore possible to derive daytime ozone concentrations from measurements of the volume emission rate of either dayglow. The accuracy to which the ozone concentration can be inferred depends on the accuracy to which numerous kinetic and spectroscopic rate constants are known, including rates which describe the excitation of molecular oxygen by processes that are not related to the ozone concentration. We find that several key rate constants must be known to better than 7 percent accuracy in order to achieve an inferred ozone concentration accurate to 15 percent from measurements of either dayglow. Currently, accuracies for various parameters typically range from 5 to 100 percent.

F100 Engine Emissions Tested in NASA Lewis' Propulsion Systems Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wey, Chowen C.

1998-01-01

Recent advances in atmospheric sciences have shown that the chemical composition of the entire atmosphere of the planet (gases and airborne particles) has been changed due to human activity and that these changes have changed the heat balance of the planet. National Research Council findings indicate that anthropogenic aerosols1 reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Atmospheric global models suggest that sulfate aerosols change the energy balance of the Northern Hemisphere as much as anthropogenic greenhouse gases have. In response to these findings, NASA initiated the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP) to advance the research needed to define present and future aircraft emissions and their effects on the Earth's atmosphere. Although the importance of aerosols and their precursors is now well recognized, the characterization of current subsonic engines for these emissions is far from complete. Furthermore, since the relationship of engine operating parameters to aerosol emissions is not known, extrapolation to untested and unbuilt engines necessarily remains highly uncertain. Tests in 1997-an engine test at the NASA Lewis Research Center and the corresponding flight measurement test at the NASA Langley Research Center-attempted to address both issues by measuring emissions when fuels containing different levels of sulfur were burned. Measurement systems from four research groups were involved in the Lewis engine test: A Lewis gas analyzer suite to measure the concentration of gaseous species 1. including NO, NOx, CO, CO2, O2, THC, and SO2 as well as the smoke number; 2. A University of Missouri-Rolla Mobile Aerosol Sampling System to measure aerosol and particulate properties including the total concentration, size distribution, volatility, and hydration property; 3. An Air Force Research Laboratory Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer to measure the concentration of SO2 and SO3/H2SO4; and 4. An Aerodyne Research Inc. Tunable Diode Laser System to measure the concentrations of SO2, SO3, NO, NO2, CO2, and H2O. By September 1997, an F100 engine operating at several power levels at sea level and up to six simulated altitudes had been tested with commercial jet fuels with three levels of sulfur content and one military jet fuel. The data are being vigorously analyzed. A complete report is anticipated for the 1998 Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project Annual Conference.

Radiative transfer in CO2-rich atmospheres: 1. Collisional line mixing implies a colder early Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozak, N.; Aharonson, O.; Halevy, I.

2016-06-01

Fast and accurate radiative transfer methods are essential for modeling CO2-rich atmospheres, relevant to the climate of early Earth and Mars, present-day Venus, and some exoplanets. Although such models already exist, their accuracy may be improved as better theoretical and experimental constraints become available. Here we develop a unidimensional radiative transfer code for CO2-rich atmospheres, using the correlated k approach and with a focus on modeling early Mars. Our model differs from existing models in that it includes the effects of CO2 collisional line mixing in the calculation of the line-by-line absorption coefficients. Inclusion of these effects results in model atmospheres that are more transparent to infrared radiation and, therefore, in colder surface temperatures at radiative-convective equilibrium, compared with results of previous studies. Inclusion of water vapor in the model atmosphere results in negligible warming due to the low atmospheric temperatures under a weaker early Sun, which translate into climatically unimportant concentrations of water vapor. Overall, the results imply that sustained warmth on early Mars would not have been possible with an atmosphere containing only CO2 and water vapor, suggesting that other components of the early Martian climate system are missing from current models or that warm conditions were not long lived.

Passive sampling for the isotopic fingerprinting of atmospheric mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergquist, B. A.; MacLagan, D.; Spoznar, N.; Kaplan, R.; Chandan, P.; Stupple, G.; Zimmerman, L.; Wania, F.; Mitchell, C. P. J.; Steffen, A.; Monaci, F.; Derry, L. A.

2017-12-01

Recent studies show that there are variations in the mercury (Hg) isotopic signature of atmospheric Hg, which demonstrates the potential for source tracing and improved understanding of atmospheric cycling of Hg. However, current methods for both measuring atmospheric Hg and collecting enough atmospheric Hg for isotopic analyses require expensive instruments that need power and expertise. Additionally, methods for collecting enough atmospheric Hg for isotopic analysis require pumping air through traps for long periods (weeks and longer). Combining a new passive atmospheric sampler for mercury (Hg) with novel Hg isotopic analyses will allow for the application of stable Hg isotopes to atmospheric studies of Hg. Our group has been testing a new passive sampler for gaseous Hg that relies on the diffusion of Hg through a diffusive barrier and adsorption onto a sulphur-impregnated activated carbon sorbent. The benefit of this passive sampler is that it is low cost, requires no power, and collects gaseous Hg for up to one year with linear, well-defined uptake, which allows for reproducible and accurate measurements of atmospheric gaseous Hg concentrations ( 8% uncertainty). As little as one month of sampling is often adequate to collect sufficient Hg for isotopic analysis at typical background concentrations. Experiments comparing the isotopic Hg signature in activated carbon samples using different approaches (i.e. by passive diffusion, by passive diffusion through diffusive barriers of different thickness, by active pumping) and at different temperatures confirm that the sampling process itself does not impose mass-independent fractionation (MIF). However, sampling does result in a consistent and thus correctable mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) effect. Therefore, the sampler preserves Hg MIF with very high accuracy and precision, which is necessary for atmospheric source tracing, and reasonable MDF can be estimated with some increase in error. In addition to experimental work, initial field data will be presented including a transect of increasing distance from a known strong source of Hg (Mt. Amiata mine, Italy), downwind of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, and several other locales including the Arctic station Alert and various sites across Ontario, Canada.

Missing SO2 oxidant in the coastal atmosphere? - observations from high-resolution measurements of OH and atmospheric sulfur compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berresheim, H.; Adam, M.; Monahan, C.; O'Dowd, C.; Plane, J. M. C.; Bohn, B.; Rohrer, F.

2014-11-01

Diurnal and seasonal variations of gaseous sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and methane sulfonic acid (MSA) were measured in NE Atlantic air at the Mace Head atmospheric research station during the years 2010 and 2011. The measurements utilized selected-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (SI/CIMS) with a detection limit for both compounds of 4.3 × 104 cm-3 at 5 min signal integration. The H2SO4 and MSA gas-phase concentrations were analyzed in conjunction with the condensational sink for both compounds derived from 3 nm to 10 μm (aerodynamic diameter) aerosol size distributions. Accommodation coefficients of 1.0 for H2SO4 and 0.12 for MSA were assumed, leading to estimated atmospheric lifetimes on the order of 7 and 25 min, respectively. With the SI/CIMS instrument in OH measurement mode alternating between OH signal and background (non-OH) signal, evidence was obtained for the presence of one or more unknown oxidants of SO2 in addition to OH. Depending on the nature of the oxidant(s), its ambient concentration may be enhanced in the CIMS inlet system by additional production. The apparent unknown SO2 oxidant was additionally confirmed by direct measurements of SO2 in conjunction with calculated H2SO4 concentrations. The calculated H2SO4 concentrations were consistently lower than the measured concentrations by a factor of 4.7 ± 2.4 when considering the oxidation of SO2 by OH as the only source of H2SO4. Both the OH and the background signal were also observed to increase significantly during daytime aerosol nucleation events, independent of the ozone photolysis frequency, J(O1D), and were followed by peaks in both H2SO4 and MSA concentrations. This suggests a strong relation between the unknown oxidant(s), OH chemistry, and the atmospheric photolysis and photooxidation of biogenic iodine compounds. As to the identity of the atmospheric SO2 oxidant(s), we have been able to exclude ClO, BrO, IO, and OIO as possible candidates based on {ab initio} calculations. Nevertheless, IO could contribute significantly to the observed CIMS background signal. A detailed analysis of this CIMS background signal in context with recently published kinetic data currently suggests that Criegee intermediates (CIs) produced from ozonolysis of alkenes play no significant role for SO2 oxidation in the marine atmosphere at Mace Head. On the other hand, SO2 oxidation by small CIs such as CH2OO produced photolytically or possibly in the photochemical degradation of methane is consistent with our observations. In addition, H2SO4 formation from dimethyl sulfide oxidation via SO3 as an intermediate instead of SO2 also appears to be a viable explanation. Both pathways need to be further explored.

Development and evaluation of a high-resolution aerosol optical depth product for the southern California region during the October 2007 wildfires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCarthy, M. C.; Raffuse, S. M.; Dewinter, J. L.; Lurmann, F.; Craig, K. J.; Fruin, S.

2010-12-01

Current methods for estimating acute exposure to high levels of air pollution (e.g., particles, CO, NOx, aldehydes) during fire events require spatial interpolation over the study area using concentrations at central air quality monitors to represent the population of interest. This may inaccurately represent the magnitude of exposure because pollutant concentrations vary widely depending on the location of the fire plume, vertical mixing, and prevailing winds dispersing the pollutant. Remotely sensed datasets, such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the NASA MODIS instrument, can provide greater spatial coverage than ground-based air quality monitors. Past studies have shown positive correlations between AOD, a measure of aerosols in an atmospheric column, and ground-level measurements of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. However, current standard AOD products are not sufficient for assessing intra-urban variability due to the low spatial resolution (e.g., 10x10 km for MODIS) of datasets. In addition such products typically perform poorly with very dense smoke in the atmosphere and over reflective, semi-arid land surfaces such as southern California. A highly resolved AOD product (500m resolution) was developed for southern California during the October 2007 fires using radiance data obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) MODIS instrument. AOD was calculated at 0.55µm wavelength using a unique algorithm tailored to the southern California region and for an atmosphere dominated by biomass burning aerosols. The AOD product was compared with column measurements of AOD from surface-based AERONET sites. AOD was not predictive of surface PM during the October 2007 fires when compared to surface PM concentrations throughout southern California; R-square correlation coefficients were low. However, the relationship varied during the time period studied: correlations were weak early in the event (0.02) but improved during the later days of the event (0.3). Heavy dust episodes early in the fire event were poorly represented by the biomass-specific aerosol optical properties model. In addition, lofted smoke plumes from active fires did not mix down to the surface, resulting in high AOD column estimates and low surface PM concentrations. The aerosol was more dispersed later in the event; elevated surface PM concentrations were coincident with moderate AOD values. The case study demonstrates the challenges in using remote measurements in quantifying surface concentrations during active fire events in areas of complex terrain.

Mosses Are Better than Leaves of Vascular Plants in Monitoring Atmospheric Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Areas.

PubMed

Jiang, Yanbin; Fan, Miao; Hu, Ronggui; Zhao, Jinsong; Wu, Yupeng

2018-05-29

Mosses and leaves of vascular plants have been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination by heavy metals originating from various sources. This study aims to compare the metal accumulation capabilities of mosses and vascular species in urban areas and quantify the suitability of different taxa for monitoring airborne heavy metals. One pleurocarpous feather moss species, Haplocladium angustifolium , and two evergreen tree species, Cinnamomum bodinieri Osmanthus fragrans , and substrate soil were sampled in the urban area of different land use types in Wuhan City in China. The concentrations of Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Pb, and Zn in these samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The differences of heavy metals concentration in the three species showed that the moss species was considerably more capable of accumulating heavy metals than tree leaves (3 times to 51 times). The accumulated concentration of heavy metals in the moss species depended on the metal species and land use type. The enrichment factors of metals for plants and the correlations of metals in plants with corresponding metals in soil reflected that the accumulated metals in plants stemmed mostly from atmospheric deposition, rather than the substrate soil. Anthropogenic factors, such as traffic emissions from automobile transportation and manufacturing industries, were primarily responsible for the variations in metal pollutants in the atmosphere and subsequently influenced the metal accumulation in the mosses. This study elucidated that the moss species H. angustifolium is relatively more suitable than tree leaves of C. bodinieri and O. fragrans in monitoring heavy metal pollution in urban areas, and currently Wuhan is at a lower contamination level of atmospheric heavy metals than some other cities in China.

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition on petals enhances seed quality of the forest herb Anemone nemorosa.

PubMed

De Frenne, P; Blondeel, H; Brunet, J; Carón, M M; Chabrerie, O; Cougnon, M; Cousins, S A O; Decocq, G; Diekmann, M; Graae, B J; Hanley, M E; Heinken, T; Hermy, M; Kolb, A; Lenoir, J; Liira, J; Orczewska, A; Shevtsova, A; Vanneste, T; Verheyen, K

2018-05-01

Elevated atmospheric input of nitrogen (N) is currently affecting plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The growth and survival of numerous plant species is known to respond strongly to N fertilisation. Yet, few studies have assessed the effects of N deposition on seed quality and reproductive performance, which is an important life-history stage of plants. Here we address this knowledge gap by assessing the effects of atmospheric N deposition on seed quality of the ancient forest herb Anemone nemorosa using two complementary approaches. By taking advantage of the wide spatiotemporal variation in N deposition rates in pan-European temperate and boreal forests over 2 years, we detected positive effects of N deposition on the N concentration (percentage N per unit seed mass, increased from 2.8% to 4.1%) and N content (total N mass per seed more than doubled) of A. nemorosa seeds. In a complementary experiment, we applied ammonium nitrate to aboveground plant tissues and the soil surface to determine whether dissolved N sources in precipitation could be incorporated into seeds. Although the addition of N to leaves and the soil surface had no effect, a concentrated N solution applied to petals during anthesis resulted in increased seed mass, seed N concentration and N content. Our results demonstrate that N deposition on the petals enhances bioaccumulation of N in the seeds of A. nemorosa. Enhanced atmospheric inputs of N can thus not only affect growth and population dynamics via root or canopy uptake, but can also influence seed quality and reproduction via intake through the inflorescences. © 2018 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor Fluxes at Reduced and Elevated CO2 Concentrations in Southern California Chaparral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Y.; Oechel, W. C.; Hastings, S. J.; Bryant, P. J.; Qian, Y.

2003-12-01

This research took two different approaches to measuring carbon and water vapor fluxes at the plot level (2 x 2 meter and 1 x 1 meter plots) to help understand and predict ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 concentrations and concomitant environmental changes. The first measurement approach utilized a CO2-controlled, ambient lit, temperature controlled (CO2LT) null-balance chamber system run in a chaparral ecosystem in southern California, with six different CO2 concentrations ranging from 250 to 750 ppm CO2 concentrations with 100 ppm difference between treatments. The second measurement approach used a free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) system operated at 550 ppm CO2 concentration. These manipulations allowed the study of responses of naturally-growing chaparral to varying levels of CO2, under both chamber and open air conditions. There was a statistically significant CO2 effect on annual NEE (net ecosystem exchange) during the period of this study, 1997 to 2000. The effects of elevated CO2 on CO2 and water vapor flux showed strong seasonal patterns. Elevated CO2 delayed the development of water stress, enhanced leaf-level photosynthesis, and decreased transpiration and conductance rates. These effects were observed regardless of water availability. Ecosystem CO2 sink strength and plant water status were significantly enhanced by elevated CO2 when water availability was restricted. Comparing the FACE treatment and the FACE control, the ecosystem was either a stronger sink or a weaker source to the atmosphere throughout the dry seasons, but there was no statistically significant difference during the wet seasons. Annual average leaf transpiration decreased with the increasing of the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Although leaf level water-use efficiency (WUE) increased with the growth CO2 concentration increase, annual evapotranspiration (ET) during these four years also increased with the increase of the atmospheric CO2 concentrations. These results indicate that chaparral or other similar ecosystems, under future elevated CO2 concentrations, might be even more water stressed than they are under current conditions.

Differences in spatiotemporal variations of atmospheric PAH levels between North America and Europe: data from two air monitoring projects.

PubMed

Liu, Liang-Ying; Kukučka, Petr; Venier, Marta; Salamova, Amina; Klánová, Jana; Hites, Ronald A

2014-03-01

Atmospheric concentrations of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured at five sites for almost two decades near the North American Great Lakes, as part of the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN), and at three remote sites around Europe, as part of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP). The primary objectives were to reveal the spatial distributions, long-term temporal trends, and seasonal variations of atmospheric PAH concentrations and to investigate potential differences between these two regions. Atmospheric PAH concentrations at the urban sites in Chicago and Cleveland near Great Lakes were about 20 times (depending on PAH congener and sampling site) greater than those at the rural sites except for Košetice in the Czech Republic. Atmospheric PAH concentrations at Košetice, also a rural site, were about one-third of those at Chicago and Cleveland, but 10 times higher than those at other rural sites (Sturgeon Point, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Eagle Harbor, Aspvreten, and Spitsbergen). Significant long-term decreasing trends of all these PAH atmospheric concentrations were observed at Chicago and Cleveland. For the other sites, either less significant or no long-term decreasing trends were observed. Clear seasonality was observed at Sturgeon Point, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Košetice, and Spitsbergen, with the highest PAH concentrations observed in mid-January. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban Air Quality Modelling with AURORA: Prague and Bratislava

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veldeman, N.; Viaene, P.; De Ridder, K.; Peelaerts, W.; Lauwaet, D.; Muhammad, N.; Blyth, L.

2012-04-01

The European Commission, in its strategy to protect the health of the European citizens, states that in order to assess the impact of air pollution on public health, information on long-term exposure to air pollution should be available. Currently, indicators of air quality are often being generated using measured pollutant concentrations. While air quality monitoring stations data provide accurate time series information at specific locations, air quality models have the advantage of being able to assess the spatial variability of air quality (for different resolutions) and predict air quality in the future based on different scenarios. When running such air quality models at a high spatial and temporal resolution, one can simulate the actual situation as closely as possible, allowing for a detailed assessment of the risk of exposure to citizens from different pollutants. AURORA (Air quality modelling in Urban Regions using an Optimal Resolution Approach), a prognostic 3-dimensional Eulerian chemistry-transport model, is designed to simulate urban- to regional-scale atmospheric pollutant concentration and exposure fields. The AURORA model also allows to calculate the impact of changes in land use (e.g. planting of trees) or of emission reduction scenario's on air quality. AURORA is currently being applied within the ESA atmospheric GMES service, PASODOBLE (http://www.myair-eu.org), that delivers information on air quality, greenhouse gases, stratospheric ozone, … At present there are two operational AURORA services within PASODOBLE. Within the "Air quality forecast service" VITO delivers daily air quality forecasts for Belgium at a resolution of 5 km and for the major Belgian cities: Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Liege and Charleroi. Furthermore forecast services are provided for Prague, Czech Republic and Bratislava, Slovakia, both at a resolution of 1 km. The "Urban/regional air quality assessment service" provides urban- and regional-scale maps (hourly resolution) for air pollution and human exposure statistics for an entire year. So far we concentrated on Brussels, Belgium and the Rotterdam harbour area, The Netherlands. In this contribution we focus on the operational forecast services. Reference Lefebvre W. et al. (2011) Validation of the MIMOSA-AURORA-IFDM model chain for policy support: Modeling concentrations of elemental carbon in Flanders, Atmospheric Environment 45, 6705-6713

A new portable generator to dynamically produce SI-traceable reference gas mixtures for VOCs and water vapour at atmospheric concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillevic, Myriam; Pascale, Céline; Ackermann, Andreas; Leuenberger, Daiana; Niederhauser, Bernhard

2016-04-01

In the framework of the KEY-VOCs and AtmoChem-ECV projects, we are currently developing new facilities to dynamically generate reference gas mixtures for a variety of reactive compounds, at concentrations measured in the atmosphere and in a SI-traceable way (i.e. the amount of substance fraction in mole per mole is traceable to SI-units). Here we present the realisation of such standards for water vapour in the range 1-10 μmol/mol and for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as limonene, alpha-pinene, MVK, MEK, in the nmol/mol range. The matrix gas can be nitrogen or synthetic air. Further development in gas purification techniques could make possible to use purified atmospheric air as carrier gas. The method is based on permeation and dynamic dilution: one permeator containing a pure substance (either water, limonene, MVK, MEK or α-pinene) is kept into a permeation chamber with a constant gas flow. The mass loss is precisely calibrated using a magnetic suspension balance. The carrier gas is purified beforehand from the compounds of interest to the required level, using commercially available purification cartridges. This primary mixture is then diluted to reach the required amount of substance fraction. All flows are piloted by mass flow controllers which makes the production process flexible and easily adaptable to generate the required concentration. All parts in contact with the gas mixture are passivated using coated surfaces, to reduce adsorption/desorption processes as much as possible. Two setups are currently developed: one already built and fixed in our laboratory in Bern as well as a portable generator that is still under construction and that could be used anywhere in the field. The permeation chamber of the portable generator has multiple individual cells allowing the generation of mixtures up to 5 different components if needed. Moreover the presented technique can be adapted and applied to a large variety of molecules (e.g., NO2, BTEX, CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs and other refrigerants) and is particularly suitable for gas species and/or concentration ranges that are not stable in cylinders.

Biomass burning influences on atmospheric composition: A case study to assess the impact of aerosol data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keslake, Tim; Chipperfield, Martyn; Mann, Graham; Flemming, Johannes; Remy, Sam; Dhomse, Sandip; Morgan, Will

2016-04-01

The C-IFS (Composition Integrated Forecast System) developed under the MACC series of projects and to be continued under the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring System, provides global operational forecasts and re-analyses of atmospheric composition at high spatial resolution (T255, ~80km). Currently there are 2 aerosol schemes implemented within C-IFS, a mass-based scheme with externally mixed particle types and an aerosol microphysics scheme (GLOMAP-mode). The simpler mass-based scheme is the current operational system, also used in the existing system to assimilate satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD) for improved forecast capability. The microphysical GLOMAP scheme has now been implemented and evaluated in the latest C-IFS cycle alongside the mass-based scheme. The upgrade to the microphysical scheme provides for higher fidelity aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interactions, accounting for global variations in size distribution and mixing state, and additional aerosol properties such as cloud condensation nuclei concentrations. The new scheme will also provide increased aerosol information when used as lateral boundary conditions for regional air quality models. Here we present a series of experiments highlighting the influence and accuracy of the two different aerosol schemes and the impact of MODIS AOD assimilation. In particular, we focus on the influence of biomass burning emissions on aerosol properties in the Amazon, comparing to ground-based and aircraft observations from the 2012 SAMBBA campaign. Biomass burning can affect regional air quality, human health, regional weather and the local energy budget. Tropical biomass burning generates particles primarily composed of particulate organic matter (POM) and black carbon (BC), the local ratio of these two different constituents often determining the properties and subsequent impacts of the aerosol particles. Therefore, the model's ability to capture the concentrations of these two carbonaceous aerosol types, during the tropical dry season, is essential for quantifying these wide ranging impacts. Comparisons to SAMBBA aircraft observations show that while both schemes underestimate POM and BC mass concentrations, the GLOMAP scheme provides a more accurate simulation. When satellite AOD is assimilated into the GEMS-AER scheme, the model is successfully adjusted, capturing observed mass concentrations to a good degree of accuracy.

Ozone generation by negative direct current corona discharges in dry air fed coaxial wire-cylinder reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yehia, Ashraf; Mizuno, Akira

An analytical study was made in this paper for calculating the ozone generation by negative dc corona discharges. The corona discharges were formed in a coaxial wire-cylinder reactor. The reactor was fed by dry air flowing with constant rates at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, and stressed by a negative dc voltage. The current-voltage characteristics of the negative dc corona discharges formed inside the reactor were measured in parallel with concentration of the generated ozone under different operating conditions. An empirical equation was derived from the experimental results for calculating the ozone concentration generated inside the reactor. The results, thatmore » have been recalculated by using the derived equation, have agreed with the experimental results over the whole range of the investigated parameters, except in the saturation range for the ozone concentration. Therefore, the derived equation represents a suitable criterion for expecting the ozone concentration generated by negative dc corona discharges in dry air fed coaxial wire-cylinder reactors under any operating conditions in range of the investigated parameters.« less

Quantifying atmospheric nitrogen outflow from the Front Range of Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuman, J. A.; Eilerman, S. J.; Brock, C. A.; Brown, S. S.; Dube, W. P.; Herndon, S. C.; Holloway, J. S.; Nowak, J. B.; Roscioli, J. R.; Ryerson, T. B.; Sjostedt, S. J.; Thompson, C. R.; Trainer, M.; Veres, P. R.; Wild, R. J.

2015-12-01

Reactive nitrogen emitted to the atmosphere from urban, industrial, and agricultural sources can be transported and deposited far from the source regions, affecting vegetation, soils, and water of sensitive ecosystems. Mitigation of atmospheric nitrogen deposition requires emissions characterization and quantification. Ammonia (NH3), a full suite of gas-phase oxidized nitrogen compounds, and particulate matter were measured from an aircraft that flew downwind from concentrated animal feeding operations, oil and gas extraction facilities, and urban areas along the Colorado Front Range in March and April 2015, as part of the Shale Oil and Natural Gas Nexus (SONGNEX) field study. Additionally, NH3 measurements from a fully instrumented aircraft that flew over the same region in July and August 2014 as part of the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE) are used to examine atmospheric nitrogen emission and transport. Cross-wind plume transects and altitude profiles were performed over the source regions and 60-240 km downwind. Plumes were transported in the boundary layer with large NH3 mixing ratios (typically 20-100 ppbv) and were tens of km wide. The NH3 in these plumes provided an atmospheric nitrogen burden greater than 0.2 kg N/ha. Nitrogen oxides and their oxidation products and particulate matter were also enhanced in the plumes, but with concentrations substantially less than NH3. With efficient transport followed by wet deposition, these plumes have the potential to provide a large nitrogen input to the neighboring Rocky Mountain National Park, where nitrogen deposition currently exceeds the ecological critical load of 1.5 kg N/ha/yr.

Synthetic spectra of simulated terrestrial atmospheres containing possible biomarker gases.

PubMed

Schindler, T L; Kasting, J F

2000-05-01

NASA's proposed Terrestrial Planet Finder, a space-based interferometer, will eventually allow spectroscopic analyses of the atmospheres of extrasolar planets. Such analyses would provide information about the existence of life on these planets. One strategy in the search for life is to look for evidence of O3 (and hence O2) in a planet's atmosphere; another is to look for gases that might be present in an atmosphere analogous to that of the inhabited early Earth. In order to investigate these possibilities, we have calculated synthetic spectra for several hypothetical terrestrial-type atmospheres. The model atmospheres represent four different scenarios. The first two, representing inhabited terrestrial planets, are an Earth-like atmosphere containing variable amounts of oxygen and an early Earth-type atmosphere containing methane. In addition, two cases representing Mars-like and early Venus-like atmospheres were evaluated, to provide possible "false positive" spectra. The calculated spectra suggest that ozone could be detected by an instrument like Terrestrial Planet Finder if the O2 concentration in the planet's atmosphere is > or = 200 ppm, or 10(-3) times the present atmospheric level. Methane should be observable on an early-Earth type planet if it is present in concentrations of 100 ppm or more. Methane has both biogenic and abiogenic sources, but concentrations exceeding 1000 ppm, or 0.1% by volume, would be difficult to produce from abiogenic sources alone. High methane concentrations in a planet's atmosphere are therefore another potential indicator for extraterrestrial life.

Physical climate response to a reduction of anthropogenic climate forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myneni, R. B.; Samanta, A.; Anderson, B. T.; Ganguly, S.; Knyazikhin, Y.; Nemani, R. R.

2009-12-01

Recent research indicates that the warming of the climate system resulting from increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the next century will persist for many centuries after the cessation of these emissions, due principally to the persistence of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and their attendant radiative forcing. However, it is unknown whether the responses of other components of the climate system—including those related to Greenland and Antarctic ice cover, the Atlantic thermohaline circulation, the West African monsoon, and ecosystems and human welfare—would be reversed even if atmospheric CO2 concentrations were to recover to 1990 levels. Here, using a simple set of experiments employing a current-generation numerical climate model, we show that many physical characteristics of the climate system, including global temperatures, precipitation, soil moisture and sea ice, recover as CO2 concentrations decrease. In contrast, stratospheric water vapor, especially in the high latitudes, exhibits non-linear hysteresis. In these regions, increases in water vapor, which initially result from increased CO2 concentrations, remain present even as CO2 concentrations recover. This result has implications for the sensitivity of the global climate system, the evolution and recovery of stratospheric ozone, and the persistence of weather patterns in the high latitudes. Our work also demonstrates that further identification of threshold behavior in response to human-induced global climate change requires an examination of the full Earth system, including cryosphere, biosphere, and chemistry.

Development of a particle-trap preconcentration-soft ionization mass spectrometric technique for the quantification of mercury halides in air.

PubMed

Deeds, Daniel A; Ghoshdastidar, Avik; Raofie, Farhad; Guérette, Élise-Andrée; Tessier, Alain; Ariya, Parisa A

2015-01-01

Measurement of oxidized mercury, Hg(II), in the atmosphere poses a significant analytical challenge as Hg(II) is present at ultra-trace concentrations (picograms per cubic meter air). Current technologies are sufficiently sensitive to measure the total Hg present as Hg(II) but cannot determine the chemical speciation of Hg(II). We detail here the development of a soft ionization mass spectrometric technique coupled with preconcentration onto nano- or microparticle-based traps prior to analysis for the measurement of mercury halides in air. The current methodology has comparable detection limits (4-11 pg m(-3)) to previously developed techniques for the measurement of total inorganic mercury in air while allowing for the identification of HgX2 in collected samples. Both mercury chloride and mercury bromide have been sporadically detected in Montreal urban and indoor air using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). We discuss limitations and advantages of the current technique and discuss potential avenues for future research including quantitative trace measurements of a larger range of mercury compounds.

Sensitivity of open-water ice growth and ice concentration evolution in a coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xiaoxu; Lohmann, Gerrit

2017-09-01

A coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice model is applied to investigate to what degree the area-thickness distribution of new ice formed in open water affects the ice and ocean properties. Two sensitivity experiments are performed which modify the horizontal-to-vertical aspect ratio of open-water ice growth. The resulting changes in the Arctic sea-ice concentration strongly affect the surface albedo, the ocean heat release to the atmosphere, and the sea-ice production. The changes are further amplified through a positive feedback mechanism among the Arctic sea ice, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and the surface air temperature in the Arctic, as the Fram Strait sea ice import influences the freshwater budget in the North Atlantic Ocean. Anomalies in sea-ice transport lead to changes in sea surface properties of the North Atlantic and the strength of AMOC. For the Southern Ocean, the most pronounced change is a warming along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), owing to the interhemispheric bipolar seasaw linked to AMOC weakening. Another insight of this study lies on the improvement of our climate model. The ocean component FESOM is a newly developed ocean-sea ice model with an unstructured mesh and multi-resolution. We find that the subpolar sea-ice boundary in the Northern Hemisphere can be improved by tuning the process of open-water ice growth, which strongly influences the sea ice concentration in the marginal ice zone, the North Atlantic circulation, salinity and Arctic sea ice volume. Since the distribution of new ice on open water relies on many uncertain parameters and the knowledge of the detailed processes is currently too crude, it is a challenge to implement the processes realistically into models. Based on our sensitivity experiments, we conclude a pronounced uncertainty related to open-water sea ice growth which could significantly affect the climate system sensitivity.

DETECTING INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION IN THE ATMOSPHERES OF EARTH-LIKE EXOPLANETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Henry W.; Abad, Gonzalo Gonzalez; Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: henrylin@college.harvard.edu, E-mail: ggonzalezabad@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu

Detecting biosignatures, such as molecular oxygen in combination with a reducing gas, in the atmospheres of transiting exoplanets has been a major focus in the search for alien life. We point out that in addition to these generic indicators, anthropogenic pollution could be used as a novel biosignature for intelligent life. To this end, we identify pollutants in the Earth's atmosphere that have significant absorption features in the spectral range covered by the James Webb Space Telescope. We focus on tetrafluoromethane (CF{sub 4}) and trichlorofluoromethane (CCl{sub 3}F), which are the easiest to detect chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) produced by anthropogenic activity. Wemore » estimate that ∼1.2 days (∼1.7 days) of total integration time will be sufficient to detect or constrain the concentration of CCl{sub 3}F (CF{sub 4}) to ∼10 times the current terrestrial level.« less

Northern Hemisphere Glaciation during the Globally Warm Early Late Pliocene

PubMed Central

De Schepper, Stijn; Groeneveld, Jeroen; Naafs, B. David A; Van Renterghem, Cédéric; Hennissen, Jan; Head, Martin J.; Louwye, Stephen; Fabian, Karl

2013-01-01

The early Late Pliocene (3.6 to ∼3.0 million years ago) is the last extended interval in Earth's history when atmospheric CO2 concentrations were comparable to today's and global climate was warmer. Yet a severe global glaciation during marine isotope stage (MIS) M2 interrupted this phase of global warmth ∼3.30 million years ago, and is seen as a premature attempt of the climate system to establish an ice-age world. Here we propose a conceptual model for the glaciation and deglaciation of MIS M2 based on geochemical and palynological records from five marine sediment cores along a Caribbean to eastern North Atlantic transect. Our records show that increased Pacific-to-Atlantic flow via the Central American Seaway weakened the North Atlantic Current and attendant northward heat transport prior to MIS M2. The consequent cooling of the northern high latitude oceans permitted expansion of the continental ice sheets during MIS M2, despite near-modern atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Sea level drop during this glaciation halted the inflow of Pacific water to the Atlantic via the Central American Seaway, allowing the build-up of a Caribbean Warm Pool. Once this warm pool was large enough, the Gulf Stream–North Atlantic Current system was reinvigorated, leading to significant northward heat transport that terminated the glaciation. Before and after MIS M2, heat transport via the North Atlantic Current was crucial in maintaining warm climates comparable to those predicted for the end of this century. PMID:24349081

Pesticides in the atmosphere: a comparison of gas-particle partitioning and particle size distribution of legacy and current-use pesticides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degrendele, C.; Okonski, K.; Melymuk, L.; Landlová, L.; Kukučka, P.; Audy, O.; Kohoutek, J.; Čupr, P.; Klánová, J.

2015-09-01

This study presents a comparison of seasonal variation, gas-particle partitioning and particle-phase size distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) in air. Two years (2012/2013) of weekly air samples were collected at a background site in the Czech Republic using a high-volume air sampler. To study the particle-phase size distribution, air samples were also collected at an urban and rural site in the area of Brno, Czech Republic, using a cascade impactor separating atmospheric particulates according to six size fractions. The timing and frequencies of detection of CUPs related to their legal status, usage amounts and their environmental persistence, while OCPs were consistently detected throughout the year. Two different seasonal trends were noted: certain compounds had higher concentrations only during the growing season (April-September) and other compounds showed two peaks, first in the growing season and second in plowing season (October-November). In general, gas-particle partitioning of pesticides was governed by physicochemical properties, with higher vapor pressure leading to higher gas phase fractions, and associated seasonality in gas-particle partitioning was observed in nine pesticides. However, some anomalous partitioning was observed for fenpropimorph and chlorpyrifos suggesting the influence of current pesticide application on gas-particle distributions. Nine pesticides had highest particle phase concentrations on fine particles (< 0.95 μm) and four pesticides on coarser (> 1.5 μm) particles.

Characteristics of Atmospheric Pollutants Distribution and Removal Effect of Rainfall on Atmospheric Pollutants in Mining Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen-feng, Tang; You-biao, Hu

2018-05-01

This paper studies the characteristics of atmospheric pollutant (SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and PM10) and the effects of rainfall on the removal of atmospheric pollutants. The results show atmospheric pollutants concentration vary in different seasons and functional area: atmospheric pollutants concentration in summer and autumn is lower than that in winter and spring; the concentration of SO2 and NO2 in coal-chemical industry areas and light industrial areas is higher, the concentration difference of PM2.5 and PM10 in different functional areas is very small, the removal efficiency of rainfall on atmospheric pollutant is gradually improved with the increasing of daily rainfall, rainfall intensity and rainfall duration, the ability of rainfall to remove pollutants tends to be stable after daily rainfall and rainfall intensity exceeds 30mm and 20mm/h respectively, the effect of rainfall on the removal of PM2.5 was slightly worse than the effect of rainfall on other atmospheric pollutants, the rainfall duration should be 60min, 60min and 80min respectively when the effect of rainfall on NO2, PM10 and SO2 tends to be stable.

Atmospheric Concentrations of Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlahos, P.; Edson, J.; Cifuentes, A.; McGillis, W. R.; Zappa, C.

2008-12-01

Long-range transport of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) is a global concern. Remote regions such as the Southern Ocean are greatly under-sampled though critical components in understanding POPs cycling. Over 20 high-volume air samples were collected in the Southern Ocean aboard the RV Brown during the GASEX III experiment between Mar 05 to April 9 2008. The relatively stationary platform (51S,38W) enabled the collection of a unique atmospheric time series at this open ocean station. Air sampling was also conducted across transects from Punto Arenas, Chile and to Montevideo, Uruguay. Samples were collected using glass sleeves packed with poly-urethane foam plugs and C-18 resin in order to collect target organic pollutants (per-fluorinated compounds, currently and historically used pesticides) in this under-sampled region. Here we present POPs concentrations and trends over the sampled period and compare variations with air parcel back trajectories to establish potential origins of their long-range transport.

Life-cycle nitrogen trifluoride emissions from photovoltaics.

PubMed

Fthenakis, Vasilis; Clark, Daniel O; Moalem, Mehran; Chandler, Phil; Ridgeway, Robert G; Hulbert, Forrest E; Cooper, David B; Maroulis, Peter J

2010-11-15

Amorphous- and nanocrystalline-silicon thin-film photovoltaic modules are made in high-throughput manufacturing lines that necessitate quickly cleaning the reactor. Using NF₃, a potent greenhouse gas, as the cleaning agent triggered concerns as recent reports reveal that the atmospheric concentrations of this gas have increased significantly. We quantified the life-cycle emissions of NF₃ in photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, on the basis of actual measurements at the facilities of a major producer of NF₃ and of a manufacturer of PV end-use equipment. From these, we defined the best practices and technologies that are the most likely to keep worldwide atmospheric concentrations of NF₃ at very low radiative forcing levels. For the average U.S. insolation and electricity-grid conditions, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manufacturing and using NF₃ in current PV a-Si and tandem a-Si/nc-Si facilities add 2 and 7 g CO₂(eq)/kWh, which can be displaced within the first 1-4 months of the PV system life.

An unexpected rise in strontium-90 in US deciduous teeth in the 1990s.

PubMed

Mangano, Joseph J; Gould, Jay M; Sternglass, Ernest J; Sherman, Janette D; McDonnell, William

2003-12-30

For several decades, the United States has been without an ongoing program measuring levels of fission products in the body. Strontium-90 (Sr-90) concentrations in 2089 deciduous (baby) teeth, mostly from persons living near nuclear power reactors, reveal that average levels rose 48.5% for persons born in the late 1990s compared to those born in the late 1980s. This trend represents the first sustained increase since the early 1960s, before atmospheric weapons tests were banned. The trend was consistent for each of the five states for which at least 130 teeth are available. The highest averages were found in southeastern Pennsylvania, and the lowest in California (San Francisco and Sacramento), neither of which is near an operating nuclear reactor. In each state studied, the average Sr-90 concentration is highest in counties situated closest to nuclear reactors. It is likely that, 40 years after large-scale atmospheric atomic bomb tests ended, much of the current in-body radioactivity represents nuclear reactor emissions.

Investigating hydrogen peroxide in rainwater of a typical midsized city in tropical Brazil using a novel application of a fluorometric method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaramboni, C.; Crispim, C. P.; Toledo, J. C.; Campos, M. L. A. M.

2018-03-01

This work investigates the effect of public policies related to vehicle emissions on the lower tropospheric concentrations of H2O2 in a typical midsized city in tropical Brazil. The concentrations of H2O2, SO42-, and NO3- in rainwater samples were determined from 2014 to 2017 in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto in São Paulo State. A fluorometric method, based on the formation of a highly fluorescent product (2‧,7‧-dichlorofluorescein, DCF), was adapted and optimized for the measurement of H2O2 in natural water samples including seawater. The method was highly specific, accurate and sensitive (LOD = 2 nmol L-1). Its main advantage compared to others, was that the fluorophore remained stable for at least 48 h, offering a longer time interval in which to perform the analysis and therefore facilitating fieldwork. Concentrations of H2O2 in rainwater ranged from 5.8 to 96 μmol L-1, with VWM of 28.6 ± 1.4 μmol L-1 (n = 77). Solar radiation appeared to have a greater impact on production than on consumption of H2O2. The annual VWM concentrations of H2O2 in rainwater were negatively correlated with sulfate (at pH < 5) and nitrate, suggesting that national policies designed to reduce vehicle emissions of SO2 and NOx resulted in increased atmospheric H2O2 concentrations, impacting the oxidative capacity of the lower troposphere. Biomass burning emissions and photochemical reactions were also found to be important factors affecting the concentration of H2O2 in the atmosphere. This work expands the current records available for the Southern Hemisphere, where there is a considerable paucity of information regarding temporal production and loss of atmospheric H2O2.

Measurements of CO2 Mole Fractionand δ13C in Archived Air Samples from Cape Meares, Oregon (USA) 1977 - 1998

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, O.; Rice, A. L.

2017-12-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most abundant, anthropogenically forced greenhouse gas (GHG) in the global atmosphere. Emissions of CO2 account for approximately 75% of the world's total GHG emissions. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are higher now than they've been at any other time in the past 800,000 years. Currently, the global mean concentration exceeds 400 ppm. Today, global networks regularly monitor CO2 concentrations and isotopic composition (δ13C and δ18O). However, past data is sparse. Over 200 ambient air samples from Cape Meares, Oregon (45.5°N, 124.0°W), a coastal site in Western United States, were obtained by researchers at Oregon Institute of Science and Technology (OGI, now Oregon Health & Science University), between the years of 1977 and 1998 as part of a global monitoring program of six different sites in the polar, middle, and tropical latitudes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Air liquefaction was used to compress approximately 1000L of air (STP) to 30bar, into 33L electropolished (SUMMA) stainless steel canisters. Select archived air samples from the original network are maintained at Portland State University (PSU) Department of Physics. These archived samples are a valuable look at changing atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and δ13C, which can contribute to a better understanding of changes in sources during this time. CO2 concentrations and δ13C of CO2 were measured at PSU, with a Picarro Cavity Ringdown Spectrometer, model G1101-i analytical system. This study presents the analytical methods used, calibration techniques, precision, and reproducibility. Measurements of select samples from the archive show rising CO2 concentrations and falling δ13C over the 1977 to 1998 period, compatible with previous observations and rising anthropogenic sources of CO2. The resulting data set was statistically analyzed in MATLAB. Results of preliminary seasonal and secular trends from the archive samples are presented.

Global oceanic emission of ammonia: Constraints from seawater and atmospheric observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulot, F.; Jacob, D. J.; Johnson, M. T.; Bell, T. G.; Baker, A. R.; Keene, W. C.; Lima, I. D.; Doney, S. C.; Stock, C. A.

2015-08-01

Current global inventories of ammonia emissions identify the ocean as the largest natural source. This source depends on seawater pH, temperature, and the concentration of total seawater ammonia (NHx(sw)), which reflects a balance between remineralization of organic matter, uptake by plankton, and nitrification. Here we compare [NHx(sw)] from two global ocean biogeochemical models (BEC and COBALT) against extensive ocean observations. Simulated [NHx(sw)] are generally biased high. Improved simulation can be achieved in COBALT by increasing the plankton affinity for NHx within observed ranges. The resulting global ocean emissions is 2.5 TgN a-1, much lower than current literature values (7-23 TgN a-1), including the widely used Global Emissions InitiAtive (GEIA) inventory (8 TgN a-1). Such a weak ocean source implies that continental sources contribute more than half of atmospheric NHx over most of the ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. Ammonia emitted from oceanic sources is insufficient to neutralize sulfate aerosol acidity, consistent with observations. There is evidence over the Equatorial Pacific for a missing source of atmospheric ammonia that could be due to photolysis of marine organic nitrogen at the ocean surface or in the atmosphere. Accommodating this possible missing source yields a global ocean emission of ammonia in the range 2-5 TgN a-1, comparable in magnitude to other natural sources from open fires and soils.

[Analysis on concentration variety characteristics of atmospheric ozone under the boundary layer in Beijing].

PubMed

Zong, Xue-Mei; Wang, Geng-Chen; Chen, Hong-Bin; Wang, Pu-Cai; Xuan, Yue-Jian

2007-11-01

Based on the atmospheric ozone sounding data, the average monthly and seasonal variety principles of atmospheric ozone concentration during six years are analyzed under the boundary layer in Beijing. The results show that the monthly variation of atmospheric ozone are obvious that the minimum values appear in January from less than 10 x 10(-9) on ground to less than 50 x 10(-9) on upper layer (2 km), but the maximum values appear in June from 85 x 10(-9) on ground to more than 90 x 10(-9) on upper layer. The seasonal variation is also clear that the least atmospheric ozone concentration is in winter and the most is in summer, but variety from ground to upper layer is largest in winter and least in summer. According to the type of outline, the outline of ozone concentration is composite of three types which are winter type, summer type and spring-autumn type. The monthly ozone concentration in different heights is quite different. After analyzing the relationship between ozone concentration and meteorological factors, such as temperature and humidity, we find ozone concentration on ground is linear with temperature and the correlation coefficient is more than 85 percent.

The Potential Impacts of Nutrient and CO2 Variations on Ecosystem Oxidative Ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, M. E.; Hockaday, W. C.; Masiello, C. A.; Snapp, S.; Polley, W.; McSwiney, C. P.; Baldock, J.

2009-12-01

A fraction of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are being taken up by the terrestrial biosphere and the oceans. One particularly effective way of determining the sizes of these terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon sinks is based on the measurements of changes in atmospheric oxygen (O2) and CO2 concentrations (Keeling et al. 1996). This method of carbon apportionment requires knowledge of total fossil fuel CO2 emissions, atmospheric O2 and CO2 concentrations, and the value of the terrestrial biosphere oxidative ratio (OR), which has historically been assumed to be constant at 1.10 (e.g. Prentice et al. 2001). OR is the ratio of moles of O2 per mole of CO2 in gas exchanges between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. An incorrect estimation of the biosphere’s OR results in misapportionment of CO2 between the terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon sinks (Randerson et al. 2006). Understanding how OR can vary with changing environmental properties is therefore essential to accurately estimate the size of the terrestrial carbon sink. We estimate OR through its relationship with organic carbon oxidation state (Cox) measurements made using a 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and a CHNSO elemental analyzer (Masiello et al. 2008; Hockaday et al. 2009). It is clear that ecosystem OR values frequently deviate from the assumed 1.10 (Masiello et al., 2008; Hockaday et al., 2009). Here we review what mechanisms drive shifts in OR, including: fire, climate (precipitation and temperature), land use change, atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and nutrient supply. We present data on the impact of nitrogen supply and elevated CO2 on ecosystem OR at two different field sites. We measure the effect of nitrogen supply on an agricultural ecosystem at the Kellogg Biological Station-Living Field Laboratory (KBS-LFL) in Michigan over a fertilization gradient (0 to 202 kg N/ha). We also measured the effect of atmospheric CO2 variation on ecosystem OR at a grassland site experiencing three atmospheric CO2 levels: pre-industrial, current, and projected (the USDA-Agricultural Research Service field site in Temple, Texas).

Earth GRAM-99 and Trace Constituents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Duvall, Aleta; Keller, Vernon W.

2004-01-01

Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM-99) is an engineering-level model of Earth's atmosphere. It provides both mean values and perturbations for density, temperature, pressure, and winds, as well as monthly- and geographically-varying trace constituent concentrations. From 0-27 km, GRAM thermodynamics and winds are based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Upper Air Climatic Atlas (GUACA) climatology. Above 120 km, GRAM is based on the NASA Marshall Engineering Thermosphere (MET) model. In the intervening altitude region, GRAM is based on Middle Atmosphere Program (MAP) climatology that also forms the basis of the 1986 COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA). Atmospheric composition is represented in GRAM by concentrations of both major and minor species. Above 120 km, MET provides concentration values for N2, O2, Ar, O, He, and H. Below 120 km, species represented also include H2O, O3, N2O, CO, CH4, and CO2. At COSPAR 2002 a comparison was made between GRAM constituents below 120 km and those provided by Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) climatology. No current need to update GRAM constituent climatology in that height range was identified. This report examines GRAM (MET) constituents between 100 and 1000 km altitudes. Discrepancies are noted between GRAM (MET) constituent number densities and mass density or molecular weight. Near 110 km altitude, there is up to about 25% discrepancy between MET number density and mass density (with mass density being valid and number densities requiring adjustment). Near 700 km altitude there is also up to about 25% discrepancy between MET number density and mean molecular weight (with molecular weight requiring adjustment). In neither case are MET mass density estimates invalidated. These discrepancies have been traced to MET subroutines SLV (which affects 90-170 km height range) and SLVH (which affects helium above 440 km altitude). With these discrepancies corrected, results are presented to illustrate GRAM (MET) constituent mole fractions in terms of height-latitude cross sections from 100 to 1000 km altitude, and latitude-longitude 'maps' at 450 km (approximate height of International Space Station). Plans are discussed for an update of MET (and GRAM) to correct these constituent inconsistencies and to incorporate several new thermospheric model features.

Fluxes of dissolved methane from the seafloor at the landward limit of the gas hydrate stability zone offshore western Svalbard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, Carolyn; Steinle, Lea; Niemann, Helge; Rehder, Gregor; Fisher, Rebecca; Lowry, Dave; Connelly, Doug; James, Rachael

2015-04-01

Seepage of methane from seafloor sediments offshore Svalbard may partly be driven by destabilization of gas hydrates as a result of bottom water warming. As the world's oceans are expected to continue to warm, in particular in the Arctic, destabilization of hydrate may become an important source of methane to ocean bottom waters and potentially to the overlying atmosphere where it contributes to further warming. In order to quantify the fate of methane from seafloor seeps, we have determined the distribution of dissolved methane in the water column on the upper slope and shelf offshore western Svalbard during three research cruises with RRS James Clark Ross (JR253) in 2011 and R/V Maria S. Merian (MSM21/4) and Heincke (HE387) in 2012. Combining discrete depth profile methane concentration data and surface seawater concentrations from an equilibrator-online system with oxidation rate measurements and atmospheric methane observations allows insight into the fate of methane input from the seafloor, and evaluation of the potential contributions of other methane sources. A simple box model considering oxidation and horizontal and vertical mixing indicates that the majority of seep methane is oxidized at depth. A plume of high methane concentrations is expected to persist more than 100 km downstream of the seepage area in the rapid barotropic West Spitsbergen Current, which flows northward towards the Arctic Ocean. We calculate that the diffusive sea-air flux of methane is largest on the shallow shelf, reaching 36 μmol m-2 day-1. Over the entire western Svalbard region there is a persistent, but small, source of methane from surface seawater to the overlying atmosphere. Measurements of the atmospheric methane carbon isotope signature indicate that the seafloor seeps do not make a significant contribution to atmospheric methane in this region, which is consistent with earlier studies. Observations downstream of the seepage region are necessary to further constrain potential for transport of previously hydrate-bound methane to the atmosphere, which would require a mechanism for enhanced vertical mixing of dissolved methane from bottom waters into the surface mixed layer.

Quantifying the sources of atmospheric ice nuclei from carbonaceous combustion aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schill, G. P.; Jathar, S.; Galang, A.; Farmer, D.; Friedman, B.; Levin, E. J.; DeMott, P. J.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2015-12-01

Ice nucleation on particles is a fundamental atmospheric process, which governs precipitation, cloud lifetimes, and climate. Despite being a basic atmospheric process, our current understanding of ice nucleation in the atmosphere is low. One reason for this low understanding is that ice nuclei concentrations are low (only ~1 in 105 particles in the free troposphere nucleate ice), making it challenging to identify both the composition and sources of ambient ice nuclei. Carbonaceous combustion aerosol produced from biomass and fossil fuel combustion are one potential source of these ice nuclei, as they contribute to over one-third of all aerosol in the North American free troposphere. Unfortunately, previous results from field measurements in-cloud, aircraft measurements, and laboratory studies are in conflict, with estimates of the impact of combustion aerosol ranging from no effect to rivaling the well-known atmospheric ice nuclei mineral dust. It is, however, becoming clear that aerosols from combustion processes are more complex than model particles, and their ice activity depends greatly on both fuel type and combustion conditions. Given these dependencies, we propose that sampling from real-world biomass burning and fossil fuel sources would provide the most useful new information on the contribution of carbonaceous combustion aerosols to atmospheric ice nuclei particles. To determine the specific contribution of refractory black carbon (rBC) to ice nuclei concentrations, we have coupled the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) to the Colorado State University Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (CFDC). The SP2 utilizes laser-induced incandescence to quantify rBC mass on a particle-by-particle basis; in doing so, it also selectively destroys rBC particles by heating them to their vaporization temperature. Thus, the SP2 can be used as a selective pre-filter for rBC into the CFDC. In this work, we will present recent results looking at contribution of diesel engine exhaust to ice nuclei concentrations. Sampling was done for both diesel and biodiesel on fresh emissions and emissions aged up to 18 days equivalent photochemical aging with a Potential Aerosol Mass chamber. Our results show that, for mixed-phase clouds, both fresh and aged (bio)diesel are not likely a significant source of ice nuclei.

Feedback mechanisms between snow and atmospheric mercury: Results and observations from field campaigns on the Antarctic plateau.

PubMed

Spolaor, Andrea; Angot, Hélène; Roman, Marco; Dommergue, Aurélien; Scarchilli, Claudio; Vardè, Massimiliano; Del Guasta, Massimo; Pedeli, Xanthi; Varin, Cristiano; Sprovieri, Francesca; Magand, Olivier; Legrand, Michel; Barbante, Carlo; Cairns, Warren R L

2018-04-01

The Antarctic Plateau snowpack is an important environment for the mercury geochemical cycle. We have extensively characterized and compared the changes in surface snow and atmospheric mercury concentrations that occur at Dome C. Three summer sampling campaigns were conducted between 2013 and 2016. The three campaigns had different meteorological conditions that significantly affected mercury deposition processes and its abundance in surface snow. In the absence of snow deposition events, the surface mercury concentration remained stable with narrow oscillations, while an increase in precipitation results in a higher mercury variability. The Hg concentrations detected confirm that snowfall can act as a mercury atmospheric scavenger. A high temporal resolution sampling experiment showed that surface concentration changes are connected with the diurnal solar radiation cycle. Mercury in surface snow is highly dynamic and it could decrease by up to 90% within 4/6 h. A negative relationship between surface snow mercury and atmospheric concentrations has been detected suggesting a mutual dynamic exchange between these two environments. Mercury concentrations were also compared with the Br concentrations in surface and deeper snow, results suggest that Br could have an active role in Hg deposition, particularly when air masses are from coastal areas. This research presents new information on the presence of Hg in surface and deeper snow layers, improving our understanding of atmospheric Hg deposition to the snow surface and the possible role of re-emission on the atmospheric Hg concentration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Emission Controls to Reduce the Atmospheric Concentrations of Mercury.

PubMed

Castro, Mark S; Sherwell, John

2015-12-15

Coal-fired power plants in the United States are required to reduce their emissions of mercury (Hg) into the atmosphere to lower the exposure of Hg to humans. The effectiveness of power-plant emission controls on the atmospheric concentrations of Hg in the United States is largely unknown because there are few long-term high-quality atmospheric Hg data sets. Here, we present the atmospheric concentrations of Hg and sulfur dioxide (SO2) measured from 2006 to 2015 at a relatively pristine location in western Maryland that is several (>50 km) kilometers downwind of power plants in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Annual average atmospheric concentrations of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), SO2, fine particulate mercury (PBM2.5), and gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) declined by 75%, 75%, 43%, and 13%, respectively, and were strongly correlated with power-plant Hg emissions from the upwind states. These results provide compelling evidence that reductions in Hg emissions from power plants in the United States had their intended impact to reduce regional Hg pollution.

Tribromophenoxy flame retardants in the Great Lakes atmosphere.

PubMed

Ma, Yuning; Venier, Marta; Hites, Ronald A

2012-12-18

The 2,4,6-tribromophenoxy moiety is a common structural feature of several brominated flame retardants, and we have previously reported on the environmental concentrations of one such compound, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (TBE). Here we report the atmospheric concentrations of TBE and three other tribromophenoxy compounds: allyl 2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether (ATE), 2-bromoallyl 2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether (BATE), and 2,3-dibromopropyl 2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether (DPTE). The samples were collected at five sites near the shores of the Great Lakes during the period 2008-2009, inclusive. Of these four compounds, TBE and ATE are currently used as flame retardants, and DPTE was formerly used as a flame retardant until its production ceased in the mid-1980s. The total concentrations of ATE, BATE, and DPTE were ∼2 pg/m³ in the cities of Chicago and Cleveland and 0.1-0.4 pg/m³ at the rural and remote sites. The concentrations of TBE were ∼1 pg/m³ in these cities and 0.2-0.8 pg/m³ at the rural and remote sites. In both cases, this was a very significant urban effect. The concentrations of ATE, BATE, and DPTE did not change significantly over the two-year study, but the concentrations of TBE decreased by about a factor of 2 during this time. This temporal change was statistically significant but not strong compared to the urban effect.

Airborne organophosphate pesticides drift in Mediterranean climate: The importance of secondary drift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zivan, Ohad; Segal-Rosenheimer, Michal; Dubowski, Yael

2016-02-01

Pesticide application is a short-term air-pollution episode with near and far field effects due to atmospheric drift. In order to better evaluate resulting air concentrations in nearby communities following pesticide application, measurements of airborne pesticides were conducted at ∼70 m from field edge. This was done following three different application events of the organophosphate pesticide Chlorpyrifos in a persimmon orchard. Complementary information on larger spatial scale was obtained using CALPUFF modeling in which application and meteorological data was used to better evaluate dispersion patterns. Measurements indicated high airborne concentrations during application hours (few μg m-3 for 8 h average), which dropped to tens of ng m-3 in the following days. Measured atmospheric concentrations show that secondary drift (i.e., post-application drift) involves significant loads of pesticides and hence should not be ignored in exposure considerations. Furthermore, CALPUFF modeling revealed the complex dispersion pattern when weak winds prevailed, and showed that during the 24 h after application air concentrations reached levels above the hourly Texas effect screening level (0.1 μg m-3). Interestingly, weak winds on the night after application resulted in a secondary peak in measured and modeled air concentrations. Long exposure time (when secondary drift is considered) and concentrations measured following such common air-assisted orchard application, suggest pesticide drift may have health repercussions that are currently unknown, and emphasize the need for further epidemiological studies.

Effects of paddy rice agriculture on the seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, G.; Xiao, X.; Dong, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xin, F.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, J.; Wu, X.; Moore, B., III

2017-12-01

Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas (GHG) and may account for 20 % of anticipated global warming. The atmospheric CH4 concentration was nearly constant from 1999 to 2006, following with a strong growth resumed since 2007. Previous study attributed the increase in CH4 to agriculture. Specifically, paddy rice agriculture is a significant source of CH4, but large uncertainty still exists on methane emission estimates from rice paddies, largely due to lack of detailed geospatial datasets of rice paddies. In this study, based on a pixel- and phenology-based image analysis system with multi-temporal MODIS imagery (MODIS-RICE), we generated the paddy rice map in 2005 to document the spatiotemporal pattern of paddy rice dynamics in Monsoon Asia, which accounts for more than 90% of the global rice production. Furthermore, we examined the effects of paddy rice agriculture on atmospheric CH4 concentration over Monsoon Asia, by comparing atmospheric CH4 concentration data from SCIAMACHY sensor and the paddy rice maps in 2005. We found a significant spatial consistency between spatial patterns of paddy rice and atmospheric CH4 concentration. Based on the high resolution paddy rice map, different seasonal dynamics of CH4 concentration, including single, double to triple peaks, were found based on the rice paddy distribution information. That suggests paddy rice agriculture contributes substantially to the spatial and seasonal pattern of atmospheric CH4 concentration in Monsoon Asia. This study provides satellite evidence for seasonal cycle of CH4 dynamics at regional scale, and suggests that shifting regime of paddy rice agriculture and cropping intensity could affect the seasonal dynamics and spatial pattern of atmospheric methane concentration.

Sources and atmospheric transformations of semivolatile organic aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieshop, Andrew P.

Fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with increased mortality, a fact which led the EPA to promulgate a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM2.5 in 1997. Organic material contributes a substantial portion of the PM2.5 mass; organic aerosols (OA) are either directly emitted (primary OA or POA) or formed via the atmospheric oxidation of volatile precursor compounds as secondary OA (SOA). The relative contributions of POA and SOA to atmospheric OA are uncertain, as are the contributions from various source classes (e.g. motor vehicles, biomass burning). This dissertation first assesses the importance of organic PM within the context of current US air pollution regulations. Most control efforts to date have focused on the inorganic component of PM. Although growing evidence strongly implicates OA, especially which from motor vehicles, in the health effects of PM, uncertain and complex source-receptor relationships for OA discourage its direct control for NAAQS compliance. Analysis of both ambient data and chemical transport modeling results indicate that OA does not play a dominant role in NAAQS violations in most areas of the country under current and likely future regulations. Therefore, new regulatory approaches will likely be required to directly address potential health impacts associated with OA. To help develop the scientific understanding needed to better regulate OA, this dissertation examined the evolution of organic aerosol emitted by combustion systems. The current conceptual model of POA is that it is non-volatile and non-reactive. Both of these assumptions were experimental investigated in this dissertation. Novel dilution measurements were carried out to investigate the gas-particle partitioning of OA at atmospherically-relevant conditions. The results demonstrate that POA from combustion sources is semivolatile. Therefore its gas-particle partitioning depends on temperature and atmospheric concentrations; heating and dilution both cause it to evaporate. Gas-particle partitioning was parameterized using absorptive partitioning theory and the volatility basis-set framework. The dynamics of particle evaporation proved to be much slower than expected and measurements of aerosol composition indicate that particle composition varies with partitioning. These findings have major implications for the measurement and modeling of POA from combustion sources. Source tests need to be conducted at atmospheric concentrations and temperatures. Upon entering the atmosphere, organic aerosol emissions are aged via photochemical reactions. Experiments with dilute wood-smoke demonstrate the dramatic evolution these emissions undergo within hours of emission. Aging produced substantial new OA (doubling or tripling OA levels within hours) and changed particle composition and volatility. These changes are consistent with model predictions based on the partitioning and aging (via gas-phase photochemistry) of semi-volatile species represented with the basis-set framework. Aging of wood-smoke OA made created a much more oxygenated aerosol and formed material spectrally similar to oxygenated OA found widely in the atmosphere. The oxygenated aerosol is also similar that formed with similar experiments conducted with diesel engine emissions. Therefore, aging of emissions from diverse sources may produce chemically similar OA, complicating the establishment of robust source-receptor relationships.

The Consistency of Isotopologues of Ambient Atmospheric Nitric Acid in Passively Collected Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, M. D.; Sickman, J. O.; Bytnerowicz, A.; Padgett, P.; Allen, E. B.

2012-12-01

Anthropogenic sources of nitrogen oxides have previously been shown to have distinctive isotopic signatures of oxygen and nitrogen. Nylon filters are currently used in passive sampling arrays to measure ambient atmospheric nitric acid concentrations and estimate deposition rates. This experiment measured the ability of nylon filters to consistently collect isotopologues of atmospheric nitric acid in the same ratios as they are present in the atmosphere. Samplers were deployed in continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) and at field sites across a nitrogen deposition gradient in Southern California. Filters were exposed over a four week period with individual filters being subjected to 1-4 week exposure times. Extracted nitric acid were measured for δ18O and δ15N ratios and compared for consistency based on length of exposure and amount of HNO3 collected. Filters within the CSTRs collected HNO3 at a consistent rate in both high and low concentration chambers. After two weeks of exposure, the mean δ18O values were within 0.5‰ of the δ18O of the source HNO3 solution. The mean of all weekly exposures were within 0.5‰ of the δ15N of the source solution, but after three weeks, the mean δ15N of adsorbed HNO3 was within 0.2‰. As the length of the exposure increased, the variability of measured delta values decreased for both elements. The field samplers collected HNO3 consistent with previously measured values along a deposition gradient. The mean δ18O at high deposition sites was 52.2‰ compared to 35.7‰ at the low deposition sites. Mean δ15N values were similar at all sites across the deposition gradient. Due to precipitation events occurring during the exposure period, the δ15N and δ18O of nitric acid were highly variable at all field sites. At single sites, changes in δ15N and δ18O were negatively correlated, consistent with two-sourcing mixing dynamics, but the slope of the regressions differed between high and low deposition sites. Anthropogenic sources of atmospheric nitric acid accounted for 58% of the atmospheric nitric acid at the high deposition sites and 36.5% of the atmospheric nitric acid at the low deposition sites. The nylon filters proved to be an effective means of collecting isotopologues of HNO3 consistent with atmospheric concentrations. A length of the exposure of two weeks stabilizes isotopologue composition and minimizes the chance of variable weather events altering atmospheric values.

Effects of Syn-Pandemic Reforestation on Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide From 1500 to 1700 A.D.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevle, R. J.; Bird, D. K.

2005-12-01

Recent analysis of paleoclimate proxies suggests that biomass burning by humans during the past eight millennia produced quantities of CO2 sufficient to counteract the effects of decreasing insolation driven by orbital variations and thus prevented ice sheet expansion. Correlation between periods of declining population and biomass burning, such as implied by the synchroneity of the American pandemics and decreasing atmospheric CO2 concentration during the 16th-18th centuries, provides an important test of the extent to which pre-industrial anthropogenic activity affected the atmospheric greenhouse gas budget. Numerous studies have attributed the ~5 ppm decline of atmospheric CO2 concentration, as well as the synchronous ~0.1 per mil increase of the δ13C of atmospheric CO2 between 1500 and 1700 A.D., to the effects of Little Ice Age cooling. However, this interpretation is not supported by recent multiproxy-based surface temperature reconstructions, which demonstrate a diminutive global temperature anomaly of ~0.1 C that was unlikely to have independently produced the distinct effect observed in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Alternatively, it is possible that a decline in CO2 concentration driven by massive reforestation produced cooling as a by-product. The timing and magnitude of changes in both the concentration and carbon-isotope composition of atmospheric CO2 recorded by globally distributed climate proxies from the tropics (sponges), temperate latitudes (tree rings), and polar regions (ice cores) are compatible with fixation of >10 Gt C due to reforestation. Reforestation, which explains pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 variations between 1500 and 1700 A.D. in a manner more consistent with the global surface temperature record than explanations requiring substantial cooling, presumably occurred on lands that were cultivated and seasonally burned, then subsequently abandoned, by indigenous Americans who perished in pandemics during European conquest. The present proxy data point to reforestation in the wake of the American pandemic, with its consequent affects on atmospheric CO2, as unique in human history. These findings redefine the duration and extent of human activities affecting composition of the atmosphere during the past millennium. The anthropogenic influence on the partial pressure of atmospheric CO2 since ~1800 A.D. is well documented by the exponential rise in concentration and simultaneous decline in δ13C of atmospheric CO2, but these recent trends represent dramatic reversals in the behavior of atmospheric CO2 concentration and δ13C prior to the Industrial Revolution between 1500 and 1700. During this time the concentration of atmospheric CO2 decreased and its δ13C increased due to land use changes resulting from pandemics that killed ~90% of the indigenous American population (~50 million people).

Microwave Resonator Measurements of Atmospheric Absorption Coefficients: A Preliminary Design Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter, Steven J.; Spilker, Thomas R.

1995-01-01

A preliminary design study examined the feasibility of using microwave resonator measurements to improve the accuracy of atmospheric absorption coefficients and refractivity between 18 and 35 GHz. Increased accuracies would improve the capability of water vapor radiometers to correct for radio signal delays caused by Earth's atmosphere. Calibration of delays incurred by radio signals traversing the atmosphere has applications to both deep space tracking and planetary radio science experiments. Currently, the Cassini gravity wave search requires 0.8-1.0% absorption coefficient accuracy. This study examined current atmospheric absorption models and estimated that current model accuracy ranges from 5% to 7%. The refractivity of water vapor is known to 1% accuracy, while the refractivity of many dry gases (oxygen, nitrogen, etc.) are known to better than 0.1%. Improvements to the current generation of models will require that both the functional form and absolute absorption of the water vapor spectrum be calibrated and validated. Several laboratory techniques for measuring atmospheric absorption and refractivity were investigated, including absorption cells, single and multimode rectangular cavity resonators, and Fabry-Perot resonators. Semi-confocal Fabry-Perot resonators were shown to provide the most cost-effective and accurate method of measuring atmospheric gas refractivity. The need for accurate environmental measurement and control was also addressed. A preliminary design for the environmental control and measurement system was developed to aid in identifying significant design issues. The analysis indicated that overall measurement accuracy will be limited by measurement errors and imprecise control of the gas sample's thermodynamic state, thermal expansion and vibration- induced deformation of the resonator structure, and electronic measurement error. The central problem is to identify systematic errors because random errors can be reduced by averaging. Calibrating the resonator measurements by checking the refractivity of dry gases which are known to better than 0.1% provides a method of controlling the systematic errors to 0.1%. The primary source of error in absorptivity and refractivity measurements is thus the ability to measure the concentration of water vapor in the resonator path. Over the whole thermodynamic range of interest the accuracy of water vapor measurement is 1.5%. However, over the range responsible for most of the radio delay (i.e. conditions in the bottom two kilometers of the atmosphere) the accuracy of water vapor measurements ranges from 0.5% to 1.0%. Therefore the precision of the resonator measurements could be held to 0.3% and the overall absolute accuracy of resonator-based absorption and refractivity measurements will range from 0.6% to 1.

Simulated atmospheric response to Gulf Stream variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hand, Ralf; Keenlyside, Noel; Omrani, Nour-Eddine; Latif, Mojib; Minobe, Shoshiro

2010-05-01

Though the ocean variability has a distinct low-frequent component on interannual to interdecadal timescales, a better understanding of the main features of air-sea interaction in the extratropical ocean might increase the predictive skill of climate models significantly. An insufficiently understood region in this context are the sharp SST-fronts connected to western boundary currents, which interact with the overlaying atmosphere by forcing low-level winds and evaporation. Recent studies show, that this response extends beyond the marine boundary layer and so might influence also the large-scale atmospheric circulation. In this work a 5 member ensemble of model runs from the AGCM ECHAM5 was analyzed focussing on the atmospheric response to the Gulf Stream. The analyzed experiment covered a time period of 138 years from 1870 to 2007 and was forced by observed SSTs and sea-ice concentration from the HadISST dataset. The experiment was performed at T106 horizontal resolution (~100km) and with 31 vertical levels up to 1 hPa. Simulated seasonal mean circulation indicate a convective response of the atmosphere in the Gulf Stream region similar to observations, with distinct low-level wind convergence, strong upward motion, and low-pressure over the warm SST flank of the Gulf Stream. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) suggests, that up to 25-30% of the variability of the summer precipitation in the Gulf Stream region are connected to the boundary conditions. The link between oceanic and atmospheric variability on seasonal to interannual timescales is investigated with composite and linear regression analysis. Results indicate that increased (decreased) precipitation is associated with stronger (weaker) low-level wind convergence, enhanced (reduced) upward motion, low (high) pressure, and warm (cold) SST anomalies in the region of the Gulf Stream. Currently sensitivity experiments with the same AGCM configuration are in progress.

Atmospheric correction of AVIRIS data in ocean waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terrie, Gregory; Arnone, Robert

1992-01-01

Hyperspectral data offers unique capabilities for characterizing the ocean environment. The spectral characterization of the composition of ocean waters can be organized into biological and terrigenous components. Biological photosynthetic pigments in ocean waters have unique spectral ocean color signatures which can be associated with different biological species. Additionally, suspended sediment has different scattering coefficients which result in ocean color signatures. Measuring the spatial distributions of these components in the maritime environments provides important tools for understanding and monitoring the ocean environment. These tools have significant applications in pollution, carbon cycle, current and water mass detection, location of fronts and eddies, sewage discharge and fate etc. Ocean color was used from satellite for describing the spatial variability of chlorophyll, water clarity (K(sub 490)), suspended sediment concentration, currents etc. Additionally, with improved atmospheric correction methods, ocean color results produced global products of spectral water leaving radiance (L(sub W)). Ocean color results clearly indicated strong applications for characterizing the spatial and temporal variability of bio-optical oceanography. These studies were largely the results of advanced atmospheric correction techniques applied to multispectral imagery. The atmosphere contributes approximately 80 percent - 90 percent of the satellite received radiance in the blue-green portion of the spectrum. In deep ocean waters, maximum transmission of visible radiance is achieved at 490nm. Conversely, nearly all of the light is absorbed by the water at wavelengths greater than about 650nm and thus appears black. These spectral ocean properties are exploited by algorithms developed for the atmospheric correction used in satellite ocean color processing. The objective was to apply atmospheric correction techniques that were used for procesing satellite Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data to AVIRIS data. Quantitative measures of L(sub W) from AVIRIS are compared with ship ground truth data and input into bio-optical models.

Space Weather Connections to Clouds and Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinsley, B. A.

2004-12-01

There is now a considerable amount of observational data and theoretical work pointing to a link between space weather and atmospheric electricity, and then between atmospheric electricity and cloud cover and precipitation, which ultimately affect climate and the biosphere. Studies so far have been largely confined to the Earth, but may be applicable to all planets with clouds in their atmospheres. The current density Jz, that is the return current flowing downward through clouds in the global circuit, is modulated by the galactic cosmic ray flux; by solar energetic particles; by the dawn-dusk polar cap potential difference; and by the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the radiation belts. The flow of Jz through clouds generates unipolar space charge, which is positive at cloud tops and negative at cloud base. This charge attaches to aerosol particles, and affects their interaction with other particles and droplets. Ultrafine aerosol particles are formed around ions and are preserved from scavenging on background aerosols, and preserved for growth by vapor deposition, by space charge at the bases and tops of layer clouds. There is electro-preservation of both ultrafines and of existing CCN that leads to increases in CCN concentration, and increases in cloud cover and reduction in both droplet size and precipitation by the `indirect aerosol effect'. For cold clouds and larger aerosol particles that act as ice forming nuclei, the rate of scavenging of the IFN by large supercooled droplets varies with space charge. Changes in space weather affect both ion production and Jz in planetary atmospheres. In addition, changes in cosmic ray flux affect conductivity within thunderclouds and may affect the output of the thundercloud generators in the global circuit. Thus all four processes, (a) ion-induced nucleation, (b) electro-preservation of leading to increases in CCN concentration and the indirect aerosol effect, (c) contact ice nucleation affecting the production of ices, (d) cosmic ray effects on the generators of the global circuit, are potential links between space weather and life on planets.

Observed variations of methane on Mars unexplained by known atmospheric chemistry and physics.

PubMed

Lefèvre, Franck; Forget, François

2009-08-06

The detection of methane on Mars has revived the possibility of past or extant life on this planet, despite the fact that an abiogenic origin is thought to be equally plausible. An intriguing aspect of the recent observations of methane on Mars is that methane concentrations appear to be locally enhanced and change with the seasons. However, methane has a photochemical lifetime of several centuries, and is therefore expected to have a spatially uniform distribution on the planet. Here we use a global climate model of Mars with coupled chemistry to examine the implications of the recently observed variations of Martian methane for our understanding of the chemistry of methane. We find that photochemistry as currently understood does not produce measurable variations in methane concentrations, even in the case of a current, local and episodic methane release. In contrast, we find that the condensation-sublimation cycle of Mars' carbon dioxide atmosphere can generate large-scale methane variations differing from those observed. In order to reproduce local methane enhancements similar to those recently reported, we show that an atmospheric lifetime of less than 200 days is necessary, even if a local source of methane is only active around the time of the observation itself. This implies an unidentified methane loss process that is 600 times faster than predicted by standard photochemistry. The existence of such a fast loss in the Martian atmosphere is difficult to reconcile with the observed distribution of other trace gas species. In the case of a destruction mechanism only active at the surface of Mars, destruction of methane must occur with an even shorter timescale of the order of approximately 1 hour to explain the observations. If recent observations of spatial and temporal variations of methane are confirmed, this would suggest an extraordinarily harsh environment for the survival of organics on the planet.

The ocean carbon sink - impacts, vulnerabilities and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinze, C.; Meyer, S.; Goris, N.; Anderson, L.; Steinfeldt, R.; Chang, N.; Le Quéré, C.; Bakker, D. C. E.

2015-06-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is, next to water vapour, considered to be the most important natural greenhouse gas on Earth. Rapidly rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations caused by human actions such as fossil fuel burning, land-use change or cement production over the past 250 years have given cause for concern that changes in Earth's climate system may progress at a much faster pace and larger extent than during the past 20 000 years. Investigating global carbon cycle pathways and finding suitable adaptation and mitigation strategies has, therefore, become of major concern in many research fields. The oceans have a key role in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations and currently take up about 25% of annual anthropogenic carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Questions that yet need to be answered are what the carbon uptake kinetics of the oceans will be in the future and how the increase in oceanic carbon inventory will affect its ecosystems and their services. This requires comprehensive investigations, including high-quality ocean carbon measurements on different spatial and temporal scales, the management of data in sophisticated databases, the application of Earth system models to provide future projections for given emission scenarios as well as a global synthesis and outreach to policy makers. In this paper, the current understanding of the ocean as an important carbon sink is reviewed with respect to these topics. Emphasis is placed on the complex interplay of different physical, chemical and biological processes that yield both positive and negative air-sea flux values for natural and anthropogenic CO2 as well as on increased CO2 (uptake) as the regulating force of the radiative warming of the atmosphere and the gradual acidification of the oceans. Major future ocean carbon challenges in the fields of ocean observations, modelling and process research as well as the relevance of other biogeochemical cycles and greenhouse gases are discussed.

A screening model analysis of mercury sources, fate and bioaccumulation in the Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Harris, Reed; Pollman, Curtis; Hutchinson, David; Landing, William; Axelrad, Donald; Morey, Steven L; Dukhovskoy, Dmitry; Vijayaraghavan, Krish

2012-11-01

A mass balance model of mercury (Hg) cycling and bioaccumulation was applied to the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), coupled with outputs from hydrodynamic and atmospheric Hg deposition models. The dominant overall source of Hg to the Gulf is the Atlantic Ocean. Gulf waters do not mix fully however, resulting in predicted spatial differences in the relative importance of external Hg sources to Hg levels in water, sediments and biota. Direct atmospheric Hg deposition, riverine inputs, and Atlantic inputs were each predicted to be the most important source of Hg to at least one of the modeled regions in the Gulf. While incomplete, mixing of Gulf waters is predicted to be sufficient that fish Hg levels in any given location are affected by Hg entering other regions of the Gulf. This suggests that a Gulf-wide approach is warranted to reduce Hg loading and elevated Hg concentrations currently observed in some fish species. Basic data to characterize Hg concentrations and cycling in the Gulf are lacking but needed to adequately understand the relationship between Hg sources and fish Hg concentrations. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Fate and Transport of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Upland Irish Headwater Lake Catchments

PubMed Central

Scott, Heidi E. M.; Aherne, Julian; Metcalfe, Chris D.

2012-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a concern due to their carcinogenicity and propensity for transboundary atmospheric transport. Ireland is located on the western periphery of Europe and assumed to receive clean Atlantic air. As such, it has been used as an atmospheric reference for comparison to other regions. Nonetheless, few studies have evaluated concentrations of PAHs within the Irish environment. In the current study, PAHs were measured at five upland (500–800 masl) headwater lake catchments in coastal regions around Ireland, remote from industrial point source emissions. Semipermeable membrane devices were deployed in lakes for a 6-month period in July 2009, and topsoils were sampled from each catchment during October 2010. The concentrations of PAHs were low at most study sites with respect to other temperate regions. Homologue groups partitioned between lake and soil compartments based on their molecular weight were: “lighter” substances, such as Phenanthrene and Fluorene, were found in higher proportions in lakes, whereas “heavier” compounds, such as Chrysene and Benz[a]anthracene, were more prominent in soils. Concentrations of PAHs were highest at the east coast sites, potentially due to contributions from historical transboundary and regional combustion sources. PMID:23346024

Direct normal irradiance related definitions and applications: The circumsolar issue

DOE PAGES

Blanc, P.; Espinar, B.; Geuder, N.; ...

2014-10-21

The direct irradiance received on a plane normal to the sun, called direct normal irradiance (DNI), is of particular relevance to concentrated solar technologies, including concentrating solar thermal plants and concentrated photovoltaic systems. Following various standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the DNI definition is related to the irradiance from a small solid angle of the sky, centered on the position of the sun. Half-angle apertures of pyrheliometers measuring DNI have varied over time, up to ≈10°. The current recommendation of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for this half-angle is 2.5°. Solar concentrating collectors have an angular acceptancemore » function that can be significantly narrower, especially for technologies with high concentration ratios. The disagreement between the various interpretations of DNI, from the theoretical definition used in atmospheric physics and radiative transfer modeling to practical definitions corresponding to specific measurements or conversion technologies is significant, especially in the presence of cirrus clouds or large concentration of aerosols. Under such sky conditions, the circumsolar radiation—i.e. the diffuse radiation coming from the vicinity of the sun—contributes significantly to the DNI ground measurement, although some concentrating collectors cannot utilize the bulk of it. These issues have been identified in the EU-funded projects MACC-II (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate-Interim Implementation) and SFERA (Solar Facilities for the European Research Area), and have been discussed within a panel of international experts in the framework of the Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) program of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Task 46 “ Solar Resource Assessment and Forecasting”. In accordance with these discussions, the terms of reference related to DNI are specified here. The important role of circumsolar radiation is evidenced, and its potential contribution is evaluated for typical atmospheric conditions. Thus, thorough analysis of performance of concentrating solar systems, it is recommended that, in addition to the conventional DNI related to 2.5° half-angle of today’s pyrheliometers, solar resource data sets also report the sunshape, the circumsolar contribution or the circumsolar ratio (CSR).« less

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and southern Wyoming - A review and new analysis of past study results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burns, Douglas A.

2003-01-01

The Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and southern Wyoming receives as much as 7kgha-1yr-1 of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, an amount that may have caused changes in aquatic and terrestrial life in otherwise pristine ecosystems. Results from published studies indicate a long-term increase in the rate of atmospheric N deposition during the 20th century, but data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and Clean Air Status and Trends Network show no region-wide increase during the past 2 decades. Nitrogen loads in atmospheric wet deposition have increased since the mid-1980s, however, at three high elevation (>3000m) sites east of the Continental Divide in the Front Range. Much of this increase is the result of increased ammonium (NH4+) concentrations in wet deposition. This suggests an increase in contributions from agricultural areas or from vehicles east of the Rocky Mountains and is consistent with the results of previous studies that have suggested a significant eastern source for atmospheric N deposition to the Front Range. The four sites with the highest NH4+ concentrations in wet deposition were among the six easternmost NADP sites, which is also consistent with a source to the east of the Rockies. This analysis found an increase in N loads in wet deposition at Niwot Ridge of only 0.013kgha-1yr-1, more than an order of magnitude less than previously reported for this site. This lower rate of increase results from application of the non-parametric Seasonal Kendall trend test to mean monthly data, which failed a test for normality, in contrast to linear regression, which was applied to mean annual data in a previous study. Current upward trends in population growth and energy use in Colorado and throughout the west suggest a need for continued monitoring of atmospheric deposition of N, and may reveal more widespread trends in N deposition in the future.

Soil-atmosphere exchange of ammonia in a non-fertilized grassland: measured emission potentials and inferred fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wentworth, G. R.; Murphy, J. G.; Gregoire, P. K.; Cheyne, C. A. L.; Tevlin, A. G.; Hems, R.

2014-10-01

A 50-day field study was carried out in a semi-natural, non-fertilized grassland in south-western Ontario, Canada during the late summer and early autumn of 2012. The purpose was to explore surface-atmosphere exchange processes of ammonia (NH3) with a focus on bi-directional fluxes between the soil and atmosphere. Measurements of soil pH and ammonium concentration ([NH4+]) yielded the first direct quantification of soil emission potential (Γsoil = [NH4+]/[H+]) for this land type, with values ranging from 35 to 1850 (an average of 290). The soil compensation point, the atmospheric NH3 mixing ratio below which net emission from the soil will occur, exhibited both a seasonal trend and diurnal trend. Higher daytime and August compensation points were attributed to higher soil temperature. Soil-atmosphere fluxes were estimated using NH3 measurements from the Ambient Ion Monitor Ion Chromatograph (AIM-IC) and a simple resistance model. Vegetative effects were ignored due to the short canopy height and significant Γsoil. Inferred fluxes were, on average, 2.6 ± 4.5 ng m-2 s-1 in August (i.e. net emission) and -5.8 ± 3.0 ng m-2 s-1 in September (i.e. net deposition). These results are in good agreement with the only other bi-directional exchange study in a semi-natural, non-fertilized grassland. A Lagrangian dispersion model (Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory - HYSPLIT) was used to calculate air parcel back-trajectories throughout the campaign and revealed that NH3 mixing ratios had no directional bias throughout the campaign, unlike the other atmospheric constituents measured. This implies that soil-atmosphere exchange over a non-fertilized grassland can significantly moderate near-surface NH3 concentrations. In addition, we provide indirect evidence that dew and fog evaporation can cause a morning increase of [NH3]g. Implications of our findings on current NH3 bi-directional exchange modelling efforts are also discussed.

A Review of Atmospheric Ozone and Current Thinking on the Antarctic Ozone Hole.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 0 A Review of Atmospheric ozone and Current Thinking on the Antartic Ozone Hole A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the...4. TI TLE (Pit 5,1tlfie) S. TYPE OF REPORT & PFRIOO COVERED A Review of Atmospheric Ozone and Current THESIS/DA/;J.At1AAU00 Thinking on the Antartic ...THESIS A Review of Atmospheric Ozone and Current Thinking on the Antartic Ozone Hole by Randolph Antoine Fix Master of Science in Atmospheric Science

[Water-soluble anions of atmosphere on Tianwan nuclear power station].

PubMed

Zhao, Heng-Qiang; He, Ying; Zheng, Xiao-Ling; Chen, Fa-Rong; Pang, Shi-Ping; Wang, Cai-Xia; Wang, Xiao-Ru

2010-11-01

Three major water-soluble anions (Cl-, SO4(2-) and NO3-) in the atmosphere of the Tianwan nuclear power station in Lianyungang were determined by ion chromatography from June 2005 to May 2006. The results showed that the annual average concentration of Cl-, SO4(2-) and NO3- in the atmosphere of Tianwan nuclear power station was (33.12 +/- 53.63) microg x m(-3), (53.34 +/- 30.34) microg x m(-3) and (8.34 +/- 4.47) microg x m(-3), respectively. The concentrations of the three water-soluble anions showed evident trend of seasonal variation. The concentrations of Cl-, SO4(2-) reached the highest level in summer and the lowest level in winter, while the concentration of NO3- in autumn and winter was higher than those in summer and spring. Meteorological parameters such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature and relative humidity were studied and showed definite influence to the anions concentration of the atmosphere. This is the first simultaneous monitoring of corrosive anions in the atmosphere of Chinese coastal nuclear power plant, and it will provide basis for the prevention of marine atmospheric corrosion, which will ensure the safely operating of our nuclear power industry.

Reconstruction of Aerosol Concentration and Composition from Glacier Ice Cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogel, Alexander; Dällenbach, Kaspar; El-Haddad, Imad; Wendl, Isabel; Eichler, Anja; Schwikowski, Margit

2017-04-01

Reconstruction of the concentration and composition of natural aerosol in an undisturbed atmosphere enables the evaluation of the understanding of aerosol-climate effects, which is currently based on highly uncertain emission inventories of the biosphere under pre-industrial conditions. Understanding of the natural state of the pre-industrial atmosphere and evaluating the atmospheric perturbations by anthropogenic emissions, and their potential feedbacks, is essential for accurate model predictions of the future climate (Boucher et al., 2013). Here, we present a new approach for the chemical characterization of the organic fraction preserved in cold-glacier ice cores. From this analysis historic trends of atmospheric organic aerosols are reconstructed, allowing new insights on organic aerosol composition and mass in the pre-industrial atmosphere, which can help to improve climate models through evaluation of our current understanding of aerosol radiative effects. We present results from a proof-of-principal study, analyzing an 800 year ice core record from the Lomonosovfonna glacier ice core, drilled in 2009 in Svalbard, Norway, using a setup that has until then only been applied on offline measurements of aerosol filter extracts (Dällenbach et al., 2016): The melted ice was nebulized and dried, such that aerosols are formed from the soluble and insoluble organic and inorganic compounds that are preserved in the ice. To improve the sensitivity, the aerosol stream was then enriched by the application of an online aerosol concentrator, before the aerosol was analyzed by electron ionization within a high resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). We were able to demonstrate that this setup is a quantitative method toward nitrate and sulfate when internal inorganic standards of NH415NO3 and (NH4)234SO4 are added to the sample. Comparison between AMS and IC measurements of nitrate and sulfate resulted in an excellent agreement. The analysis of the organic fraction, however, was biased by a source of organic contamination, likely introduced during sample storage. However, freshly prepared ice blanks showed no significant source or organics, and the calibration with an organic surrogate standard demonstrated that this technique is applicable for the analysis of newly prepared ice samples. Furthermore, we present first results of the method development towards organic molecular tracer analysis using solid phase extraction and liquid-chromatography coupled to ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. References: Boucher, O., et al., Clouds and Aerosols: 7, in: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis., Cambridge University Press, 571-658, 2013. Dällenbach, K. R., et al., Atmos. Meas. Tech. 9, 23-39, 2016.

Improvements and limitations on understanding of atmospheric processes of Fukushima Daiichi NPS radioactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazawa, Hiromi; Terasaka, Yuta; Mizutani, Kenta; Sugiura, Hiroki; Hirao, Shigekazu

2017-04-01

Understanding on the release of radioactivity into the atmosphere from the accidental units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been improved owing to recent analyses of atmospheric concentrations of radionuclide. Our analysis of gamma-ray spectra from monitoring posts located about 100 km to the south of the site revealed temporal changes of atmospheric concentrations of several key nuclides including noble gas Xe-133 in addition to radio-iodine and cesium nuclides, including I-131 and Cs-137, at a 10 minute interval. By using the atmospheric concentration data, in combination with an inverse atmospheric transport modelling with a Bayesian statistical method, a modification was proposed for the widely used Katata's source term. A source term for Xe-133 was also proposed. Although the atmospheric concentration data and the source terms help us understand the atmospheric transport processes of radionuclides, they still have significant uncertainty due to limitations in availability of the concentration data. There still remain limitations in the atmospheric transport modeling. The largest uncertainty in the model is in the deposition processes. It had been pointed out that, in the 100 km range from the accidental site, there were locations at which the ambient dose rate significantly increased a few hours before precipitation detectors recorded the start of rain. According to our analysis, the dose rate increase was not directly caused by the air-borne radioactivity but by deposition. This phenomenon can be attributed to a deposition process in which evaporating precipitation enhances efficiency of deposition even in a case where no precipitation is observed at ground level.

Implications of Limiting CO2 Concentrations for Land Use and Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wise, Marshall A.; Calvin, Katherine V.; Thomson, Allison M.

2009-05-29

This paper is the first to simultaneously examine the implications of extending the concept of placing a value on carbon beyond fossil fuel and industrial emissions to all sources, including those associated with land use and land use change. The paper reports a variety of results that have bearing on recent discussions in the literature regarding the role of bioenergy and the indirect emission of carbon through land-use change as well as the burgeoning literature on interactions between bioenergy and crop prices. This paper goes beyond results currently in the literature by using an integrated assessment model to assess energymore » use and supply, atmospheric composition, land use, and terrestrial carbon in the context of limiting the concentration of atmospheric CO2. We find that when the concept of valuing carbon emissions is extended to all carbon emissions, regardless of origin, that in contrast to a mitigation scenario where only fossil fuel and industrial carbon emissions are valued, deforestation is replaced by afforestation and expanded unmanaged ecosystems; the cost of limiting CO2 concentrations falls; crop prices rise; and human diets are transformed as people shift away from consumption of beef and other carbon-intensive protein sources. The increase in crop prices flows directly from the consideration of land-use change emissions in a comprehensive emissions mitigation program and occurs even in the absence of the use of purpose-grown bioenergy. Finally, we find that the assumed rate of improvement in food and fiber crop productivity (e.g. wheat, rice, corn) has a strong influence on land-use change emissions, making the technology for growing crops potentially as important for limiting atmospheric CO2 concentrations as energy technologies such as CO2 capture and storage.« less

30 CFR 71.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings contains more than 5 percent quartz, the operator shall continuously maintain the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere... 20%, Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with...

30 CFR 71.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings contains more than 5 percent quartz, the operator shall continuously maintain the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere... 20%, Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with...

30 CFR 71.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings contains more than 5 percent quartz, the operator shall continuously maintain the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere... 20%, Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with...

30 CFR 71.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings contains more than 5 percent quartz, the operator shall continuously maintain the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere... 20%, Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with...

30 CFR 71.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings contains more than 5 percent quartz, the operator shall continuously maintain the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere... 20%, Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with...

DC corona discharge ozone production enhanced by magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pekárek, S.

2010-01-01

We have studied the effect of a stationary magnetic field on the production of ozone from air at atmospheric pressure by a negative corona discharge in a cylindrical electrode configuration. We used a stainless steel hollow needle placed at the axis of the cylindrical discharge chamber as a cathode. The outer wall of the cylinder was used as an anode. The vector of magnetic induction was perpendicular to the vector of current density. We found that: (a) the magnetic field extends the current voltage range of the discharge; (b) for the discharge in the Trichel pulses regime and in the pulseless glow regime, the magnetic field has no substantial effect on the discharge voltage or on the concentration of ozone that is produced; (c) for the discharge in the filamentary streamer regime for a particular current, the magnetic field increases the discharge voltage and consequently an approximately 30% higher ozone concentration can be obtained; (d) the magnetic field does not substantially increase the maximum ozone production yield. A major advantage of using a magnetic field is that the increase in ozone concentration produced by the discharge can be obtained without additional energy requirements.

Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, clipping regimen and differential day/night atmospheric warming on tissue nitrogen concentrations of a perennial pasture grass

PubMed Central

Volder, Astrid; Gifford, Roger M.; Evans, John R.

2015-01-01

Forecasting the effects of climate change on nitrogen (N) cycling in pastures requires an understanding of changes in tissue N. We examined the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration, atmospheric warming and simulated grazing (clipping frequency) on aboveground and belowground tissue N concentrations and C : N ratios of a C3 pasture grass. Phalaris aquatica L. cv. ‘Holdfast’ was grown in the field in six transparent temperature gradient tunnels (18 × 1.5 × 1.5 m each), three at ambient atmospheric CO2 and three at 759 p.p.m. CO2. Within each tunnel, there were three air temperature treatments: ambient control, +2.2/+4.0 °C above ambient day/night warming and +3.0 °C continuous warming. A frequent and an infrequent clipping treatment were applied to each warming × CO2 combination. Green leaf N concentrations were decreased by elevated CO2 and increased by more frequent clipping. Both warming treatments increased leaf N concentrations under ambient CO2 concentrations, but did not significantly alter leaf N concentrations under elevated CO2 concentrations. Nitrogen resorption from leaves was decreased under elevated CO2 conditions as well as by more frequent clipping. Fine root N concentrations decreased strongly with increasing soil depth and were further decreased at the 10–60 cm soil depths by elevated CO2 concentrations. The interaction between the CO2 and warming treatments showed that leaf N concentration was affected in a non-additive manner. Changes in leaf C : N ratios were driven by changes in N concentration. Overall, the effects of CO2, warming and clipping treatments on aboveground tissue N concentrations were much greater than on belowground tissue. PMID:26272874

The Role of Surface Water Flow in Gas Fluxes from a Subtropical Rice Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huynh, K. T.; Suvocarev, K.; Reavis, C.; Runkle, B.; Variano, E. A.

2016-12-01

Wetlands are the single largest source of methane emissions, but the underlying processes behind this flux are not yet fully understood. Typically, methane fluxes from wetlands have been attributed to ebullition (bubbling) and to transport through vegetation. However, a third major pathway-hydrodynamic transport-has been seen in a temperate wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. We wish to explore whether this additional pathway is also important to a subtropical rice paddy site where the diel thermal cycle is less pronounced than in the temperate site. Measurements in the surface water of a rice field were collected over two weeks. Specific measurements collected included dissolved and atmospheric methane concentration, surface water velocity, and air and water temperature. These were used to augment a long-term dataset of micrometeorology and gas fluxes. Together, these data demonstrate the role that surface water motions play in the fluxes between soil and atmosphere. Data are analyzed to reveal the fraction of total methane flux that is governed by advective/diffusive transport through surface water, and daily cycles in this behavior. Results will be used to advance predictions of atmospheric methane gas concentrations and could be foundational for developing methane management solutions. Closing this gap in knowledge is key to improving calculations of current global greenhouse gas emissions.

Ancient low–molecular-weight organic acids in permafrost fuel rapid carbon dioxide production upon thaw

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drake, Travis W.; Wickland, Kimberly P.; Spencer, Robert G. M.; McKnight, Diane M.; Striegl, Robert G.

2015-01-01

Northern permafrost soils store a vast reservoir of carbon, nearly twice that of the present atmosphere. Current and projected climate warming threatens widespread thaw of these frozen, organic carbon (OC)-rich soils. Upon thaw, mobilized permafrost OC in dissolved and particulate forms can enter streams and rivers, which are important processors of OC and conduits for carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Here, we demonstrate that ancient dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from 35,800 y B.P. permafrost soils is rapidly mineralized to CO2. During 200-h experiments in a novel high–temporal-resolution bioreactor, DOC concentration decreased by an average of 53%, fueling a more than sevenfold increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration. Eighty-seven percent of the DOC loss to microbial uptake was derived from the low–molecular-weight (LMW) organic acids acetate and butyrate. To our knowledge, our study is the first to directly quantify high CO2 production rates from permafrost-derived LMW DOC mineralization. The observed DOC loss rates are among the highest reported for permafrost carbon and demonstrate the potential importance of LMW DOC in driving the rapid metabolism of Pleistocene-age permafrost carbon upon thaw and the outgassing of CO2 to the atmosphere by soils and nearby inland waters.

Ancient low-molecular-weight organic acids in permafrost fuel rapid carbon dioxide production upon thaw.

PubMed

Drake, Travis W; Wickland, Kimberly P; Spencer, Robert G M; McKnight, Diane M; Striegl, Robert G

2015-11-10

Northern permafrost soils store a vast reservoir of carbon, nearly twice that of the present atmosphere. Current and projected climate warming threatens widespread thaw of these frozen, organic carbon (OC)-rich soils. Upon thaw, mobilized permafrost OC in dissolved and particulate forms can enter streams and rivers, which are important processors of OC and conduits for carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Here, we demonstrate that ancient dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from 35,800 y B.P. permafrost soils is rapidly mineralized to CO2. During 200-h experiments in a novel high-temporal-resolution bioreactor, DOC concentration decreased by an average of 53%, fueling a more than sevenfold increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration. Eighty-seven percent of the DOC loss to microbial uptake was derived from the low-molecular-weight (LMW) organic acids acetate and butyrate. To our knowledge, our study is the first to directly quantify high CO2 production rates from permafrost-derived LMW DOC mineralization. The observed DOC loss rates are among the highest reported for permafrost carbon and demonstrate the potential importance of LMW DOC in driving the rapid metabolism of Pleistocene-age permafrost carbon upon thaw and the outgassing of CO2 to the atmosphere by soils and nearby inland waters.

Ancient low–molecular-weight organic acids in permafrost fuel rapid carbon dioxide production upon thaw

PubMed Central

Drake, Travis W.; Wickland, Kimberly P.; Spencer, Robert G. M.; McKnight, Diane M.; Striegl, Robert G.

2015-01-01

Northern permafrost soils store a vast reservoir of carbon, nearly twice that of the present atmosphere. Current and projected climate warming threatens widespread thaw of these frozen, organic carbon (OC)-rich soils. Upon thaw, mobilized permafrost OC in dissolved and particulate forms can enter streams and rivers, which are important processors of OC and conduits for carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Here, we demonstrate that ancient dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from 35,800 y B.P. permafrost soils is rapidly mineralized to CO2. During 200-h experiments in a novel high–temporal-resolution bioreactor, DOC concentration decreased by an average of 53%, fueling a more than sevenfold increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration. Eighty-seven percent of the DOC loss to microbial uptake was derived from the low–molecular-weight (LMW) organic acids acetate and butyrate. To our knowledge, our study is the first to directly quantify high CO2 production rates from permafrost-derived LMW DOC mineralization. The observed DOC loss rates are among the highest reported for permafrost carbon and demonstrate the potential importance of LMW DOC in driving the rapid metabolism of Pleistocene-age permafrost carbon upon thaw and the outgassing of CO2 to the atmosphere by soils and nearby inland waters. PMID:26504243

Atmospheric trace element concentrations in total suspended particles near Paris, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayrault, Sophie; Senhou, Abderrahmane; Moskura, Mélanie; Gaudry, André

2010-09-01

To evaluate today's trace element atmospheric concentrations in large urban areas, an atmospheric survey was carried out for 18 months, from March 2002 to September 2003, in Saclay, nearby Paris. The total suspended particulate matter (TSP) was collected continuously on quartz fibre filters. The TSP contents were determined for 36 elements (including Ag, Bi, Mo and Sb) using two analytical methods: Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The measured concentrations were in agreement within the uncertainties with the certified values for the polycarbonate reference material filter SRM-2783 (National Institute for Standard Technology NIST, USA). The measured concentrations were significantly lower than the recommended atmospheric concentrations. In 2003, the Pb atmospheric level at Saclay was 15 ng/m 3, compared to the 500 ng/m 3 guideline level and to the 200 ng/m 3 observed value in 1994. The typical urban background TSP values of 1-2, 0.2-1, 4-6, 10-30 and 3-5 ng/m 3 for As, Co, Cr, Cu and Sb, respectively, were inferred from this study and were compared with the literature data. The typical urban background TSP concentrations could not be realised for Cd, Pb and Zn, since these air concentrations are highly influenced by local features. The Zn concentrations and Zn/Pb ratio observed in Saclay represented a characteristic fingerprint of the exceptionally large extent of zinc-made roofs in Paris and its suburbs. The traffic-related origin of Ba, Cr, Cu, Pb and Sb was demonstrated, while the atmospheric source(s) of Ag was not identified.

Influence of regional climate change on meteorological characteristics and their subsequent effect on ozone dispersion in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Fang-Yi; Jian, Shan-Ping; Yang, Zhih-Min; Yen, Ming-Cheng; Tsuang, Ben-Jei

2015-02-01

The objective of this study is to understand the influence of regional climate change on local meteorological conditions and their subsequent effect on local ozone (O3) dispersion in Taiwan. The 33-year NCEP-DOE Reanalysis 2 (NNR2) data set (1979-2011) was analyzed to understand the variations in regional-scale atmospheric conditions in East Asia and the western North Pacific. To save computational processing time, two scenarios representative of past (1979-86) and current (2004-11) atmospheric conditions were selected but only targeting the autumn season (September, October and November) when the O3 concentrations were at high levels. Numerical simulations were performed using weather research and forecasting (WRF) model and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model for the past and current scenarios individually but only for the month of October because of limited computational resources. Analysis of NNR2 data exhibited increased air temperature, weakened Asian continental anticyclone, enhanced northeasterly monsoonal flow, and a deepened low-pressure system forming near Taiwan. With enhanced evaporation from oceans along with a deepened low-pressure system, precipitation amounts increased in Taiwan in the current scenario. As demonstrated in the WRF simulation, the land surface physical process responded to the enhanced precipitation resulting in damper soil conditions, and reduced ground temperatures that in turn restricted the development of boundary layer height. The weakened land-sea breeze flow was simulated in the current scenario. With reduced dispersion capability, air pollutants would tend to accumulate near the emission source leading to a degradation of air quality in this region. The conditions would be even worse in southwestern Taiwan due to the fact that stagnant wind fields would occur more frequently in the current scenario. On the other hand, in northern Taiwan, the simulated O3 concentrations are lower during the day in the current scenario due to the enhanced cloud conditions and reduced solar radiation.

Simultaneous Measurements of CO2 Concentration and Temperature profiles using 1.6 μm DIAL in the Lower-Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, Y.; Nagasawa, C.; Abo, M.

2016-12-01

High-accurate vertical carbon dioxide (CO2) profiles are highly desirable in the inverse method to improve quantification and understanding of the global sink and source of CO2, and also global climate change. We have developed a ground based 1.6μm differential absorption lidar (DIAL) to achieve measurements of vertical CO2 profiles in the atmosphere. As the spectra of absorption lines of any molecules are influenced basically by the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere, it is important to measure them simultaneously so that the better accuracy of the DIAL measurement is realized. The barometric formula can derive atmospheric pressure of each altitude using atmospheric pressure of ground level at the lidar site. Comparison of atmospheric pressure prlofiles calculated from this equation and those obtained from radiosonde observations at Tateno, Japan are consisted within 0.2 % below 3 km altitude. So, we have developed a 1.6 μm CO2 DIAL system for simultaneous measurements of the CO2 concentration and temperature profiles in the lower-atmosphere. Laser beams of three wavelengths around a CO2 absorption spectrum is transmitted alternately to the atmosphere. Moreover, the value of the retrieved CO2 concentration will be improved remarkably by processing the iteration assignment of CO2 concentration and temperature, which measured by these DIAL techniques. We have acheived vertical CO2 concentration and temperature profile from 0.5 to 2.0 km altitude by this DIAL system. In the next step, we will use this high accuracy CO2 concentration profile and back-trajectory analysis for the behavior analysis of the CO2 mass. This work was financially supported by the System Development Program for Advanced Measurement and Analysis of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

The case for a deep-atmospheric in situ mission to address the highest priority Decadal Survey questions for Venus (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atreya, S. K.; Garvin, J. B.; Glaze, L. S.; Campbell, B. A.; Fisher, M. E.; Flores, A.; Gilmore, M. S.; Johnson, N.; Kiefer, W. S.; Lorenz, R. D.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Ravine, M. A.; Webster, C. R.; Zolotov, M. Y.

2013-12-01

Current understanding of Venus lags behind that for Mars, with a major disparity of information concerning noble and trace gases and the small scale surface processes needed for comparative studies of terrestrial planet evolution. Despite global surface mapping by Magellan, discoveries by Venera landers, and ongoing atmospheric observations by the Venus Express (VEx) orbiter, significant questions about Venus remain unanswered. To place Venus into its proper context with respect to Mars and Earth, it is necessary to obtain new measurements that address top issues identified in the National Research Council (NRC) Solar System Decadal Survey: (1) evolution of the atmosphere, history of climate, and evidence of past hydrologic cycles; (2) history of volatiles and sedimentary cycles; and (3) planetary surface evolution. To answer these questions, new measurements are needed. First and foremost, in situ noble gas measurements are needed to constrain solar system formation and Venus evolution. In particular, the isotopic ratios of Xe and Kr can provide unique insights into planetary accretion. Isotopic measurements of nitrogen (15N/14N) will place important constraints on atmospheric loss processes. Current knowledge of this ratio has a substantial uncertainty of ×20%. VEx observations of hydrogen isotopes indicate the D/H ratio above the clouds is substantially greater than measured by Pioneer Venus, and varies with height. High precision measurements of the vertical distribution of the D/H isotopic ratio below the cloud layers will provide constraints on models of the climate history of water on Venus. The majority of atmospheric mass is located below the clouds. Current data suggest intense interaction among atmospheric gases down to the surface. The haze within the cloud region of unknown composition plays a central role in the radiative balance. Photochemically-derived species (H2SO4, OCS, CO, Sn) are subjected to thermochemical reactions below the clouds, especially within 30 km of the surface. Competing temperature-pressure dependent reactions and atmospheric circulation may cause vertical and latitudinal gradients of chemically-active trace gases (e.g., SO2, H2S, OCS, CO). Measurements of the chemical composition of the near-surface atmosphere can be used to evaluate the stability of primary and secondary minerals and can help to understand chemistry of atmosphere-surface interactions. However, concentrations of many trace species have never been measured below ~30 km, and multiple in situ measurements are required to evaluate chemical processes and cycles of volatiles, which can only be accomplished with deep entry probes. Current lack of understanding about Venus not only limits our understanding of evolutionary pathways Earth could experience, but also suggests that we are ill-equipped to understand the evolution of star systems with similar-sized planets.

Assessing levels and seasonal variations of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in the Tuscan atmosphere, Italy, using polyurethane foam disks (PUF) passive air samplers.

PubMed

Estellano, Victor H; Pozo, Karla; Efstathiou, Christos; Pozo, Katerine; Corsolini, Simonetta; Focardi, Silvano

2015-10-01

Polyurethane foam disks (PUF) passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed over 4 sampling periods of 3-5-months (≥ 1 year) at ten urban and rural locations throughout the Tuscany Region. The purpose was to assess the occurrence and seasonal variations of ten current-use pesticides (CUPs). PUF disk extracts were analyzed using GC-MS. The organophosphates insecticides; chlorpyrifos (3-580 pg m(-3)) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (below detection limit - to 570 pg m(-3)) presented the highest levels in air, and showed seasonal fluctuation coinciding with the growing seasons. The relative proportion urban/(urban + rural) ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 showing no differences between urban and rural concentrations. Air back trajectories analysis showed air masses passing over agricultural fields and potentially enhancing the drift of pesticides into the urban sites. This study represents the first information regarding CUPs in the atmosphere of Tuscany region using PAS-PUF disk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radon measurements aboard the Kuiper Airborne Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kritz, Mark A.; Rosner, Stefan W.

1995-01-01

We have carried out three (piggyback) radon-related projects aboard the KAO. The first, which was limited to upper tropospheric measurements while in level flight, revealed the systematic occurrence of unexpectedly high radon concentrations in this region of the atmosphere. The second project was an instrument development project, which led to the installation of an automatic radon measurement system aboard the NASA ER-2 High Altitude Research Aircraft. In the third, we installed a new system capable of collecting samples during the normal climb and descent of the KAO. The results obtained in these projects have resulted in significant contributions to our knowledge of atmospheric transport processes, and are currently playing a key role in the validation of global circulation and transport models.

Climate change: a brief overview of the science and health impacts for Australia.

PubMed

Hanna, Elizabeth G; McIver, Lachlan J

2018-04-16

The scientific relationship between atmospheric CO2 and global temperatures has been understood for over a century. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 due to burning of fossil fuels have contributed to 75% of the observed 1°C rise in global temperatures since the start of the industrial era (about 1750). Global warming is associated with intensifying climatic extremes and disruption to human society and human health. Mitigation is vital for human health as continued current emission rates are likely to lead to 4°C of warming by 2100. Further escalation of Australia's hot and erratic climate will lead to more extreme climate-related disasters of heatwaves, droughts, fires and storms, as well as shifts in disease burdens.

Atmospheric Concentrations of New Persistent Organic Pollutants and Emerging Chemicals of Concern in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) Region.

PubMed

Rauert, Cassandra; Harner, Tom; Schuster, Jasmin K; Eng, Anita; Fillmann, Gilberto; Castillo, Luisa Eugenia; Fentanes, Oscar; Villa Ibarra, Martín; Miglioranza, Karina S B; Moreno Rivadeneira, Isabel; Pozo, Karla; Aristizábal Zuluaga, Beatriz Helena

2018-06-15

A special initiative was run by the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network to provide atmospheric data on a range of emerging chemicals of concern and candidate and new persistent organic pollutants in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Regional-scale data for a range of flame retardants (FRs) including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate esters (OPEs), and a range of alternative FRs (novel FRs) are reported over 2 years of sampling with low detection frequencies of the novel FRs. Atmospheric concentrations of the OPEs were an order of magnitude higher than all other FRs, with similar profiles at all sites. Regional-scale background concentrations of the poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including the neutral PFAS (n-PFAS) and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), and the volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) are also reported. Ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (EtFOSA) was detected at highly elevated concentrations in Brazil and Colombia, in line with the use of the pesticide sulfluramid in this region. Similar concentrations of the perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFAS) were detected throughout the GRULAC region regardless of location type, and the VMS concentrations in air increased with the population density of sampling locations. This is the first report of atmospheric concentrations of the PFAAs and VMS from this region.

Covariation of deep Southern Ocean oxygenation and atmospheric CO2 through the last ice age.

PubMed

Jaccard, Samuel L; Galbraith, Eric D; Martínez-García, Alfredo; Anderson, Robert F

2016-02-11

No single mechanism can account for the full amplitude of past atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration variability over glacial-interglacial cycles. A build-up of carbon in the deep ocean has been shown to have occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum. However, the mechanisms responsible for the release of the deeply sequestered carbon to the atmosphere at deglaciation, and the relative importance of deep ocean sequestration in regulating millennial-timescale variations in atmospheric CO2 concentration before the Last Glacial Maximum, have remained unclear. Here we present sedimentary redox-sensitive trace-metal records from the Antarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean that provide a reconstruction of transient changes in deep ocean oxygenation and, by inference, respired carbon storage throughout the last glacial cycle. Our data suggest that respired carbon was removed from the abyssal Southern Ocean during the Northern Hemisphere cold phases of the deglaciation, when atmospheric CO2 concentration increased rapidly, reflecting--at least in part--a combination of dwindling iron fertilization by dust and enhanced deep ocean ventilation. Furthermore, our records show that the observed covariation between atmospheric CO2 concentration and abyssal Southern Ocean oxygenation was maintained throughout most of the past 80,000 years. This suggests that on millennial timescales deep ocean circulation and iron fertilization in the Southern Ocean played a consistent role in modifying atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Environmental impacts on the diversity of methane-cycling microbes and their resultant function

PubMed Central

Aronson, Emma L.; Allison, Steven D.; Helliker, Brent R.

2013-01-01

Methane is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas that is produced and consumed in soils by microorganisms responding to micro-environmental conditions. Current estimates show that soil consumption accounts for 5–15% of methane removed from the atmosphere on an annual basis. Recent variability in atmospheric methane concentrations has called into question the reliability of estimates of methane consumption and calls for novel approaches in order to predict future atmospheric methane trends. This review synthesizes the environmental and climatic factors influencing the consumption of methane from the atmosphere by non-wetland, terrestrial soil microorganisms. In particular, we focus on published efforts to connect community composition and diversity of methane-cycling microbial communities to observed rates of methane flux. We find abundant evidence for direct connections between shifts in the methane-cycling microbial community, due to climate and environmental changes, and observed methane flux levels. These responses vary by ecosystem and associated vegetation type. This information will be useful in process-based models of ecosystem methane flux responses to shifts in environmental and climatic parameters. PMID:23966984

Atmospheric mercury speciation in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, B.D.; Olson, M.L.; Rutter, A.P.; Frontiera, R.R.; Krabbenhoft, D.P.; Gross, D.S.; Yuen, M.; Rudolph, T.M.; Schauer, J.J.

2006-01-01

Atmospheric concentrations of elemental mercury (Hg0), reactive gaseous Hg (RGM), and particulate Hg (pHg) concentrations were measured in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), U.S.A. using high resolution, real time atmospheric mercury analyzers (Tekran 2537A, 1130, and 1135). A survey of Hg0 concentrations at various locations within YNP showed that concentrations generally reflect global background concentrations of 1.5-2.0 ng m- 3, but a few specific locations associated with concentrated geothermal activity showed distinctly elevated Hg0 concentrations (about 9.0 ng m- 3). At the site of intensive study located centrally in YNP (Canyon Village), Hg0 concentrations did not exceed 2.5 ng m- 3; concentrations of RGM were generally below detection limits of 0.88 pg m- 3 and never exceeded 5 pg m- 3. Concentrations of pHg ranged from below detection limits to close to 30 pg m-3. RGM and pHg concentrations were not correlated with any criteria gases (SO2, NOx, O3); however pHg was weakly correlated with the concentration of atmospheric particles. We investigated three likely sources of Hg at the intensive monitoring site: numerous geothermal features scattered throughout YNP, re-suspended soils, and wildfires near or in YNP. We examined relationships between the chemical properties of aerosols (as measured using real time, single particle mass spectrometry; aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer; ATOFMS) and concentrations of atmospheric pHg. Based on the presence of particles with distinct chemical signatures of the wildfires, and the absence of signatures associated with the other sources, we concluded that wildfires in the park were the main source of aerosols and associated pHg to our sampling site. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time-dependent calculations of molten pool formation and thermal plasma with metal vapour in gas tungsten arc welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, M.; Yamamoto, K.; Tashiro, S.; Nakata, K.; Yamamoto, E.; Yamazaki, K.; Suzuki, K.; Murphy, A. B.; Lowke, J. J.

2010-11-01

A gas tungsten arc (GTA) was modelled taking into account the contamination of the plasma by metal vapour from the molten anode. The whole region of GTA atmosphere including the tungsten cathode, the arc plasma and the anode was treated using a unified numerical model. A viscosity approximation was used to express the diffusion coefficient in terms of viscosity of the shielding gas and metal vapour. The transient two-dimensional distributions of temperature, velocity of plasma flow and iron vapour concentration were predicted, together with the molten pool as a function of time for a 150 A arc current at atmospheric pressure, both for helium and argon gases. It was shown that the thermal plasma in the GTA was influenced by iron vapour from the molten pool surface and that the concentration of iron vapour in the plasma was dependent on the temperature of the molten pool. GTA on high sulfur stainless steel was calculated to discuss the differences between a low sulfur and a high sulfur stainless steel anode. Helium was selected as the shielding gas because a helium GTA produces more metal vapour than an argon GTA. In the GTA on a high sulfur stainless steel anode, iron vapour and current path were constricted. Radiative emission density in the GTA on high sulfur stainless steel was also concentrated in the centre area of the arc plasma together with the iron vapour although the temperature distributions were almost the same as that in the case of a low sulfur stainless steel anode.

[Atmospheric Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Eight Cities of China: Pollution Characteristics and Human Exposure].

PubMed

Lin, Hai-tao; Li, Qi-lu; Zhang, Gan; Li, Jun

2016-01-15

The gas and particle samples of eight cities were collected by high flow active air sampler in the Eastern and Western China and eight congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers were analyzed. The results showed that the concentration of BDE-28 (tri-BDE) in the gas-phase (three bromide components) was the highest, which was different from previous studies where BDE-99 and-47 were the predominant homologues in the gas-phase while the concentration of BDE-209 [(25.4 ± 124) pg · m⁻³] in particle-phase was the highest. The atmospheric concentrations of PBDEs in Beijing and Guangzhou were relatively higher, especially the BDE-209 concentration in particle phases of Guangzhou was two orders higher than those of other cities. However, the atmospheric concentrations of PBDEs declined significantly when compared with the data from previous studies. Meanwhile, the results indicated that the gas-phase concentrations decreased slowly and the particle-phase concentrations decreased rapidly. Combined with the results of correlation analysis, this phenomenon might be ascribed to the ceased commercial production of penta- and octa-BDE, the light degradation of high bromide components and reduced concentrations of atmospheric particles in urban area. Inhalation exposure for infants was about 2-3 times higher than that of adults. This reflected that the potential health risk of atmospheric PBDEs in city for residents, especially infants and young children, should not be ignored.

Marine Atmospheric Corrosion of Carbon Steel: A Review.

PubMed

Alcántara, Jenifer; Fuente, Daniel de la; Chico, Belén; Simancas, Joaquín; Díaz, Iván; Morcillo, Manuel

2017-04-13

The atmospheric corrosion of carbon steel is an extensive topic that has been studied over the years by many researchers. However, until relatively recently, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the action of marine chlorides. Corrosion in coastal regions is a particularly relevant issue due the latter's great importance to human society. About half of the world's population lives in coastal regions and the industrialisation of developing countries tends to concentrate production plants close to the sea. Until the start of the 21st century, research on the basic mechanisms of rust formation in Cl - -rich atmospheres was limited to just a small number of studies. However, in recent years, scientific understanding of marine atmospheric corrosion has advanced greatly, and in the authors' opinion a sufficient body of knowledge has been built up in published scientific papers to warrant an up-to-date review of the current state-of-the-art and to assess what issues still need to be addressed. That is the purpose of the present review. After a preliminary section devoted to basic concepts on atmospheric corrosion, the marine atmosphere, and experimentation on marine atmospheric corrosion, the paper addresses key aspects such as the most significant corrosion products, the characteristics of the rust layers formed, and the mechanisms of steel corrosion in marine atmospheres. Special attention is then paid to important matters such as coastal-industrial atmospheres and long-term behaviour of carbon steel exposed to marine atmospheres. The work ends with a section dedicated to issues pending, noting a series of questions in relation with which greater research efforts would seem to be necessary.

Exploring Multiple Constraints of Anthropogenic Pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arellano, A. F., Jr.; Tang, W.; Silva, S. J.; Raman, A.

2017-12-01

It is imperative that we provide more accurate and consistent analysis of anthropogenic pollution emissions at scales that is relevant to air quality, energy, and environmental policy. Here, we present three proof-of-concept studies that explore observational constraints from ground, aircraft, and satellite-derived measurements of atmospheric composition on bulk characteristics of anthropogenic combustion in megacities and fire regions. We focus on jointly analyzing co-emitted combustion products such as CO2, NO2, CO, SO2, and aerosols from GOSAT, OCO-2, OMI, MOPITT, and MODIS retrievals, in conjunction with USEPA AQS and NASA field campaigns. Each of these constituents exhibit distinct atmospheric signatures that depend on fuel type, combustion technology, process, practices and regulatory policies. Our results show that distinguishable patterns and relationships between the increases in concentrations across the megacity (or enhancements) due to emissions of these constituents enable us to: a) identify trends in combustion activity and efficiency, and b) reconcile discrepancies between state- to country-based emission inventories and modeled concentrations of these constituents. For example, the trends in enhancement ratios of these species reveal combustion emission pathways for China and United States that are not captured by current emission inventories and chemical reanalysis. Analysis of their joint distributions has considerable potential utility in current and future integrated constituent data assimilation and inverse modeling activities for monitoring, verifying, and reporting emissions, particularly for regions with few observations and limited information on local combustion processes. This work also motivates the need for continuous and preferably collocated satellite measurements of atmospheric composition, including CH4 and CO2, and studies related to improving the applicability and integration of these observations with ground- and aircraft- based measurements.

Airborne heavy metals in two cities of North Rhine Westphalia - Performing inhalation cancer risk assessment in terms of atmospheric circulation.

PubMed

Dimitriou, Konstantinos; Kassomenos, Pavlos

2017-11-01

The main objective of this study was to examine the levels of four heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb and Ni) in PM 10 samples collected in two urban background stations in Dortmund and Bielefeld, in relation to atmospheric circulation. Pollution roses, Conditional Probability Function (CPF) roses and backward air mass trajectory clusters were used to identify air currents associated with the importation of PM 10 and of the included metal constituents. In addition, PM 10 , NO 2 , SO 2 , O 3 , As, Cd, Ni and Pb concentrations were analyzed by a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reveal major local emission sources of PM 10 metal content. Traffic was the main emitter of PM 10 , As, Cd, and Pb in both cities, highlighting the existence of non-negligible lead quantities in unleaded gasoline, whilst nickel emissions were associated with heavy fuel oil combustion in industries and primarily for domestic heating. The created CPF roses and trajectory clusters were in good agreement, clearly revealing that eastern air currents enriched the locally produced PM 10 load with additional aerosols from Eastern Europe. The concentrations of arsenic and cadmium were also enhanced by the arrival of air parcels from the East, indicating the anthropogenic origin of the exogenous aerosols due to combustion. The induced cancer risk (CR inh ) for adults, due to inhalation of individual metal constituents, was also estimated in terms of atmospheric circulation, indicating higher risk in Dortmund than in Bielefeld. CR inh values for arsenic exceeded the limit of 1 × 10 -6 in both cities, primarily during the influence of eastern circulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The NOAA Carbon America Program A Focus on Products for Decision- Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, J. H.; Hofmann, D. J.; Tans, P. P.; Peters, W.; Andrews, A. E.; Sweeny, C.; Montzka, S. A.

2006-12-01

If society is to manage or reduce carbon emissions in the future, reliable and accurate information on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels for verification of emission reductions will be needed on local, regional, and global scales. The current global carbon dioxide observing network operated by NOAA/ESRL provides a foundation for monitoring and understanding carbon dioxide. For example, atmospheric measurements in Europe suggest that emissions inventories of methane are substantial underestimates. An expanded U.S. Carbon Cycle Atmospheric Observing System is being implemented. Carbon America will consist of approximately 24 aircraft and 12 tall towers obtaining concentrations of carbon gases and other trace species. This observing system needs to be capable of quantitative attribution of all major contributors to the carbon budget of the continent, both manmade and natural. Successful mitigation strategies need independent and credible assessments of their efficacy. Managing carbon emissions will require the involvement of industry, financial markets, and governments at all levels. Without good information, governments will be slow to act, private investments will likely be less than optimal, and financial markets will not develop as they might need to. The atmospheric data and the methods used to derive sources and sinks will be fully open and available in up-to-date form to scientists, the general public, and policymakers. This presentation will provide an overview of NOAA`s role in the North American Carbon Program, our current accomplishments, our plans for the future network, and the currently expected products, services, and information that derive from these and other associated studies. Today's products, while useful, will be eclipsed by those of tomorrow, which will focus heavily on regional emissions expressed on seasonal or shorter time-scales, and will provide needed information for improved predictions in the future.

30 CFR 70.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Respirable dust standard when quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the... concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which each miner in the active... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that mechanized mining...

30 CFR 70.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Respirable dust standard when quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the... concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which each miner in the active... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that mechanized mining...

30 CFR 70.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Respirable dust standard when quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the... concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which each miner in the active... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that mechanized mining...

30 CFR 70.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Respirable dust standard when quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the... concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which each miner in the active... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that mechanized mining...

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate feedback mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cess, R. D.

1982-01-01

As a consequence of fossil fuel burning, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased from 314 ppm in 1958, when detailed measurements of this quantity began, to a present value of 335 ppm; and it is estimated that during the next century, the CO2 concentration will double relative to its assumed preindustrial value of 290 ppm. Since CO2 is an infrared-active gas, increases in its atmospheric concentration would lead to a larger infrared opacity for the atmospheric which, by normal logic, would result in a warmer Earth. A number of modeling endeavors suggest a 2 to 4 C increase in global mean surface temperature with doubling of the CO2 concentration. But such estimates of CO2-induced warming are highly uncertain because of a lack of knowledge of climate feedback mechanisms. Interactive influences upon the solar and infrared opacities of the Earth-atmosphere system can either amplify or damp a climate-forcing mechanism such as increasing CO2. Climate feedback mechanisms discussed include climate sensitivity, cloudiness-radiation feedback, climate change predictions, and interactive atmospheric chemistry.

Using native epiphytic ferns to estimate the atmospheric mercury levels in a small-scale gold mining area of West Java, Indonesia.

PubMed

Kono, Yuriko; Rahajoe, Joeni S; Hidayati, Nuril; Kodamatani, Hitoshi; Tomiyasu, Takashi

2012-09-01

Mercury pollution is caused by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) operations along the Cikaniki River (West Java, Indonesia). The atmosphere is one of the primary media through which mercury can disperse. In this study, atmospheric mercury levels are estimated using the native epiphytic fern Asplenium nidus complex (A. nidus) as a biomonitor; these estimates shed light on the atmospheric dispersion of mercury released during mining. Samples were collected from 8 sites along the Cikaniki Basin during September-November, 2008 and September-November, 2009. The A. nidus fronds that were attached to tree trunks 1-3m above the ground were collected and measured for total mercury concentration using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) after acid-digestion. The atmospheric mercury was collected using porous gold collectors, and the concentrations were determined using double-amalgam CVAAS. The highest atmospheric mercury concentration, 1.8 × 10(3) ± 1.6 × 10(3) ngm(-3), was observed at the mining hot spot, and the lowest concentration of mercury, 5.6 ± 2.0 ngm(-3), was observed at the remote site from the Cikaniki River in 2009. The mercury concentrations in A. nidus were higher at the mining village (5.4 × 10(3) ± 1.6 × 10(3) ngg(-1)) than at the remote site (70 ± 30 ngg(-1)). The distribution of mercury in A. nidus was similar to that in the atmosphere; a significant correlation was observed between the mercury concentrations in the air and in A. nidus (r=0.895, P<0.001, n=14). The mercury levels in the atmosphere can be estimated from the mercury concentration in A. nidus using a regression equation: log (Hg(A.nidu)/ngg(-1))=0.740 log (Hg(Air)/ngm (-3)) - 1.324. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the atmospheric oxidation of pesticides used to control mosquito populations in Houston, TX.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usenko, S.; Clark, A. E.; Yoon, S.; Sheesley, R. J.

2016-12-01

In September 2013, NASA initiated the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) Houston campaign, which collected satellite and ground-based data to better understand air quality in the Houston metropolitan area. In conjunction with DISCOVER-AQ, particulate matter samples including total suspended particle (TSP) and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) were collected at four ground-based sites across Houston. Aliquots of PM samples were analyzed for pesticide used to control mosquito populations in urban areas. Pesticides extracted using pressurized liquid extraction and extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. These pesticides, also known as adulticides, are aerosolized and sprayed in neighborhoods throughout Houston around sunset in an effort to reduce or prevent the spread of diseases like West Nile Virus and Zika. When these pesticides enter the atmosphere they oxidize after reaction with ozone and nitrate radical and become more toxic and less volatile. The rate and specific mechanism associated with this urban chemistry is currently unknown, but has direct implications on public health from both a toxicological and disease control standpoint. Preliminary atmospheric measurements in Houston demonstrated significant nighttime oxidation of malathion to malaoxon. Atmospheric half-lives measured near downtown Houston where 10x lower than previous agriculture based studies ( 5 days to less than 24 hours). Atmospheric nighttime PM concentrations of adulticides exceeded 60 ng/m3, which is orders of magnitude greater than concentrations of organic tracers associated with incomplete combustion. This unique system also offers an opportunity to address some key scientific questions including focusing on SVOC urban fate and urban transport as well as nighttime oxidation.

Occurrence of nitrous oxide in the central High Plains aquifer, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, P.B.; Bruch, B.W.; Becker, M.F.; Pope, L.M.; Dennehy, K.F.

2000-01-01

Nitrogen-enriched groundwater has been proposed as an important anthropogenic source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O), yet few measurements of N2O in large aquifer systems have been made. Concentrations of N2O in water samples collected from the 124 000 km2 central High Plains aquifer in 1999 ranged from < 1 to 940 nM, with a median concentration of 29 nM (n = 123). Eighty percent of the N20 concentrations exceeded the aqueous concentration expected from equilibration with atmospheric N2O. Measurements of N2O, NO3-, and 3H in unsaturated-zone sediments, recently recharged groundwater, and older groundwater indicate that concentrations of N2O in groundwater increased over time and will likely continue to increase in the future as N-enriched water recharges the aquifer. Large concentrations of O2 and NO3- and small concentrations of NH4+ and dissolved organic carbon in the aquifer indicate that N2O in the central High Plains aquifer was produced primarily by nitrification. Calculations indicate that the flux of N2O from the central High Plains aquifer to the atmosphere from well pumping and groundwater discharge to streams was not a significant source of atmospheric N2O.Nitrogen-enriched groundwater has been proposed as an important anthropogenic source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O), yet few measurements of N2O in large aquifer systems have been made. Concentrations of N2O in water samples collected from the 124000 km2 central High Plains aquifer in 1999 ranged from < 1 to 940 nM, with a median concentration of 29 nM (n = 123). Eighty percent of the N2O concentrations exceeded the aqueous concentration expected from equilibration with atmospheric N2O. Measurements of N2O, NO3-, and 3H in unsaturated-zone sediments, recently recharged groundwater, and older groundwater indicate that concentrations of N2O in groundwater increased over time and will likely continue to increase in the future as N-enriched water recharges the aquifer. Large concentrations of O2 and NO3- and small concentrations of NH4+ and dissolved organic carbon in the aquifer indicate that N2O in the central High Plains aquifer was produced primarily by nitrification. Calculations indicate that the flux of N2O from the central High Plains aquifer to the atmosphere from well pumping and groundwater discharge to streams was not a significant source of atmospheric N2O.Water samples were collected from 92 domestic wells, 16 monitoring wells and 15 public-supply wells in the High Plains Aquifer in 1999, and concentrations of nitrous oxide were measured. The groundwater concentrations ranged from less than 1 to 940 nM. Concentrations expressed as a percent of saturation in water ranged from less than 10 to 9690%. A significant decrease was noted in N2O concentrations with increasing depth of the well screen below the water table, and a significant positive correlation was found between the concentrations of N2O and nitrate. The small area-averaged N2O emission rate for the aquifer indicated that it was not an important component of the atmospheric N2O budget, but the importance could increase as groundwater N2O concentrations increase.

Natural lead concentrations in pristine boreal forest soils and past pollution trends: A reference for critical load models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bindler, R.; Braennvall, M.L.; Renberg, I.

1999-10-01

Knowledge of natural, prepollution concentrations of heavy metals in forest soils and temporal trends of soil pollution are essential for understanding present-day pollution and for establishing realistic goals for reductions of atmospheric pollution deposition. Soils not exposed to deposition of atmospheric pollution no longer exist and, for example, present lead (Pb) pollution conditions in northern European soils are a consequence of nearly 4,000 years of atmospheric pollution. The authors use analyses of Pb concentrations and stable Pb isotopes ({sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratios) of ombrotrophic peat and forest soils from southern Sweden and a model for Pb cycling in forest soilsmore » to derive an estimate for the prepollution concentration of Pb in the mor layer of boreal forest soils and to back-calculate Pb concentrations for the last 5,500 years. While the present-day concentrations of the mor layer are typically 40--100 {micro}g g{sup {minus}1} (0.25--1.0 g m{sup {minus}2}), Pb concentrations of pristine forest mor layers in Sweden were quite low, {le}0.1 {micro}g g{sup {minus}1} ({le}1 mg m{sup {minus}2}). Large-scale atmospheric pollution from the Greek and Roman cultures increased Pb concentrations to about 1 {micro}g g{sup {minus}1}. Lead (Pb) concentrations increased to about 4 {micro}g g{sup {minus}1} following the increase of metal production and atmospheric pollution in Medieval Europe.« less

Intensification of hot extremes in the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Diffenbaugh, Noah; Ashfaq, Moetasim

Governments are currently considering policies that will limit greenhouse gas concentrations, including negotiation of an international treaty to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol. Existing mitigation targets have arisen primarily from political negotiations, and the ability of such policies to avoid dangerous impacts is still uncertain. Using a large suite of climate model experiments, we find that substantial intensification of hot extremes could occur within the next 3 decades, below the 2 C global warming target currently being considered by policy makers. We also find that the intensification of hot extremes is associated with a shift towards more anticyclonic atmospheric circulationmore » during the warm season, along with warm-season drying over much of the U.S. The possibility that intensification of hot extremes could result from relatively small increases in greenhouse gas concentrations suggests that constraining global warming to 2 C may not be sufficient to avoid dangerous climate change.« less

The Catalytic Effect of Electronegative Additives on Removal of Perchloroethylene Vapor from Air by Pulsed Corona Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filatov, I. E.; Uvarin, V. V.; Kuznetsov, D. L.

2017-12-01

It is established that electronegative additives (CCl4, freon-113) produce a catalytic effect on the conversion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under the action of atmospheric-pressure nonequilibrium plasma generated in pulsed corona discharge. At concentrations below 0.1%, these additives significantly decrease the discharge current, but the energy efficiency of the process of VOC removal from air increases. The catalytic effect of electronegative additives on the VOC conversion in air and nitrogen is quantitatively demonstrated in the case of perchloroethylene C2Cl4 (PCE) vapor removal. The addition of 0.085% CCl4 to air reduces the energy consumption for PCE removal at initial concentration of 0.09% by half (from 12 to 6 eV per molecule) at a 63% degree of cleaning. Mechanisms explaining the active inf luence of electronegative additives on the discharge current and the process of impurity removal are suggested.

Hydrocarbon Plume Dynamics in the Worldś Most Spectacular Hydrocarbon Seeps, Santa Barbara Channel, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mau, S.; Reed, J.; Clark, J.; Valentine, D.

2006-12-01

Large quantities of natural gas are emitted from the seafloor into the coastal ocean near Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara Channel (SBC), California. Methane, ethane, and propane were quantified in the surface water at 79 stations in a 270 km2 area in order to map the surficial hydrocarbon plume and to quantify air-sea exchange of these gases. A time series was initiated for 14 stations to identify the variability of the mapped plume, and biologically-mediated oxidation rates of methane were measured to quantify the loss of methane in surface water. The hydrocarbon plume was found to comprise ~70 km2 and extended beyond study area. The plume width narrowed from 3 km near the source to 0.7 km further from the source, and then expanded to 6.7 km at the edge of the study area. This pattern matches the cyclonic gyre which is the normal current flow in this part of the Santa Barbara Channel - pushing water to the shore near the seep field and then broadening the plume while the water turns offshore further from the source. Concentrations of gaseous hydrocarbons decrease as the plume migrates. Time series sampling shows similar plume width and hydrocarbon concentrations when normal current conditions prevail. In contrast, smaller plume width and low hydrocarbon concentrations were observed when an additional anticyclonic eddy reversed the normal current flow, and a much broader plume with higher hydrocarbon concentrations was observed during a time of diminished speed within the current gyre. These results demonstrate that surface currents control hydrocarbon plume dynamics in the SBC, though hydrocarbon flux to the atmosphere is likely less dependent on currents. Estimates of air- sea hydrocarbon flux and biological oxidation rates will also be presented.

Neutral polyfluoroalkyl substances in the atmosphere over the northern South China Sea.

PubMed

Lai, Senchao; Song, Junwei; Song, Tianli; Huang, Zhijiong; Zhang, Yingyi; Zhao, Yan; Liu, Guicheng; Zheng, Junyu; Mi, Wenying; Tang, Jianhui; Zou, Shichun; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Xie, Zhiyong

2016-07-01

Neutral Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the atmosphere were measured during a cruise campaign over the northern South China Sea (SCS) from September to October 2013. Four groups of PFASs, i.e., fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer acrylates (FTAs), fluorooctane sulfonamides (FOSAs) and fluorooctane sulfonamidoethanols (FASEs), were detected in gas samples. FTOHs was the predominant PFAS group, accounting for 95.2-99.3% of total PFASs (ΣPFASs), while the other PFASs accounted for a small fraction of ΣPFASs. The concentrations of ΣPFASs ranged from 18.0 to 109.9 pg m(-3) with an average of 54.5 pg m(-3). The concentrations are comparable to those reported in other marine atmosphere. Higher concentrations of ΣPFASs were observed in the continental-influenced samples than those in other samples, pointing to the substantial contribution of anthropogenic sources. Long-range transport is suggested to be a major pathway for introducing gaseous PFASs into the atmosphere over the northern SCS. In order to further understand the fate of gaseous PFASs during transport, the atmospheric decay of neutral PFASs under the influence of reaction with OH radicals and atmospheric physical processes were estimated. Concentrations of 8:2 FTOH, 6:2 FTOH and MeFBSE from selected source region to the atmosphere over the SCS after long-range transport were predicted and compared with the observed concentrations. It suggests that the reaction with OH radicals may play an important role in the atmospheric decay of PFAS during long-range transport, especially for shorted-lived species. Moreover, the influence of atmospheric physical processes on the decay of PFAS should be further considered. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon Dioxide Clouds at High Altitude in the Tropics and in an Early Dense Martian Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colaprete, Anthony; Toon, Owen B.

2001-01-01

We use a time dependent, microphysical cloud model to study the formation of carbon dioxide clouds in the Martian atmosphere. Laboratory studies by Glandor et al. show that high critical supersaturations are required for cloud particle nucleation and that surface kinetic growth is not limited. These conditions, which are similar to those for cirrus clouds on Earth, lead to the formation of carbon dioxide ice particles with radii greater than 500 micrometers and concentrations of less than 0.1 cm(exp -3) for typical atmospheric conditions. Within the current Martian atmosphere, CO2 cloud formation is possible at the poles during winter and at high altitudes in the tropics during periods of increased atmospheric dust loading. In both cases, temperature perturbations of several degrees below the CO2 saturation temperature are required to nucleate new cloud particles suggesting that dynamical processes are the most common initiators of carbon dioxide clouds rather than diabatic cooling. The microphysical cloud model, coupled to a two-stream radiative transfer model, is used to reexamine the impact of CO2 clouds on the surface temperature within a dense CO2 atmosphere. The formation of carbon dioxide clouds leads to a warmer surface than what would be expected for clear sky conditions. The amount of warming is sensitive to the presence of dust and water vapor in the atmosphere, both of which act to dampen cloud effects. The radiative warming associated with cloud formation, as well as latent heating, work to dissipate the clouds when present. Thus, clouds never last for periods much longer than several days, limiting their overall effectiveness for warming the surface. The time average cloud optical depth is approximately unity leading to a 5-10 K warming, depending on the surface pressure. However, the surface temperature does not rise about the freezing point of liquid water even for pressures as high as 5 bars, at a solar luminosity of 75% the current value.

Transboundary atmospheric lead pollution.

PubMed

Erel, Yigal; Axelrod, Tamar; Veron, Alain; Mahrer, Yitzak; Katsafados, Petros; Dayan, Uri

2002-08-01

A high-temporal resolution collection technique was applied to refine aerosol sampling in Jerusalem, Israel. Using stable lead isotopes, lead concentrations, synoptic data, and atmospheric modeling, we demonstrate that lead detected in the atmosphere of Jerusalem is not only anthropogenic lead of local origin but also lead emitted in other countries. Fifty-seven percent of the collected samples contained a nontrivial fraction of foreign atmospheric lead and had 206Pb/207Pb values which deviated from the local petrol-lead value (206Pb/207Pb = 1.113) by more than two standard deviations (0.016). Foreign 206Pb/207Pb values were recorded in Jerusalem on several occasions. The synoptic conditions on these dates and reported values of the isotopic composition of lead emitted in various countries around Israel suggest that the foreign lead was transported to Jerusalem from Egypt, Turkey, and East Europe. The average concentration of foreign atmospheric lead in Jerusalem was 23 +/- 17 ng/m3, similar to the average concentration of local atmospheric lead, 21 +/- 18 ng/ m3. Hence, the load of foreign atmospheric lead is similar to the load of local atmospheric lead in Jerusalem.

Determination of monomethylmercury and dimethylmercury in the Arctic marine boundary layer.

PubMed

Baya, Pascale A; Gosselin, Michel; Lehnherr, Igor; St Louis, Vincent L; Hintelmann, Holger

2015-01-06

Our understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of monomethylmercury (MMHg) in the Arctic is incomplete because atmospheric sources and sinks of MMHg are still unclear. We sampled air in the Canadian Arctic marine boundary layer to quantify, for the first time, atmospheric concentrations of methylated Hg species (both MMHg and dimethylmercury (DMHg)), and, estimate the importance of atmospheric deposition as a source of MMHg to Arctic land- and sea-scapes. Overall atmospheric MMHg and DMHg concentrations (mean ± SD) were 2.9 ± 3.6 and 3.8 ± 3.1 (n = 37) pg m(-3), respectively. Concentrations of methylated Hg species in the marine boundary layer varied significantly among our sites, with a predominance of MMHg over Hudson Bay (HB), and DMHg over Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) waters. We concluded that DMHg is of marine origin and that primary production rate and sea-ice cover are major drivers of its concentration in the Canadian Arctic marine boundary layer. Summer wet deposition rates of atmospheric MMHg, likely to be the product of DMHg degradation in the atmosphere, were estimated at 188 ± 117.5 ng m(-2) and 37 ± 21.7 ng m(-2) for HB and CAA, respectively, sustaining MMHg concentrations available for biomagnification in the pelagic food web.

Synchronous change of atmospheric CO2 and Antarctic temperature during the last deglacial warming.

PubMed

Parrenin, F; Masson-Delmotte, V; Köhler, P; Raynaud, D; Paillard, D; Schwander, J; Barbante, C; Landais, A; Wegner, A; Jouzel, J

2013-03-01

Understanding the role of atmospheric CO2 during past climate changes requires clear knowledge of how it varies in time relative to temperature. Antarctic ice cores preserve highly resolved records of atmospheric CO2 and Antarctic temperature for the past 800,000 years. Here we propose a revised relative age scale for the concentration of atmospheric CO2 and Antarctic temperature for the last deglacial warming, using data from five Antarctic ice cores. We infer the phasing between CO2 concentration and Antarctic temperature at four times when their trends change abruptly. We find no significant asynchrony between them, indicating that Antarctic temperature did not begin to rise hundreds of years before the concentration of atmospheric CO2, as has been suggested by earlier studies.

Flow injection trace gas analysis method for on-site determination of organoarsenicals

DOEpatents

Aldstadt, III, Joseph H.

1997-01-01

A method for real-time determination of the concentration of Lewisite in the ambient atmosphere, the method includes separating and collecting a Lewisite sample from the atmosphere in a collection chamber, converting the collected Lewisite to an arsenite ion solution sample, pumping the arsenite ion containing sample to an electrochemical detector connected to the collection chamber, and electrochemically detecting the converted arsenite ions in the sample, whereby the concentration of arsenite ions detected is proportional to the concentration of Lewisite in the atmosphere.

The optimal atmospheric CO2 concentration for the growth of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum).

PubMed

Xu, Ming

2015-07-20

This study examined the optimal atmospheric CO2 concentration of the CO2 fertilization effect on the growth of winter wheat with growth chambers where the CO2 concentration was controlled at 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 ppm respectively. I found that initial increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration dramatically enhanced winter wheat growth through the CO2 fertilization effect. However, this CO2 fertilization effect was substantially compromised with further increase in CO2 concentration, demonstrating an optimal CO2 concentration of 889.6, 909.4, and 894.2 ppm for aboveground, belowground, and total biomass, respectively, and 967.8 ppm for leaf photosynthesis. Also, high CO2 concentrations exceeding the optima not only reduced leaf stomatal density, length and conductance, but also changed the spatial distribution pattern of stomata on leaves. In addition, high CO2 concentration also decreased the maximum carboxylation rate (Vc(max)) and the maximum electron transport rate (J(max)) of leaf photosynthesis. However, the high CO2 concentration had little effect on leaf length and plant height. The optimal CO2 fertilization effect found in this study can be used as an indicator in selecting and breeding new wheat strains in adapting to future high atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate change. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Atmospheric deposition as a source of carbon and nutrients to barren, alpine soils of the Colorado Rocky Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mladenov, N.; Williams, M. W.; Schmidt, S. K.; Cawley, K.

2012-03-01

Many alpine areas are experiencing intense deglaciation, biogeochemical changes driven by temperature rise, and changes in atmospheric deposition. There is mounting evidence that the water quality of alpine streams may be related to these changes, including rising atmospheric deposition of carbon (C) and nutrients. Given that barren alpine soils can be severely C limited, we evaluated the magnitude and chemical quality of atmospheric deposition of C and nutrients to an alpine site, the Green Lake 4 catchment in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Using a long term dataset (2002-2010) of weekly atmospheric wet deposition and snowpack chemistry, we found that volume weighted mean dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were approximately 1.0 mg L-1and weekly concentrations reached peaks as high at 6-10 mg L-1 every summer. Total dissolved nitrogen concentration also peaked in the summer, whereas total dissolved phosphorus and calcium concentrations were highest in the spring. Relationships among DOC concentration, dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescence properties, and nitrate and sulfate concentrations suggest that pollutants from nearby urban and agricultural sources and organic aerosols derived from sub-alpine vegetation may influence high summer DOC wet deposition concentrations. Interestingly, high DOC concentrations were also recorded during "dust-in-snow" events in the spring. Detailed chemical and spectroscopic analyses conducted for samples collected in 2010 revealed that the DOM in many late spring and summer samples was less aromatic and polydisperse and of lower molecular weight than that of winter and fall samples and, therefore, likely to be more bioavailable to microbes in barren alpine soils. Bioavailability experiments with different types of atmospheric C sources are needed to better evaluate the substrate quality of atmospheric C inputs. Our C budget estimates for the Green Lake 4 catchment suggest that atmospheric deposition represents an average input of approximately 13 kg C ha-1 yr-1 that could be as high as 24 kg C ha-1 yr-1 in high dust years and approaches that of autotrophic C fixation in barren soils.

[Diurnal and seasonal variations of surface atmospheric CO2 concentration in the river estuarine marsh].

PubMed

Zhang, Lin-Hai; Tong, Chuan; Zeng, Cong-Sheng

2014-03-01

Characteristics of diurnal and seasonal variations of surface atmospheric CO2 concentration were analyzed in the Minjiang River estuarine marsh from December 2011 to November 2012. The results revealed that both the diurnal and seasonal variation of surface atmospheric CO2 concentration showed single-peak patterns, with the valley in the daytime and the peak value at night for the diurnal variations, and the maxima in winter and minima in summer for the seasonal variation. Diurnal amplitude of CO2 concentration varied from 16.96 micromol x mol(-1) to 38.30 micromol x mol(-1). The seasonal averages of CO2 concentration in spring, summer, autumn and winter were (353.74 +/- 18.35), (327.28 +/- 8.58), (354.78 +/- 14.76) and (392.82 +/- 9.71) micromol x mol(-1), respectively, and the annual mean CO2 concentration was (357.16 +/- 26.89) micromol x mol(-1). The diurnal CO2 concentration of surface atmospheric was strongly negatively correlated with temperature, wind speed, photosynthetically active radiation and total solar radiation (P < 0.05). The diurnal concentration of CO2 was negatively related with tidal level in January, but significantly positively related in July.

Methane concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C-CH4) in the Nerja Cave system (South Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadillo, Iñaki; Etiope, Giuseppe; Benavente, José; Ojeda, Lucia; Liñán, Cristina; Carrasco, Francisco

2016-04-01

Air in underground caves often has methane (CH4) concentrations below the atmospheric level, due to methanotrophic or other unkown CH4 consuming processes. Caves are thus considered a potential sink for atmospheric methane. If globally important, this underground CH4 oxidation should be taken into account in the atmospheric methane budget, in addition to the known soil methanotrophy and tropospheric/stratospheric sinks. A large set of data is however necessary to understand how and how much methane from external atmospheric air is consumed in the caves. While methane concentration data are available for several caves worldwide, its isotopic composition and variations in space and time are poorly documented. We measured methane concentration and stable C isotope composition (δ13C) in the Nerja cave (Southern Spain) air during two surveys in March and April 2015. CH4 concentration decreases progressively from the more external cave rooms, with atmospheric levels of 1.9 ppmv, to the more internal and isolated rooms down to 0.5 ppmv. δ13C increases correspondingly from -47 ‰ to -41 ‰ (VPDB). CH4 is systematically 13C-enriched (δ13C > -45) in areas of the cave where the concentration is below 1.4 ppmv. This combination of concentration decrease and 13C-enrichment towards the more internal and isolated zones of the cave confirms the importance of CH4 oxidation, likely driven by methanotrophic bacteria. Further data, including stable H isotope composition of sub-atmospheric CH4 concentrations, CO2 and microbial analyses, shall be acquired over time to assess the actual role of methanotrophic bacteria and seasonal controls in the CH4 consumption process.

Relating SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference to precipitation and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration - A reappraisal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, C. J.

1992-01-01

The relations of Scanning Multi-channel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) 37 GHz polarization difference to precipitation and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are reviewed. Annual precipitation data, a surrogate for green leaf vegetation density, are compared with the coincident SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference from arid and semi-arid West Africa for 1982-85. The SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference was found to be poorly correlated with precipitation in arid and semi-arid zones, contrary to previous reports. Coincident SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference and atmospheric CO2 concentration data from July 1981 to June 1983 are also reviewed. Previously suggested relations of the SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference to atmospheric CO2 concentrations were found to be heavily biased by winter conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. The use of the SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference for determining green leaf vegetation density, net primary production, atmospheric CO2 draw-down and related processes is questioned.

30 CFR 90.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings to which a Part... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which a Part 90 miner...%. Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that Part 90...

40 CFR 63.862 - Standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... concentration of PM in the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0.10 gram per dry... the concentration of PM in the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0... the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0.15 g/dscm (0.064 gr/dscf...

30 CFR 90.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings to which a Part... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which a Part 90 miner...%. Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that Part 90...

40 CFR 63.862 - Standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... concentration of PM in the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0.10 gram per dry... the concentration of PM in the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0... the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0.15 g/dscm (0.064 gr/dscf...

40 CFR 63.862 - Standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... concentration of PM in the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0.10 gram per dry... the concentration of PM in the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0... the exhaust gases discharged to the atmosphere is less than or equal to 0.15 g/dscm (0.064 gr/dscf...

30 CFR 90.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings to which a Part... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which a Part 90 miner...%. Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that Part 90...

30 CFR 90.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings to which a Part... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which a Part 90 miner...%. Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that Part 90...

30 CFR 90.101 - Respirable dust standard when quartz is present.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... quartz is present. When the respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of the active workings to which a Part... average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere during each shift to which a Part 90 miner...%. Therefore, the average concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere associated with that Part 90...

Development and operation of a real-time data acquisition system for the NASA, Langley Research Center Differential Absorption Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, C.; Kindle, E. C.

1984-01-01

The capabilities of the DIAL data acquisition system (DAS) for the remote measurement of atmospheric trace gas concentrations from ground and aircraft platforms were extended through the purchase and integration of other hardware and the implementation of improved software. An operational manual for the current system is presented. Hardware and peripheral device registers are outlined only as an aid in debugging any DAS problems which may arise.

PAHs concentration and toxicity in organic solvent extracts of atmospheric particulate matter and sea sediments.

PubMed

Ozaki, Noriatsu; Takeuchi, Shin-ya; Kojima, Keisuke; Kindaichi, Tomonori; Komatsu, Toshiko; Fukushima, Takehiko

2012-01-01

The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the toxicity to marine bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) were measured for the organic solvent extracts of sea sediments collected from an urban watershed area (Hiroshima Bay) of Japan and compared with the concentrations and toxicity of atmospheric particulate matter (PM). In atmospheric PM, the PAHs concentration was highest in fine particulate matter (FPM) collected during cold seasons. The concentrations of sea sediments were 0.01-0.001 times those of atmospheric PM. 1/EC50 was 1-10 L g(-1) PM for atmospheric PM and 0.1-1 L g(-1) dry solids for sea sediments. These results imply that toxic substances from atmospheric PM are diluted several tens or hundreds of times in sea sediments. The ratio of the 1/EC50 to PAHs concentration ((1/EC50)/16PAHs) was stable for all sea sediments (0.1-1 L μg(-1) 16PAHs) and was the same order of magnitude as that of FPM and coarse particulate matter (CPM). The ratio of sediments collected from the west was more similar to that of CPM while that from the east was more similar to FPM, possibly because of hydraulic differences among water bodies. The PAHs concentration pattern analyses (principal component analysis and isomer ratio analysis) were conducted and the results showed that the PAHs pattern in sea sediments was quite different to that of FPM and CPM. Comparison with previously conducted PAHs analyses suggested that biomass burning residues comprised a major portion of these other sources.

Diver Down: Remote Sensing of Carbon Climate Feedbacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schimel, D.; Chatterjee, A.; Baker, D. F.; Basu, S.; Denning, A. S.; Schuh, A. E.; Crowell, S.; Jacobson, A. R.; Bowman, K. W.; Liu, J.; O'Dell, C.

2016-12-01

What controls the rate of increase of CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere? It may seem self-evident but actually remains mysterious. The increases of CO2 and CH4 result from a combination of forcing from anthropogenic emissions and Earth System feedbacks that dampen or amplify the effects of those emissions on atmospheric concentrations. The fraction of anthropogenic CO2 remaining in the atmosphere has remained remarkably constant over the last 59 years but has shown recent dynamics and if it changes in the future, will affect the climate impact of any given fossil fuel regime. While greenhouse gases affect the global atmosphere, their sources and sinks are remarkably heterogeneous in time and space, and traditional in situ observing systems do not provide the coverage and resolution to quantify carbon-climate feedbacks or reduce the uncertainty of model predictions. Here we describe an methodology for estimating critical carbon-climate feedback effects of current spaceborne XCO2 measurements, developed by the OCO-2 Flux Group, and applied to OCO-2 and GOSAT data. The methodology allows integration of the space-based carbon budgets with other global data sets, and exposes the impact of residual bias error on the estimated fluxes, allowing the uncertainty of the estimated feedbacks to be quantified. The approach is limited by the short timeseries currently available, but suggests dramatic changes to the carbon cycle over the recent past. We present the methodology, early results and implications for a future, sustained carbon observing system.

High Arctic Forests During the Middle Eocene Supported by ~400 ppm Atmospheric CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maxbauer, D. P.; Royer, D. L.; LePage, B. A.

2013-12-01

Fossils from Paleogene High Arctic deposits provide some of the clearest evidence for greenhouse climates and offer the potential to improve our understanding of Earth system dynamics in a largely ice-free world. One of the most well-known and exquisitely-preserved middle Eocene (47.9-37.8 Myrs ago) polar forest sites, Napartulik, crops out on eastern Axel Heiberg Island (80 °N), Nunavut, Canada. An abundance of data from Napartulik suggest mean annual temperatures of up to 30 °C warmer than today and atmospheric water loads 2× above current levels. Despite this wealth of paleontological and paleoclimatological data, there are currently no direct constraints on atmospheric CO2 levels for Napartulik or any other polar forest site. Here we apply a new plant gas-exchange model to Metasequoia (dawn redwood) leaves to reconstruct atmospheric CO2 from six fossil forests at Napartulik. Individual reconstructions vary between 405-489 ppm with a site mean of 437 ppm (337-564 ppm at 95% confidence). These estimates represent the first direct constraints on CO2 for polar fossil forests and suggest that the temperate conditions present at Napartulik during the middle Eocene were maintained under CO2 concentrations ~1.6× above pre-industrial levels. Our results strongly support the case that long-term climate sensitivity to CO2 in the past was sometimes high, even during largely ice-free periods, highlighting the need to better understand the climate forcing and feedback mechanisms responsible for this amplification.

Atmospheric mercury speciation and mercury in snow over time at Alert, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steffen, A.; Bottenheim, J.; Cole, A.; Ebinghaus, R.; Lawson, G.; Leaitch, W. R.

2014-03-01

Ten years of atmospheric mercury speciation data and 14 years of mercury in snow data from Alert, Nunavut, Canada, are examined. The speciation data, collected from 2002 to 2011, includes gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), particulate mercury (PHg) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM). During the winter-spring period of atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs), when GEM is close to being completely depleted from the air, the concentration of both PHg and RGM rise significantly. During this period, the median concentrations for PHg is 28.2 pgm-3 and RGM is 23.9 pgm-3, from March to June, in comparison to the annual median concentrations of 11.3 and 3.2 pgm-3 for PHg and RGM, respectively. In each of the ten years of sampling, the concentration of PHg increases steadily from January through March and is higher than the concentration of RGM. This pattern begins to change in April when the levels of PHg peak and RGM begin to increase. In May, the high PHg and low RGM concentration regime observed in the early spring undergoes a transition to a regime with higher RGM and much lower PHg concentrations. The higher RGM concentration continues into June. The transition is driven by the atmospheric conditions of air temperature and particle availability. Firstly, a high ratio of the concentrations of PHg to RGM is reported at low temperatures which suggests that oxidized gaseous mercury partitions to available particles to form PHg. Prior to the transition, the median air temperature is -24.8 °C and after the transition the median air temperature is -5.8 °C. Secondly, the high PHg concentrations occur in the spring when high particle concentrations are present. The high particle concentrations are principally due to Arctic haze and sea salts. In the snow, the concentrations of mercury peak in May for all years. Springtime deposition of total mercury to the snow at Alert peaks in May when atmospheric conditions favour higher levels of RGM. Therefore, the conditions in the atmosphere directly impact when the highest amount of mercury will be deposited to the snow during the Arctic spring.

Processes affecting the movement of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) between soil and air in an industrial site in Turkey.

PubMed

Bozlaker, Ayse; Muezzinoglu, Aysen; Odabasi, Mustafa

2009-11-01

Soil and atmospheric concentrations, dry deposition and soil-air gas exchange of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were investigated at an industrial site in Aliaga, Izmir, Turkey. Current-use pesticides, endosulfan and chlorpyrifos, had the highest atmospheric levels in summer and winter. Summertime total (gas+particle) OCP concentrations in air were higher, probably due to increased volatilization at higher temperatures and seasonal local/regional applications of current-use pesticides. Particle deposition fluxes were generally higher in summer than in winter. Overall average dry particle deposition velocity for all the OCPs was 4.9+/-4.1 cm s(-1) (average+/-SD). SigmaDDXs (sum of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE) were the most abundant OCPs in Aliaga soils (n=48), probably due to their heavy historical use and persistence. Calculated fugacity ratios and average net gas fluxes across the soil-air interface indicated volatilization for alpha-CHL, gamma-CHL, heptachlorepoxide, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor, and p,p'-DDT in summer, and for alpha-CHL, gamma-CHL, trans-nonachlor, endosulfan sulfate, and p,p'-DDT in winter. For the remaining OCPs, soil acted as a sink during both seasons. Comparison of the determined fluxes showed that dry particle, gas-phase, and wet deposition are significant OCP input mechanisms to the soil in the study area.

Role of Southern Ocean stratification in glacial atmospheric CO2 reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, H.; Oka, A.

2014-12-01

Paleoclimate proxy data at the glacial period shows high salinity of more than 37.0 psu in the deep South Atlantic. At the same time, data also indicate that the residence time of the water mass was more than 3000 years. These data implies that the stratification by salinity was stronger in the deep Southern Ocean (SO) in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Previous studies using Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) fail to explain the low glacial atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration at LGM. The reproducibility of salinity and water mass age is considered insufficient in these OGCMs, which may in turn affect the reproducibility of the atmospheric CO2concentration. In coarse-resolution OGCMs, The deep water is formed by unrealistic open-ocean deep convection in the SO. Considering these facts, we guessed previous studies using OGCM underestimated the salinity and water mass age at LGM. This study investigate the role of the enhanced stratification in the glacial SO on the variation of atmospheric CO2 concentration by using OGCM. In order to reproduce the recorded salinity of the deep water, relaxation of salinity toward value of recorded data is introduced in our OGCM simulations. It was found that deep water formation in East Antarctica is required for explaining the high salinity in the South Atlantic. In contrast, it is difficult to explain the glacial water mass age, even if we assume the situation vertical mixing is very weak in the SO. Contrary to previous estimate, the high salinity of the deep SO resulted in increase of Antarctic Bottom water (AABW) flow and decrease the residence time of carbon in the deep ocean, which increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. On the other hand, the weakening of the vertical mixing in the SO contributed to increase the vertical gradient of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), which decreased atmospheric CO2 concentration. Adding the contribution of the enhanced stratification in the glacial SO, we obtained larger reduction in atmospheric CO2 concentration than previous studies. However, we still fail to explain the full amplitude of recorded glacial reduction of atmospheric CO2 concentration. The carbonate compensation process, which is not incorporated in our simulations, might be required for further reduction in atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Effect of additive oxygen gas on cellular response of lung cancer cells induced by atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet

PubMed Central

Joh, Hea Min; Choi, Ji Ye; Kim, Sun Ja; Chung, T. H.; Kang, Tae-Hong

2014-01-01

The atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet driven by pulsed dc voltage was utilized to treat human lung cancer cells in vitro. The properties of plasma plume were adjusted by the injection type and flow rate of additive oxygen gas in atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet. The plasma characteristics such as plume length, electric current and optical emission spectra (OES) were measured at different flow rates of additive oxygen to helium. The plasma plume length and total current decreased with an increase in the additive oxygen flow rate. The electron excitation temperature estimated by the Boltzmann plot from several excited helium emission lines increased slightly with the additive oxygen flow. The oxygen atom density in the gas phase estimated by actinometry utilizing argon was observed to increase with the additive oxygen flow. The concentration of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) measured by fluorescence assay was found to be not exactly proportional to that of extracellular ROS (measured by OES), but both correlated considerably. It was also observed that the expression levels of p53 and the phospho-p53 were enhanced in the presence of additive oxygen flow compared with those from the pure helium plasma treatment. PMID:25319447

Use of 222Rn for estimation of greenhouse gases emissions at Russian territory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berezina, E. V.; Elansky, N. F.

2009-04-01

It is well known that 222Rn is widely used as a tracer for studying different atmospheric processes including estimations of greenhouse gases emissions. Calculation of 222Rn fluxes from the soil into the atmosphere allows quantitative estimation of greenhouse gases emissions having the soil origin or sources of which are located near the surface. For accurate estimation of 222Rn fluxes detailed investigations of spatial and temporal variations of its concentrations are necessary. 222Rn concentrations data in the atmospheric surface layer over continental Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok obtained during the six TROICA (Transcontinental Observations Into the Chemistry of the Atmosphere) expeditions of the mobile laboratory along the Trans-Siberian railroad are analyzed. Spatial distribution, diurnal and seasonal variations of surface 222Rn concentrations along the Trans-Siberian railroad are investigated. According to the obtained data surface 222Rn concentration values above continental Russia vary from 0.5 to 75 Bq/m3 depending on meteorological conditions and geological features of the territory with the average value being 8.42 ± 0.10 Bq/m3. The average 222Rn concentration is maximum in the autumn expedition and minimum in the spring one. The factors mostly influencing 222Rn concentration variations are studied: surface temperature inversions, geological features of the territory, precipitations. 222Rn accumulation features in the atmospheric surface layer during night temperature inversions are analyzed. It was noted that during night temperature inversions the surface 222Rn concentration is 7 - 8 times more than the one during the nights without temperature inversions. Since atmospheric stratification determines accumulation and diurnal variations of many atmospheric pollutants as well as greenhouse gases its features are analyzed in detail. Surface temperature inversions were mainly observed from 18:00-19:00 to 06:00-07:00 in the warm season and from 16:00 to 08:00-09:00 in the cold season. During this time 222Rn accumulated in the surface atmospheric layer with its maximum concentration values being observed near sunrise. 222Rn fluxes from the soil into the atmosphere from Moscow to Vladivostok during surface temperature inversions are estimated taking into account geological factors. 222Rn accumulation layer depth in the lower atmosphere is calculated. Using the data of CO2, CH4 and 222Rn concentrations obtained in the expeditions we analyzed correlations between the greenhouse gases and 222Rn. There are significant positive correlations between CO2, CH4 and 222Rn concentrations during night temperature inversions especially in summer and in autumn. It indicates similar accumulation both 222Rn and the greenhouse gases in the surface layer during atmospheric stability. On the basis of the regressions between 222Rn, CO2 and CH4 concentrations the greenhouse gases night time fluxes in the surface layer from Moscow to Vladivostok are estimated using the calculated values of 222Rn fluxes. Acknowledgments. The work was supported by International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) under contract No. 2770 and by Russian Basic Research Foundation (project No. 08-05-13589, 07-05-12063 and 07-05-00428). The authors thank I. B. Belikov for preparation and carrying out the TROICA experiments.

[Pollution of Halogenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Atmospheric Particulate Matters of Shenzhen].

PubMed

Sun, Jian-lin; Chang, Wen-jing; Chen, Zheng-xia; Zeng, Hui

2015-05-01

Concentrations of halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( HPAHs) in atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5 samples collected from Shenzhen were determined using GC-MS. Total concentrations of nine HPAHs in atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5 samples ranged from 118 to 1,476 pg · m(-3) and 89 to 407 pg · m(-3), respectively. In PM10 and PM(2.5) samples, the concentration of 9-BrAnt was the highest, followed by 7-BrBaA and 9, 10-Br2Ant. Seasonal levels of total HPAHs in atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5 samples in Shenzhen decreased in the following order: winter > autumn > spring > summer, whereas concentrations of individual HPAHs showed different seasonal levels. Meteorological conditions, including temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity, might be important factors affecting the seasonal levels of HPAHs in atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5 In addition, there were significant correlations between concentrations of HPAHs and parent PAHs. Finally, the toxic equivalency quotients (TEQs) of HPAHs were estimated. The TEQs of HPAHs in atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5 samples ranged from 17.6 to 86.2 pg · m(-3) and 14.6 to 70.4 pg · m(-3), respectively. Among individual HPAHs, 7-BrBaA contributed greatly to the total TEQs of HPAHs. Our results indicated that the total TEQs of HPAHs were lower than parent PAHs in atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5 samples in Shenzhen.

Atmospheric deposition of current-use and historic-use pesticides in snow at National Parks in the Western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hageman, K.J.; Simonich, S.L.; Campbell, D.H.; Wilson, G.R.; Landers, D.H.

2006-01-01

The United States (U.S.) National Park Service has initiated research on the atmospheric deposition and fate of semi-volatile organic compounds in its alpine, sub-Arctic, and Arctic ecosystems in the Western U.S. Results for the analysis of pesticides in seasonal snowpack samples collected in spring 2003 from seven national parks are presented herein. From a target analyte list of 47 pesticides and degradation products, the most frequently detected current-use pesticides were dacthal, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, and ??- hexachlorocyclohexane, whereas the most frequently detected historic-use pesticides were dieldrin, ??-hexachlorocyclohexane, chlordane, and hexachlorobenzene. Correlation analysis with latitude, temperature, elevation, particulate matter, and two indicators of regional pesticide use reveal that regional current and historic agricultural practices are largely responsible for the distribution of pesticides in the national parks in this study. Pesticide deposition in the Alaskan parks is attributed to long-range transport because there are no significant regional pesticide sources. The percentage of total pesticide concentration due to regional transport (%RT) was calculated for the other parks. %RT was highest at parks with higher regional cropland intensity and for pesticides with lower vapor pressures and shorter half-lives in air. ?? 2006 American Chemical Society.

Atmospheric concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers at near-source sites.

PubMed

Cahill, Thomas M; Groskova, Danka; Charles, M Judith; Sanborn, James R; Denison, Michael S; Baker, Lynton

2007-09-15

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in air samples from near suspected sources, namely an indoors computer laboratory, indoors and outdoors at an electronics recycling facility, and outdoors at an automotive shredding and metal recycling facility. The results showed that (1) PBDE concentrations in the computer laboratorywere higherwith computers on compared with the computers off, (2) indoor concentrations at an electronics recycling facility were as high as 650,000 pg/m3 for decabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE 209), and (3) PBDE 209 concentrations were up to 1900 pg/m3 at the downwind fenceline at an automotive shredding/metal recycling facility. The inhalation exposure estimates for all the sites were typically below 110 pg/kg/day with the exception of the indoor air samples adjacent to the electronics shredding equipment, which gave exposure estimates upward of 40,000 pg/kg/day. Although there were elevated inhalation exposures at the three source sites, the exposure was not expected to cause adverse health effects based on the lowest reference dose (RfD) currently in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), although these RfD values are currently being re-evaluated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More research is needed on the potential health effects of PBDEs.

Atmospheric Deposition of Heavy Metals in Soil Affected by Different Soil Uses of Southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acosta, J. A.; Faz, A.; Martínez-Martínez, S.; Bech, J.

2009-04-01

Heavy metals are a natural constituent of rocks, sediments and soils. However, the heavy metal content of top soils is also dependent on other sources than weathering of the indigenous minerals; input from atmospheric deposition seems to be an important pathway. Atmospheric deposition is defined as the process by which atmospheric pollutants are transferred to terrestrial and aquatic surfaces and is commonly classified as either dry or wet. The interest in atmospheric deposition has increased over the past decade due to concerns about the effects of deposited materials on the environment. Dry deposition provides a significant mechanism for the removal of particles from the atmosphere and is an important pathway for the loading of heavy metals into the soil ecosystem. Within the last decade, an intensive effort has been made to determine the atmospheric heavy metal deposition in both urban and rural areas. The main objective of this study was to identification of atmospheric heavy metals deposition in soil affected by different soil uses. Study area is located in Murcia Province (southeast of Spain), in the surroundings of Murcia City. The climate is typically semiarid Mediterranean with an annual average temperature of 18°C and precipitation of 350 mm. In order to determine heavy metals atmospheric deposition a sampling at different depths (0-1 cm, 1-5 cm, 5-15 cm and 15-30 cm) was carried out in 7 sites including agricultural soils, two industrial areas and natural sites. The samples were taken to the laboratory where, dried, passed through a 2 mm sieve, and grinded. For the determination of the moisture the samples were weighed and oven dried at 105 °C for 24 h. The total amounts of metals (Pb, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn, Ni and Cr) were determined by digesting the samples with nitric/perchoric acids and measuring with ICP-MS. Results showed that zinc contamination in some samples of industrial areas was detected, even this contamination reaches 30 cm depth; thus it is not possible to conclude that the actual contamination by zinc is due to atmospheric deposition or spill. However, some samples in this same area present lightly higher zinc concentration in topsoil than in subsoil indicating a cursory atmospheric deposition. Regarding to lead, one of the industrial areas showed a very active atmospheric deposition, with concentrations higher than 900 mg/kg in topsoil decreasing until less than 10 mg/kg to 30 cm depth. Oppositely, the lead concentration in natural soil is constant in the profile. On the other hand, the range of cadmium concentrations in the different depths of the profiles was, generally, low. Only one sample from the industrial area shows high concentration in the first centimetre of soil, decreasing quickly with the depth, supporting the hypothesis that the atmospheric deposition is the main pathway of cadmium contamination. Studding the copper concentration, only in agricultural soil atmospheric deposition is observed, probably due to application of pesticides. Oppositely to the rest of metals, manganese increases its concentration with the depth in natural soil, probably due to that the parent material (metamorphic rock) is rich in this metal. In the case of chromium has not been detected atmospheric deposition in any sampling point. Finally, only one sample located at the industrial area, nickel concentration shows a higher level in topsoil than subsoil, indicating atmospheric deposition. Acknowledgements: to "Fundación Séneca" of "Comunidad Autónoma de Murcia" for its financial support

Atmospheric CO2 Records from Sites in the Umweltbundesamt (UBA) Air Sampling Network (1972 - 1997)

DOE Data Explorer

Fricke, W. [Umweltbundesamt, Offenbach/Main, Germany; Wallasch, M. [Umweltbundesamt, Offenbach/Main, Germany; Uhse, Karin [Umweltbundesamt, Offenbach/Main, Germany; Schmidt, Martina [University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Levin, Ingeborg [University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

1998-01-01

Air samples for the purpose of monitoring atmospheric CO2 were collected from five sites in the UBA air sampling network. Annual atmospheric CO2 concentrations at Brotjacklriegel rose from 331.63 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in 1972 to 353.12 ppmv in 1988. Because of the site's forest location, the monthly atmospheric CO2 record from Brotjacklriegel exhibits very large seasonal amplitude. This amplitude reached almost 40 ppmv in 1985. Minimum mixing ratios are recorded at Brotjacklriegel during July-September; maximum values, during November-March. CO2 concentrations at Deuselbach rose from 340.82 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in 1972 to 363.76 ppmv in 1989. The monthly atmospheric CO2 record from Deuselbach is influenced by local agricultural activities and photosynthetic depletion but does not exhibit the large seasonal amplitude observed at other UBA monitoring sites. Minimum monthly atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios at Deuselbach are typically observed in August but may appear as early as June. Maximum values are seen in the record for November-March. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations at Schauinsland rose from ~328 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in 1972 to ~365 ppmv in 1997. This represents a growth rate of approximately 1.5 ppmv per year. The Schauinsland site is considered the least contaminated of the UBA sites. CO2 concentrations at Waldhof rose from 346.82 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in 1972 to 372.09 ppmv in 1993. The Waldhof site is subject to pollution sources; consequently, the monthly atmospheric CO2 record exhibits a large seasonal amplitude. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations at Westerland rose from ~329 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in 1973 to ~364 ppmv in 1997. The atmospheric CO2 record from Westerland shows a seasonal pattern similar to other UBA sites; minimum values are recorded during July-September; maximum mixing ratios during November-March.

Modelling the impact of soil Carbonic Anhydrase on the net ecosystem exchange of OCS at Harvard forest using the MuSICA model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Launois, Thomas; Ogée, Jérôme; Commane, Roisin; Wehr, Rchard; Meredith, Laura; Munger, Bill; Nelson, David; Saleska, Scott; Wofsy, Steve; Zahniser, Mark; Wingate, Lisa

2016-04-01

The exchange of CO2 between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere is driven by photosynthetic uptake and respiratory loss, two fluxes currently estimated with considerable uncertainty at large scales. Model predictions indicate that these biosphere fluxes will be modified in the future as CO2 concentrations and temperatures increase; however, it still unclear to what extent. To address this challenge there is a need for better constraints on land surface model parameterisations. Additional atmospheric tracers of large-scale CO2 fluxes have been identified as potential candidates for this task. In particular carbonyl sulphide (OCS) has been proposed as a complementary tracer of gross photosynthesis over land, since OCS uptake by plants is dominated by carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity, an enzyme abundant in leaves that catalyses CO2 hydration during photosynthesis. However, although the mass budget at the ecosystem is dominated by the flux of OCS into leaves, some OCS is also exchanged between the atmosphere and the soil and this component of the budget requires constraining. In this study, we adapted the process-based isotope-enabled model MuSICA (Multi-layer Simulator of the Interactions between a vegetation Canopy and the Atmosphere) to include the transport, reaction, diffusion and production of OCS within a forested ecosystem. This model was combined with 3 years (2011-2013) of in situ measurements of OCS atmospheric concentration profiles and fluxes at the Harvard Forest (Massachussets, USA) to test hypotheses on the mechanisms responsible for CA-driven uptake by leaves and soils as well as possible OCS emissions during litter decomposition. Model simulations over the three years captured well the impact of diurnally and seasonally varying environmental conditions on the net ecosystem OCS flux. A sensitivity analysis on soil CA activity and soil OCS emission rates was also performed to quantify their impact on the vertical profiles of OCS inside the canopy and the net OCS exchange with the atmosphere.

The effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and southern Wyoming - A synthesis and critical assessment of published results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burns, Douglas A.

2002-01-01

The Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and southern Wyoming receives as much as 7 kilograms per hectare per year ((kg/ha)/yr) of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, an amount that may have caused changes in aquatic and terrestrial life in otherwise pristine ecosystems. The Rocky Mountain National Park, in its role of protecting air-quality related values under provisions of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977, has provided support for this synthesis and critical assessment of published literature on the effects of atmospheric N deposition. Results from published studies indicate a long-term increase in the rate of atmospheric N deposition during the 20th century, but no region-wide increase during the past 2 decades, although the rate of atmospheric N deposition has increased at three sites east of the Continental Divide in the Front Range region since the mid-1980s. Much of the increase in atmospheric N deposition at all three sites has resulted from an increase in the ammonium concentrations of wet deposition; this suggests an increase in contributions from agricultural areas or from vehicle traffic east of the Rocky Mountains. Lakes at two study sites in the Front Range (Loch Vale and Green Lakes Valley) had NO3- concentrations of 30 to 40 micromoles per liter (µmol/L) during early spring snowmelt and remained at 5 to 10 µmol/L during summer. Retention of N in atmospheric wet deposition in some sub-catchments of these lakes was less than 50 percent, which reflects an advanced stage of N saturation. Nitrate concentrations in surface waters west of the Continental Divide were lower—often less than 10 µmol/L during snowmelt and less than 2 µmol/L during summer -- than surface waters east of the Divide, except in areas such as the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness that receive elevated amounts of atmospheric N deposition of 4 to 5 (kg/ha)/yr. Atmospheric N deposition in the Front Range east of the Divide may have altered the composition of alpine tundra-plant communities and lake diatoms, but additional studies would be needed to definitively demonstrate the hypothesized cause-and-effect relations. Rates of N-mineralization and nitrification in soils of the Front Range have increased in response to increased atmospheric N deposition. Projected future population growth and energy use in Colorado and the west increase the likelihood that the subtle effects of atmospheric N deposition now evident in the Front Range will become more pronounced and widespread in the future. The likelihood of future increased N emissions along the Front Range warrants a continuation of existing long-term precipitation and surface-water chemistry monitoring programs, and an expansion of the networks into areas that receive large amounts of atmospheric N deposition, but currently lack adequate monitoring. Long-term study and expanded sampling are needed to address uncertainties about the effects of atmospheric N deposition on terrestrial plant communities, nutrient limitation in lake plankton, shifts of dominant species within diatom communities, and on amphibian response to episodic surface-water acidification.

Assessing the effects of urbanization on the environment with soil legacy and current-use insecticides: a case study in the Pearl River Delta, China.

PubMed

Wei, Yan-Li; Bao, Lian-Jun; Wu, Chen-Chou; He, Zai-Cheng; Zeng, Eddy Y

2015-05-01

To evaluate the impacts of anthropogenic events on the rapid urbanized environment, the levels of legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use insecticides (CUPs), i.e., dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), pyrethroids and organophosphates in soil of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and surrounding areas were examined. Spatial concentration distributions of legacy OCPs and CUPs shared similar patterns, with higher concentrations occurred in the central PRD with more urbanization level than that in the PRD's surrounding areas. Furthermore, relatively higher concentrations of OCPs and CUPs were found in the residency land than in other land-use types, which may be attributed to land-use change under rapid urbanization. Moderate correlations between gross domestic production or population density and insecticide levels in fifteen administrative districts indicated that insecticide spatial distributions may be driven by economic prosperity. The soil-air diffusive exchanges of DDTs and HCHs demonstrated that soil was a sink of atmospheric o,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD and o,p'-DDT, and was a secondary source of HCHs and p,p'-DDT to atmosphere. The soil inventories of DDTs and HCHs (100 ± 134 and 83 ± 70 tons) were expected to decrease to half of their current values after 18 and 13 years, respectively, whereas the amounts of pyrethroids and organophosphates (39 and 6.2 tons) in soil were estimated to decrease after 4 and 2 years and then increase to 87 and 1.0 tons after 100 years. In this scenario, local residents in the PRD and surrounding areas will expose to the high health risk for pyrethroids by 2109. Strict ban on the use of technical DDTs and HCHs and proper training of famers to use insecticides may be the most effective ways to alleviate the health effect of soil contamination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and air/sea-exchange of novel organic pollutants in the marine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebinghaus, R.; Xie, Z.

2006-12-01

A number of studies have demonstrated that several classes of chemicals act as biologically relevant signalling substances. Among these chemicals, many, including PCBs, DDT and dioxins, are semi-volatile, persistent, and are capable of long-range atmospheric transport via atmospheric circulation. Some of these compounds, e.g. phthalates and alkylphenols (APs) are still manufactured and consumed worldwide even though there is clear evidence that they are toxic to aquatic organisms and can act as endocrine disruptors. Concentrations of NP, t-OP and NP1EO, DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP have been simultaneously determined in the surface sea water and atmosphere of the North Sea. Atmospheric concentrations of NP and t-OP ranged from 7 to 110 pg m - 3, which were one to three orders of magnitude below coastal atmospheric concentrations already reported. NP1EO was detected in both vapor and particle phases, which ranged from 4 to 50 pg m - 3. The concentrations of the phthalates in the atmosphere ranged from below the method detection limit to 3.4 ng m - 3. The concentrations of t-OP, NP, and NP1EO in dissolved phase were 13-300, 90-1400, and 17-1660 pg L - 1. DBP, BBP, and DEHP were determined in the water phase with concentrations ranging from below the method detection limit to 6.6 ng L - 1. This study indicates that atmospheric deposition of APs and phthalates into the North Sea is an important input pathway. The net fluxes indicate that the air sea exchange is significant and, consequently the open ocean and polar areas will be an extensive sink for APs and phthalates.

Observational constraints on the global atmospheric CO2 budget

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tans, Pieter P.; Fung, Inez Y.; Takahashi, Taro

1990-01-01

Observed atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and data on the partial pressures of CO2 in surface ocean waters are combined to identify globally significant sources and sinks of CO2. The atmospheric data are compared with boundary layer concentrations calculated with the transport fields generated by a general circulation model (GCM) for specified source-sink distributions. In the model the observed north-south atmospheric concentration gradient can be maintained only if sinks for CO2 are greater in the Northern than in the Southern Hemisphere. The observed differences between the partial pressure of CO2 in the surface waters of the Northern Hemisphere and the atmosphere are too small for the oceans to be the major sink of fossil fuel CO2. Therefore, a large amount of the CO2 is apparently absorbed on the continents by terrestrial ecosystems.

Development of mathematical techniques for the assimilation of remote sensing data into atmospheric models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seinfeld, J. H. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

The problem of the assimilation of remote sensing data into mathematical models of atmospheric pollutant species was investigated. The data assimilation problem is posed in terms of the matching of spatially integrated species burden measurements to the predicted three-dimensional concentration fields from atmospheric diffusion models. General conditions were derived for the reconstructability of atmospheric concentration distributions from data typical of remote sensing applications, and a computational algorithm (filter) for the processing of remote sensing data was developed.

Development of mathematical techniques for the assimilation of remote sensing data into atmospheric models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seinfeld, J. H. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

The problem of the assimilation of remote sensing data into mathematical models of atmospheric pollutant species was investigated. The problem is posed in terms of the matching of spatially integrated species burden measurements to the predicted three dimensional concentration fields from atmospheric diffusion models. General conditions are derived for the "reconstructability' of atmospheric concentration distributions from data typical of remote sensing applications, and a computational algorithm (filter) for the processing of remote sensing data is developed.

Integrating wildfire plume rises within atmospheric transport models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallia, D. V.; Kochanski, A.; Wu, D.; Urbanski, S. P.; Krueger, S. K.; Lin, J. C.

2016-12-01

Wildfires can generate significant pyro-convection that is responsible for releasing pollutants, greenhouse gases, and trace species into the free troposphere, which are then transported a significant distance downwind from the fire. Oftentimes, atmospheric transport and chemistry models have a difficult time resolving the transport of smoke from these wildfires, primarily due to deficiencies in estimating the plume injection height, which has been highlighted in previous work as the most important aspect of simulating wildfire plume transport. As a result of the uncertainties associated with modeled wildfire plume rise, researchers face difficulties modeling the impacts of wildfire smoke on air quality and constraining fire emissions using inverse modeling techniques. Currently, several plume rise parameterizations exist that are able to determine the injection height of fire emissions; however, the success of these parameterizations has been mixed. With the advent of WRF-SFIRE, the wildfire plume rise and injection height can now be explicitly calculated using a fire spread model (SFIRE) that is dynamically linked with the atmosphere simulated by WRF. However, this model has only been tested on a limited basis due to computational costs. Here, we will test the performance of WRF-SFIRE in addition to several commonly adopted plume parameterizations (Freitas, Sofiev, and Briggs) for the 2013 Patch Springs (Utah) and 2012 Baker Canyon (Washington) fires, for both of which observations of plume rise heights are available. These plume rise techniques will then be incorporated within a Lagrangian atmospheric transport model (STILT) in order to simulate CO and CO2 concentrations during NASA's CARVE Earth Science Airborne Program over Alaska during the summer of 2012. Initial model results showed that STILT model simulations were unable to reproduce enhanced CO concentrations produced by Alaskan fires observed during 2012. Near-surface concentrations were drastically overestimated while free tropospheric concentrations of CO were underestimated, likely a result of STILT injecting the fire emissions strictly into the PBL. We show in this study to what degree coupling the STILT model with an external plume rise model can help mitigate these problems.

Seasonal and interannual variability in wetland methane emissions simulated by CLM4Me' and CAM-chem and comparisons to observations of concentrations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meng, L.; Paudel, R.; Hess, P. G. M.

Understanding the temporal and spatial variation of wetland methane emissions is essential to the estimation of the global methane budget. Our goal for this study is three-fold: (i) to evaluate the wetland methane fluxes simulated in two versions of the Community Land Model, the Carbon-Nitrogen (CN; i.e., CLM4.0) and the Biogeochemistry (BGC; i.e., CLM4.5) versions using the methane emission model CLM4Me' so as to determine the sensitivity of the emissions to the underlying carbon model; (ii) to compare the simulated atmospheric methane concentrations to observations, including latitudinal gradients and interannual variability so as to determine the extent to which themore » atmospheric observations constrain the emissions; (iii) to understand the drivers of seasonal and interannual variability in atmospheric methane concentrations. Simulations of the transport and removal of methane use the Community Atmosphere Model with chemistry (CAM-chem) model in conjunction with CLM4Me' methane emissions from both CN and BGC simulations and other methane emission sources from literature. In each case we compare model-simulated atmospheric methane concentration with observations. In addition, we simulate the atmospheric concentrations based on the TransCom wetland and rice paddy emissions derived from a different terrestrial ecosystem model, Vegetation Integrative Simulator for Trace gases (VISIT). Our analysis indicates CN wetland methane emissions are higher in the tropics and lower at high latitudes than emissions from BGC. In CN, methane emissions decrease from 1993 to 2004 while this trend does not appear in the BGC version. In the CN version, methane emission variations follow satellite-derived inundation wetlands closely. However, they are dissimilar in BGC due to its different carbon cycle. CAM-chem simulations with CLM4Me' methane emissions suggest that both prescribed anthropogenic and predicted wetlands methane emissions contribute substantially to seasonal and interannual variability in atmospheric methane concentration. Simulated atmospheric CH 4 concentrations in CAM-chem are highly correlated with observations at most of the 14 measurement stations evaluated with an average correlation between 0.71 and 0.80 depending on the simulation (for the period of 1993–2004 for most stations based on data availability). Our results suggest that different spatial patterns of wetland emissions can have significant impacts on Northern and Southern hemisphere (N–S) atmospheric CH 4 concentration gradients and growth rates. In conclusion, this study suggests that both anthropogenic and wetland emissions have significant contributions to seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric CH 4 concentrations. However, our analysis also indicates the existence of large uncertainties in terms of spatial patterns and magnitude of global wetland methane budgets, and that substantial uncertainty comes from the carbon model underlying the methane flux modules.« less

Seasonal and interannual variability in wetland methane emissions simulated by CLM4Me' and CAM-chem and comparisons to observations of concentrations

DOE PAGES

Meng, L.; Paudel, R.; Hess, P. G. M.; ...

2015-07-03

Understanding the temporal and spatial variation of wetland methane emissions is essential to the estimation of the global methane budget. Our goal for this study is three-fold: (i) to evaluate the wetland methane fluxes simulated in two versions of the Community Land Model, the Carbon-Nitrogen (CN; i.e., CLM4.0) and the Biogeochemistry (BGC; i.e., CLM4.5) versions using the methane emission model CLM4Me' so as to determine the sensitivity of the emissions to the underlying carbon model; (ii) to compare the simulated atmospheric methane concentrations to observations, including latitudinal gradients and interannual variability so as to determine the extent to which themore » atmospheric observations constrain the emissions; (iii) to understand the drivers of seasonal and interannual variability in atmospheric methane concentrations. Simulations of the transport and removal of methane use the Community Atmosphere Model with chemistry (CAM-chem) model in conjunction with CLM4Me' methane emissions from both CN and BGC simulations and other methane emission sources from literature. In each case we compare model-simulated atmospheric methane concentration with observations. In addition, we simulate the atmospheric concentrations based on the TransCom wetland and rice paddy emissions derived from a different terrestrial ecosystem model, Vegetation Integrative Simulator for Trace gases (VISIT). Our analysis indicates CN wetland methane emissions are higher in the tropics and lower at high latitudes than emissions from BGC. In CN, methane emissions decrease from 1993 to 2004 while this trend does not appear in the BGC version. In the CN version, methane emission variations follow satellite-derived inundation wetlands closely. However, they are dissimilar in BGC due to its different carbon cycle. CAM-chem simulations with CLM4Me' methane emissions suggest that both prescribed anthropogenic and predicted wetlands methane emissions contribute substantially to seasonal and interannual variability in atmospheric methane concentration. Simulated atmospheric CH 4 concentrations in CAM-chem are highly correlated with observations at most of the 14 measurement stations evaluated with an average correlation between 0.71 and 0.80 depending on the simulation (for the period of 1993–2004 for most stations based on data availability). Our results suggest that different spatial patterns of wetland emissions can have significant impacts on Northern and Southern hemisphere (N–S) atmospheric CH 4 concentration gradients and growth rates. In conclusion, this study suggests that both anthropogenic and wetland emissions have significant contributions to seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric CH 4 concentrations. However, our analysis also indicates the existence of large uncertainties in terms of spatial patterns and magnitude of global wetland methane budgets, and that substantial uncertainty comes from the carbon model underlying the methane flux modules.« less

Positive matrix factorization of PM2.5 - eliminating the effects of gas/particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds.

PubMed

Xie, M; Barsanti, K C; Hannigan, M P; Dutton, S J; Vedal, S

2013-01-01

Gas-phase concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were calculated from gas/particle (G/P) partitioning theory using their measured particle-phase concentrations. The particle-phase data were obtained from an existing filter measurement campaign (27 January 2003-2 October 2005) as a part of the Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study, including 970 observations of 71 SVOCs (Xie et al., 2013). In each compound class of SVOCs, the lighter species (e.g. docosane in n alkanes, fluoranthene in PAHs) had higher total concentrations (gas + particle phase) and lower particle-phase fractions. The total SVOC concentrations were analyzed using positive matrix factorization (PMF). Then the results were compared with source apportionment results where only particle-phase SVOC concentrations were used (particle only-based study; Xie et al., 2013). For the particle only-based PMF analysis, the factors primarily associated with primary or secondary sources ( n alkane, EC/sterane and inorganic ion factors) exhibit similar contribution time series ( r = 0.92-0.98) with their corresponding factors ( n alkane, sterane and nitrate+sulfate factors) in the current work. Three other factors (light n alkane/PAH, PAH and summer/odd n alkane factors) are linked with pollution sources influenced by atmospheric processes (e.g. G/P partitioning, photochemical reaction), and were less correlated ( r = 0.69-0.84) with their corresponding factors (light SVOC, PAH and bulk carbon factors) in the current work, suggesting that the source apportionment results derived from particle-only SVOC data could be affected by atmospheric processes. PMF analysis was also performed on three temperature-stratified subsets of the total SVOC data, representing ambient sampling during cold (daily average temperature < 10 °C), warm (≥ 10 °C and ≤ 20 °C) and hot (> 20 °C) periods. Unlike the particle only-based study, in this work the factor characterized by the low molecular weight (MW) compounds (light SVOC factor) exhibited strong correlations ( r = 0.82-0.98) between the full data set and each sub-data set solution, indicating that the impacts of G/P partitioning on receptor-based source apportionment could be eliminated by using total SVOC concentrations.

Real-time radon monitoring at Stromboli volcano: influence of environmental parameters on 222Rn degassing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cigolini, C.; Ripepe, M.; Poggi, P.; Laiolo, M.

2008-12-01

Two real-time stations for radon monitoring are currently operative at Stromboli volcano. The 222Rn electronic dosimeters are interfaced with an electronic board connected to a radiomodem for wireless data transfer (through a directional antenna) to a receiving station at the volcano observatory (COA). Radon activity data and enviromental parameters (soil temperature and atmospheric pressure) are sampled every 15 minutes and are instantaneously elaborated and transferred via web so that they can be checked in remote. Collected time series show that there is an overall inverse correlation between radon emissions and seasonal temperature variations. Signal processing analysis show that radon emissions in sectors of diffuse degassing are modulated by tidal forces as well. In addition, radon activities recorded at the summit station, located along the summit fracture zone where the gas flux is concentrated, are positively correlated with changes in atmospheric pressure and confirm the occurrence of the 'atmospheric stack effect'. It is not excluded that this process may play an active role in modulating Stromboli explosivity.

Sampling of atmospheric carbonyl compounds for determination by liquid chromatography after 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine labelling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vairavamurthy, A.; Roberts, J.M.; Newman, L.

1991-06-01

Carbonyl compounds are both primary (directly emitted) and secondary (formed in situ) atmospheric species, which play a major role in tropospheric photochemistry. Because of trace concentrations (parts-per-billion and lower), ambient air measurements of carbonyls pose serious analytical problems. Generally, chromatographic approaches combined with chemical derivatization have been used to enhance sensitivity and selectivity in analysis. Currently, the liquid chromatographic method coupled to 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatization (DNPH-LC) is in widespread use. Interferences arising from similar compounds are greatly minimized by chromatographic separation; however, those in the air sampling step, especially with ozone, continue to be problematic and remain to be resolved. Wemore » discuss here the different sampling techniques used for time-integrated collection of carbonyls in the DNPH-LC methods. Emphasis is placed on addressing: (1) the principles, advantages, and limitations of sampling techniques; (2) problems associated with reagent blank and sampling instrument; and (3) effects of atmospheric co-pollutants, especially ozone. 58 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Atmospheric deposition of methanol over the Atlantic Ocean

PubMed Central

Yang, Mingxi; Nightingale, Philip D.; Beale, Rachael; Liss, Peter S.; Blomquist, Byron; Fairall, Christopher

2013-01-01

In the troposphere, methanol (CH3OH) is present ubiquitously and second in abundance among organic gases after methane. In the surface ocean, methanol represents a supply of energy and carbon for marine microbes. Here we report direct measurements of air–sea methanol transfer along a ∼10,000-km north–south transect of the Atlantic. The flux of methanol was consistently from the atmosphere to the ocean. Constrained by the aerodynamic limit and measured rate of air–sea sensible heat exchange, methanol transfer resembles a one-way depositional process, which suggests dissolved methanol concentrations near the water surface that are lower than what were measured at ∼5 m depth, for reasons currently unknown. We estimate the global oceanic uptake of methanol and examine the lifetimes of this compound in the lower atmosphere and upper ocean with respect to gas exchange. We also constrain the molecular diffusional resistance above the ocean surface—an important term for improving air–sea gas exchange models. PMID:24277830

Leaves of Phragmites australis as potential atmospheric biomonitors of Platinum Group Elements.

PubMed

Bonanno, Giuseppe; Pavone, Pietro

2015-04-01

The increasing emissions of Platinum Group Elements (PGEs), namely Pt, Pd and Rh, may pose a significant risk to ecosystem processes and human health. A periodic assessment of PGEs distribution in the environment is thus of the utmost importance for the implementation of timely measures of mitigation. Although several studies have quantified PGEs in different life forms such as mammals, birds, fish, crustaceans, algae, mosses and even human beings, data about vascular plants need further surveys. This study aimed to test the suitability of the grass Phragmites australis (common reed) as a biomonitor of PGEs atmospheric pollution. The results showed that Pd and Pt concentrations in leaves are significantly higher in urban areas. In particular, Pd showed the highest range of values in line with current studies that consider palladium as the main element of traffic-related pollution. Overall, the leaves of Phragmites australis reflected the different gradient of PGEs emissions, and may thus be considered as potential biomonitors of atmospheric pollution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric deposition of methanol over the Atlantic Ocean.

PubMed

Yang, Mingxi; Nightingale, Philip D; Beale, Rachael; Liss, Peter S; Blomquist, Byron; Fairall, Christopher

2013-12-10

In the troposphere, methanol (CH3OH) is present ubiquitously and second in abundance among organic gases after methane. In the surface ocean, methanol represents a supply of energy and carbon for marine microbes. Here we report direct measurements of air-sea methanol transfer along a ∼10,000-km north-south transect of the Atlantic. The flux of methanol was consistently from the atmosphere to the ocean. Constrained by the aerodynamic limit and measured rate of air-sea sensible heat exchange, methanol transfer resembles a one-way depositional process, which suggests dissolved methanol concentrations near the water surface that are lower than what were measured at ∼5 m depth, for reasons currently unknown. We estimate the global oceanic uptake of methanol and examine the lifetimes of this compound in the lower atmosphere and upper ocean with respect to gas exchange. We also constrain the molecular diffusional resistance above the ocean surface-an important term for improving air-sea gas exchange models.

Statistical analysis of long-term monitoring data for persistent organic pollutants in the atmosphere at 20 monitoring stations broadly indicates declining concentrations.

PubMed

Kong, Deguo; MacLeod, Matthew; Hung, Hayley; Cousins, Ian T

2014-11-04

During recent decades concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the atmosphere have been monitored at multiple stations worldwide. We used three statistical methods to analyze a total of 748 time series of selected POPs in the atmosphere to determine if there are statistically significant reductions in levels of POPs that have had control actions enacted to restrict or eliminate manufacture, use and emissions. Significant decreasing trends were identified in 560 (75%) of the 748 time series collected from the Arctic, North America, and Europe, indicating that the atmospheric concentrations of these POPs are generally decreasing, consistent with the overall effectiveness of emission control actions. Statistically significant trends in synthetic time series could be reliably identified with the improved Mann-Kendall (iMK) test and the digital filtration (DF) technique in time series longer than 5 years. The temporal trends of new (or emerging) POPs in the atmosphere are often unclear because time series are too short. A statistical detrending method based on the iMK test was not able to identify abrupt changes in the rates of decline of atmospheric POP concentrations encoded into synthetic time series.

Annual variation in the atmospheric radon concentration in Japan.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Yuka; Yasuoka, Yumi; Omori, Yasutaka; Nagahama, Hiroyuki; Sanada, Tetsuya; Muto, Jun; Suzuki, Toshiyuki; Homma, Yoshimi; Ihara, Hayato; Kubota, Kazuhito; Mukai, Takahiro

2015-08-01

Anomalous atmospheric variations in radon related to earthquakes have been observed in hourly exhaust-monitoring data from radioisotope institutes in Japan. The extraction of seismic anomalous radon variations would be greatly aided by understanding the normal pattern of variation in radon concentrations. Using atmospheric daily minimum radon concentration data from five sampling sites, we show that a sinusoidal regression curve can be fitted to the data. In addition, we identify areas where the atmospheric radon variation is significantly affected by the variation in atmospheric turbulence and the onshore-offshore pattern of Asian monsoons. Furthermore, by comparing the sinusoidal regression curve for the normal annual (seasonal) variations at the five sites to the sinusoidal regression curve for a previously published dataset of radon values at the five Japanese prefectures, we can estimate the normal annual variation pattern. By fitting sinusoidal regression curves to the previously published dataset containing sites in all Japanese prefectures, we find that 72% of the Japanese prefectures satisfy the requirements of the sinusoidal regression curve pattern. Using the normal annual variation pattern of atmospheric daily minimum radon concentration data, these prefectures are suitable areas for obtaining anomalous radon variations related to earthquakes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SIPEX 2012: Extreme sea-ice and atmospheric conditions off East Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heil, P.; Stammerjohn, S.; Reid, P.; Massom, R. A.; Hutchings, J. K.

2016-09-01

In 2012, Antarctic sea-ice coverage was marked by weak annual-mean climate anomalies that consisted of opposing anomalies early and late in the year (some setting new records) which were interspersed by near-average conditions for most of the austral autumn and winter. Here, we investigate the ocean-ice-atmosphere system off East Antarctica, prior to and during the Sea Ice Physics and Ecosystems eXperiment [SIPEX] 2012, by exploring relationships between atmospheric and oceanic forcing together with the sea-ice and snow characteristics. During August and September 2012, just prior to SIPEX 2012, atmospheric circulation over the Southern Ocean was near-average, setting up the ocean-ice-atmosphere system for near-average conditions. However, below-average surface pressure and temperature as well as strengthened circumpolar winds prevailed during June and July 2012. This led to a new record (19.48×106 km2) in maximum Antarctic sea-ice extent recorded in late September. In contrast to the weak circum-Antarctic conditions, the East Antarctic sector (including the SIPEX 2012 region) experienced positive sea-ice extent and concentration anomalies during most of 2012, coincident with negative atmospheric pressure and sea-surface temperature anomalies. Heavily deformed sea ice appeared to be associated with intensified wind stress due to increased cyclonicity as well as an increased influx of sea ice from the east. This increased westward ice flux is likely linked to the break-up of nearly 80% of the Mertz Glacier Tongue in 2010, which strongly modified the coastal configuration and hence the width of the westward coastal current. Combined with favourable atmospheric conditions the associated changed coastal configuration allowed more sea ice to remain within the coastal current at the expense of a reduced northward flow in the region around 141°-145°E. In addition a westward propagating positive anomaly of sea-ice extent from the western Ross Sea during austral winter 2012 has been identified to have fed into the westward current of the SIPEX 2012 region. A pair of large grounded icebergs appears to have modified the local stress state as well as the structure of the ice pack upstream and also towards the Dalton Glacier Tongue. Together with the increased influx of sea ice into the regions, this contributed to the difficulties in navigating the SIPEX 2012 region.

Seasonal southern hemisphere multi-variable reflection of the southern annular mode in atmosphere and ocean reanalyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhaoru; Uotila, Petteri; Stössel, Achim; Vihma, Timo; Liu, Hailong; Zhong, Yisen

2018-02-01

Variations of southern hemisphere (SH) climate variables are often linked to the southern annular mode (SAM) variability. We examined such linkage by seasons using state-of-the-art atmosphere and ocean/sea-ice reanalyses. The associated SAM related anomaly (SRA) fields of the climate variables, denoting anomalies corresponding to the same variation in SAM, are overall consistent across the reanalyses. Among the atmospheric products, 20CRV2 differs from ERA-interim and CFSR in the sea-level pressure SRAs over the Amundsen Sea, resulting in less warming over the Antarctic Peninsula. Among the ocean reanalyses, ORAP5 and C-GLORS exhibit the largest consistency. The major difference between them and the lower-resolution CFSR and SODA reanalyses is deeper penetration of anomalous meridional currents. Compared to the other ocean reanalyses, CFSR exhibits stronger and spatially more coherent surface-current SRAs, resulting in greater SRAs of sea-ice motion and ice thickness along the ice edges. The SRAs of sensible and total surface heat fluxes are reduced in CFSR due to ocean-atmosphere coupling. Significant sea-ice concentration SRAs are present on the west side of peninsulas along the east Antarctica coast in spring and winter, most notably in ORAP5 and C-GLORS, implying changes in new-ice production and shelf-water formation. Most atmosphere and ocean variables manifest an annular SRA pattern in summer and a non-annular pattern in the other seasons, with a wavenumber-3 structure strongest in autumn and weakest in summer. The wavenumber-3 structure should be related to the zonal wave three pattern of the SH circulation, the relation of which to SAM needs further exploration.

Orbital, tectonic and oceanographic controls on Pliocene climate and atmospheric circulation in Arctic Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panitz, Sina; Salzmann, Ulrich; Risebrobakken, Bjørg; De Schepper, Stijn; Pound, Matthew J.; Haywood, Alan M.; Dolan, Aisling M.; Lunt, Daniel J.

2018-02-01

During the Pliocene Epoch, a stronger-than-present overturning circulation has been invoked to explain the enhanced warming in the Nordic Seas region in comparison to low to mid-latitude regions. While marine records are indicative of changes in the northward heat transport via the North Atlantic Current (NAC) during the Pliocene, the long-term terrestrial climate evolution and its driving mechanisms are poorly understood. We present the first two-million-year-long Pliocene pollen record for the Nordic Seas region from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 642B, reflecting vegetation and climate in Arctic Norway, to assess the influence of oceanographic and atmospheric controls on Pliocene climate evolution. The vegetation record reveals a long-term cooling trend in northern Norway, which might be linked to a general decline in atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the studied interval, and climate oscillations primarily controlled by precession (23 kyr), obliquity (54 kyr) and eccentricity (100 kyr) forcing. In addition, the record identifies four major shifts in Pliocene vegetation and climate mainly controlled by changes in northward heat transport via the NAC. Cool temperate (warmer than present) conditions prevailed between 5.03-4.30 Ma, 3.90-3.47 Ma and 3.29-3.16 Ma and boreal (similar to present) conditions predominated between 4.30-3.90 Ma, 3.47-3.29 and after 3.16 Ma. A distinct decline in sediment and pollen accumulation rates at c. 4.65 Ma is probably linked to changes in ocean currents, marine productivity and atmospheric circulation. Climate model simulations suggest that changes in the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation during the Early Pliocene could have affected atmospheric circulation in the Nordic Seas region, which would have affected the direction of pollen transport from Scandinavia to ODP Hole 642B.

Putting Technology to Work in Science - How to Select Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and their Instrumentation for Atmospheric and Earth Surface Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teller, Amit; Lange, Manfred; Ioannou, Stelios; Keleshis, Christos

2010-05-01

The Autonomous Flying Platforms for Atmospheric and Earth Surface Observations project (APAESO) of the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC) at the Cyprus Institute is aimed at the dual purpose of carrying out atmospheric and earth-surface observations in the Mediterranean. The APAESO platforms will offer the unique potential to determine physical, chemical and radiative atmospheric properties, aerosol and dust concentrations, atmospheric dynamics, surface morphology, vegetation and land use patterns as well as ocean surface properties (biology, waves, currents) and to carry out archaeological site reconnaissance and contaminant detection at high spatial resolution. The first phase of APAESO was dedicated to the preliminary design and the selection of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as the backbone of the APAESO infrastructure. Selection of a UAV suitable for the many research objectives as outlined above is challenging because the UAV technology is new and rapidly evolving. This notwithstanding, a very large number of systems, mostly utilized for defense purposes, are currently available. The major challenge in the selection process lies in considering the trade-off between different platform characteristics (e.g. payload weight, endurance, max. altitude for operation and price) and in optimizing the potential performance of the UAV. Based on the required characteristics for the UAV platform, a survey of possible UAVs and suitable sensors was prepared based on various data sources. We used an elimination process in order to consider only a few models for the final selection process out of about 1000 commercially available UAV models that were initially investigated. The presentation will discuss the main scientific objectives that determine the specification of the UAV platform, major considerations in selecting best available technology for our needs and will briefly describe the next phases of the project.

Rate Coefficients for the OH + (CHO)2 (Glyoxal) Reaction Between 240 and 400 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feierabend, K. J.; Talukdar, R. K.; Zhu, L.; Ravishankara, A. R.; Burkholder, J. B.

2006-12-01

Glyoxal (CHO)2, the simplest dialdehyde, is an end product formed in the atmospheric oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons, for example, isoprene. As such, glyoxal plays a role in regional air quality and ozone production in certain locations. Glyoxal is lost in the atmosphere via UV photolysis and reaction with OH. However, the currently available rate coefficient data for the OH + glyoxal reaction is limited to a single room- temperature measurement made using the relative rate method. A determination of the rate coefficient temperature dependence is therefore needed for a more complete interpretation of the atmospheric processing of glyoxal. This study reports the rate coefficient for the OH + (CHO)2 reaction measured under pseudo- first-order conditions in OH ([(CHO)2] > 1000 [OH]0). OH radicals were produced using 248 nm pulsed laser photolysis of H2O2 or HNO3 and detected by pulsed laser induced fluorescence. The concentration of glyoxal in the reactor was determined using three independent techniques; gas flow rates as well as in situ UV and IR absorption. The total pressure in the reactor was varied from 40 to 300 Torr (He), and the rate coefficient was found to be independent of pressure over the temperature range studied. The rate coefficient exhibits a negative temperature dependence between 240 and 400 K consistent with the dependence previously observed for many other aldehydes. Our room-temperature rate coefficient is smaller than the relative rate value that is currently recommended for use in atmospheric model calculations. Our measured rate coefficients are discussed with respect to those for other aldehydes. The atmospheric implications of our work will also be discussed.

Ethion exposure and biological monitoring in vegetable farmers.

PubMed

Kongtip, Pornpimol; Changfuang, Sirinnapa; Yoosook, Witaya; Chantanakul, Suttinun; Sujirarat, Dusit

2011-03-01

To modify the method of analysis of urinary diethyl phosphate (DEP) in order to determine the relationship between atmospheric ethion concentration and urinary DEP concentration. A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting atmospheric ethion in the breathing zone of 28 farmers following the NIOSH 5600 method. Urine samples were also collected to analyze urinary DEP concentrations by a modified method using a Gas Chromatography-Flame Photometric Detector (FPD). The average atmospheric ethion concentration in the breathing zone of farmers was 0.036 +/- 0.018 mg/m3. The average urinary DEP in pre-shift and post-shift was 0.030 +/- 0.06 and 0.851 +/- 1.80 mg/g of creatinine respectively. The average DEP during work shifts was 0.53 +/- 0.27, and ranged from 0.12 to 1.16 mg/g of creatinine. A high correlation coefficient (r = 0.645) was found between atmospheric ethion concentrations and urinary DEP concentrations at p < 0.001. The modified method provided a reliable result and the urinary DEP during work shifts was found to be a reliable biomarker of ethion exposure.

Source gases: Concentrations, emissions, and trends

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fraser, Paul J.; Harriss, Robert; Penkett, Stuart A.; Makide, Yoshihiro; Sanhueza, Eugenio; Alyea, Fred N.; Rowland, F. Sherwood; Blake, Don; Sasaki, Toru; Cunnold, Derek M.

1991-01-01

Source gases are defined as those gases that influence levels of stratospheric ozone (O3) by transporting species containing halogen, hydrogen, and nitrogen to the stratosphere. Examples are the CFC's, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Other source gases that also come under consideration in an atmospheric O3 context are those that are involved in the O3 or hydroxyl (OH) radical chemistry of the troposphere. Examples are CH4, carbon monoxide (CO), and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC's). Most of the source gases, along with carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O), are climatically significant and thus affect stratospheric O3 levels by their influence on stratospheric temperatures. Carbonyl sulphide (COS) could affect stratospheric O3 through maintenance of the stratospheric sulphate aerosol layer, which may be involved in heterogeneous chlorine-catalyzed O3 destruction. The previous reviews of trends and emissions of source gases, either from the context of their influence on atmospheric O3 or global climate change, are updated. The current global abundances and concentration trends of the trace gases are given in tabular format.

Global Mercury Observatory System (GMOS): measurements of atmospheric mercury in Celestun, Yucatan, Mexico during 2012.

PubMed

Velasco, Antonio; Arcega-Cabrera, Flor; Oceguera-Vargas, Ismael; Ramírez, Martha; Ortinez, Abraham; Umlauf, Gunther; Sena, Fabrizio

2016-09-01

Within the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project, long-term continuous measurements of total gaseous mercury (TGM) were carried out by a monitoring station located at Celestun, Yucatan, Mexico, a coastal site along the Gulf of Mexico. The measurements covered the period from January 28th to October 17th, 2012. TGM data, at the Celestun site, were obtained using a high-resolution mercury vapor analyzer. TGM data show values from 0.50 to 2.82 ng/m(3) with an annual average concentration of 1.047 ± 0.271 ng/m(3). Multivariate analyses of TGM and meteorological variables suggest that TGM is correlated with the vertical air mass distribution in the atmosphere, which is influenced by diurnal variations in temperature and relative humidity. Diurnal variation is characterized by higher nighttime mercury concentrations, which might be influenced by convection currents between sea and land. The back trajectory analysis confirmed that local sources do not significantly influence TGM variations. This study shows that TGM monitoring at the Celestun site fulfills GMOS goals for a background site.

46 CFR 148.285 - Metal sulfide concentrates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... concentrate unless— (1) The atmosphere in the cargo hold has been tested and contains sufficient oxygen to support life and, where the shipper indicates that toxic gas(es) may be generated, the atmosphere in the...

46 CFR 148.285 - Metal sulfide concentrates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... concentrate unless— (1) The atmosphere in the cargo hold has been tested and contains sufficient oxygen to support life and, where the shipper indicates that toxic gas(es) may be generated, the atmosphere in the...

46 CFR 148.285 - Metal sulfide concentrates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... concentrate unless— (1) The atmosphere in the cargo hold has been tested and contains sufficient oxygen to support life and, where the shipper indicates that toxic gas(es) may be generated, the atmosphere in the...

Terrestrial mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric POPs pollution: a review.

PubMed

Harmens, H; Foan, L; Simon, V; Mills, G

2013-02-01

Worldwide there is concern about the continuing release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into the environment. In this study we review the application of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of POPs. Examples in the literature show that mosses are suitable organisms to monitor spatial patterns and temporal trends of atmospheric concentrations or deposition of POPs. These examples include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The majority of studies report on PAHs concentrations in mosses and relative few studies have been conducted on other POPs. So far, many studies have focused on spatial patterns around pollution sources or the concentration in mosses in remote areas such as the polar regions, as an indication of long-range transport of POPs. Very few studies have determined temporal trends or have directly related the concentrations in mosses with measured atmospheric concentrations and/or deposition fluxes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Miniaturized differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) system for the analysis of NO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, J. Alberto; Walsh, James E.; Treacy, Jack E.; Garland, Wendy E.

2003-03-01

Current trends in optical design engineering are leading to the development of new systems which can analyze atmospheric pollutants in a fast and easy way, allowing remote-sensing and miniaturization at a low cost. A small portable fiber-optic based system is presented for the spectroscopic analysis of a common gas pollutant, NO2. The novel optical set-up described consists of a small telescope that collects ultraviolet-visible light from a xenon lamp located 600 m away. The light is coupled into a portable diode array spectrometer through a fiber-optic cable and the system is controlled by a lap-top computer where the spectra are recorded. Using the spectrum of the lamp as a reference, the absorption spectrum of the open path between the lamp and the telescope is calculated. Known absorption features in the NO2 spectrum are used to calculate the concentration of the pollutant using the principles of Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). Calibration is carried by using sample gas bags of known concentration of the pollutant. The results obtained demonstrate that it is possible to detect and determine NO2 concentrations directly from the atmosphere at typical environment levels by using an inexpensive field based fiber-optic spectrometer system.

Air Quality Modeling Using the NASA GEOS-5 Multispecies Data Assimilation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Christoph A.; Pawson, Steven; Wargan, Krzysztof; Weir, Brad

2018-01-01

The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) data assimilation system (DAS) has been expanded to include chemically reactive tropospheric trace gases including ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon monoxide (CO). This system combines model analyses from the GEOS-5 model with detailed atmospheric chemistry and observations from MLS (O3), OMI (O3 and NO2), and MOPITT (CO). We show results from a variety of assimilation test experiments, highlighting the improvements in the representation of model species concentrations by up to 50% compared to an assimilation-free control experiment. Taking into account the rapid chemical cycling of NO2 when applying the assimilation increments greatly improves assimilation skills for NO2 and provides large benefits for model concentrations near the surface. Analysis of the geospatial distribution of the assimilation increments suggest that the free-running model overestimates biomass burning emissions but underestimates lightning NOx emissions by 5-20%. We discuss the capability of the chemical data assimilation system to improve atmospheric composition forecasts through improved initial value and boundary condition inputs, particularly during air pollution events. We find that the current assimilation system meaningfully improves short-term forecasts (1-3 day). For longer-term forecasts more emphasis on updating the emissions instead of initial concentration fields is needed.

A new method for assessing the contribution of Primary Biological Atmospheric Particles to the mass concentration of the atmospheric aerosol.

PubMed

Perrino, Cinzia; Marcovecchio, Francesca

2016-02-01

Primary Biologic Atmospheric Particles (PBAPs) constitute an interesting and poorly investigated component of the atmospheric aerosol. We have developed and validated a method for evaluating the contribution of overall PBAPs to the mass concentration of atmospheric particulate matter (PM). The method is based on PM sampling on polycarbonate filters, staining of the collected particles with propidium iodide, observation at epifluorescence microscope and calculation of the bioaerosol mass using a digital image analysis software. The method has been also adapted to the observation and quantification of size-segregated aerosol samples collected by multi-stage impactors. Each step of the procedure has been individually validated. The relative repeatability of the method, calculated on 10 pairs of atmospheric PM samples collected side-by-side, was 16%. The method has been applied to real atmospheric samples collected in the vicinity of Rome, Italy. Size distribution measurements revealed that PBAPs was mainly in the coarse fraction of PM, with maxima in the range 5.6-10 μm. 24-h samples collected during different period of the year have shown that the concentration of bioaerosol was in the range 0.18-5.3 μg m(-3) (N=20), with a contribution to the organic matter in PM10 in the range 0.5-31% and to the total mass concentration of PM10 in the range 0.3-18%. The possibility to determine the concentration of total PBAPs in PM opens up interesting perspectives in terms of studying the health effects of these components and of increasing our knowledge about the composition of the organic fraction of the atmospheric aerosol. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of soil microbes in the global carbon cycle: tracking the below-ground microbial processing of plant-derived carbon for manipulating carbon dynamics in agricultural systems

PubMed Central

Gougoulias, Christos; Clark, Joanna M; Shaw, Liz J

2014-01-01

It is well known that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) (and other greenhouse gases) have increased markedly as a result of human activity since the industrial revolution. It is perhaps less appreciated that natural and managed soils are an important source and sink for atmospheric CO2 and that, primarily as a result of the activities of soil microorganisms, there is a soil-derived respiratory flux of CO2 to the atmosphere that overshadows by tenfold the annual CO2 flux from fossil fuel emissions. Therefore small changes in the soil carbon cycle could have large impacts on atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Here we discuss the role of soil microbes in the global carbon cycle and review the main methods that have been used to identify the microorganisms responsible for the processing of plant photosynthetic carbon inputs to soil. We discuss whether application of these techniques can provide the information required to underpin the management of agro-ecosystems for carbon sequestration and increased agricultural sustainability. We conclude that, although crucial in enabling the identification of plant-derived carbon-utilising microbes, current technologies lack the high-throughput ability to quantitatively apportion carbon use by phylogentic groups and its use efficiency and destination within the microbial metabolome. It is this information that is required to inform rational manipulation of the plant–soil system to favour organisms or physiologies most important for promoting soil carbon storage in agricultural soil. PMID:24425529

Rigorous Characterisation of a Novel, Statistically-Based Ocean Colour Algorithm for the PACE Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, S. E.; Lee, Z.; Du, K.; Lin, J.

2016-02-01

An approach based on empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of ocean colour spectra has been shown to accurately derive inherent optical properties (IOPs) and chlorophyll concentration in scenarios, such as optically complex waters, where standard algorithms often perform poorly. The algorithm has been successfully used in a number of regional applications, and has also shown promise in a global implementation based on the NASA NOMAD data set. Additionally, it has demonstrated the unique ability to derive ocean colour products from top of atmosphere (TOA) signals with either no or minimal atmospheric correction applied. Due to its high potential for use over coastal and inland waters, the EOF approach is currently being rigorously characterised as part of a suite of approaches that will be used to support the new NASA ocean colour mission, PACE (Pre-Aerosol, Clouds and ocean Ecosystem). A major component in this model characterisation is the generation of a synthetic TOA data set using a coupled ocean-atmosphere radiative transfer model, which has been run to mimic PACE spectral resolution, and under a wide range of geographical locations, water constituent concentrations, and sea surface and atmospheric conditions. The resulting multidimensional data set will be analysed, and results presented on the sensitivity of the model to various combinations of parameters, and preliminary conclusions made regarding the optimal implementation strategy of this promising approach (e.g. on a global, optical water type or regional basis). This will provide vital guidance for operational implementation of the model for both existing satellite ocean colour sensors and the upcoming PACE mission.

Chasing Sources and Transports of Methane Plumes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Using In Situ Sensors on Untethered Landers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martens, C. S.; Mendlovitz, H.; Seim, H.; Lapham, L.; Magen, C.; Joye, S. B.; MacDonald, I. R.; Asper, V. L.; Diercks, A. R.

2016-02-01

In situ time-series measurements of light hydrocarbons, oxygen, temperature and bottom currents from landers and elevators in the benthic boundary layer (BBL) at multiple sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico reveal spatial and temporal variability in methane concentrations controlled by horizontal advection of methane-rich plumes originating from nearby natural oil and gas seeps. Multi-sensor systems deployed for several weeks within 1m of the seafloor at depths from 882 to 1622m revealed methane concentrations ranging from near atmospheric saturation (<3 nM) to over 4000 nM depending on seep proximity, current speed and direction. Methane concentrations observed in the BBL equal or exceed maximum near-bottom values seen in shipboard water column profiles analyzed by conventional gas chromatography. Continuous laser sensor methane measurements from mini-landers deployed in September 2015 at our Horn Dome and Bush Hill sites featuring numerous gas seeps revealed methane concentrations ranging from <3 to over 300 nM over two-week periods. Net current speeds in the BBL at our six lander sites in blocks GC600, OC26 and MC118 ranged from near zero to over 5 cm/s; instantaneous speeds ranged from near zero to over 30 cm/s. Near real-time acquisition of continuous hydrocarbon concentration and current data within the BBL and friction layer from untethered platforms provides important new opportunities for monitoring the impacts of natural seeps and accidental hydrocarbon releases. The instrumented approaches we have developed to simultaneously monitor methane sources and physical processes controlling plume development and transport will enable more effective responses to further accidental hydrocarbon releases.

Understanding climate policy data needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Molly E.; Macauley, Molly

2012-08-01

NASA Carbon Monitoring System: Characterizing Flux Uncertainty; Washington, D. C, 11 January 2012 Climate policy in the United States is currently guided by public-private partnerships and actions at the local and state levels that focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, agricultural practices, and implementation of technologies to reduce greenhouse gases. How will policy makers know if these strategies are working, particularly at the scales at which they are being implemented? The NASA Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) will provide information on carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes derived from observations of Earth's land, ocean, and atmosphere used in state-of-the-art models describing their interactions. This new modeling system could be used to assess the impact of specific policy interventions on reductions of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, enabling an iterative, results-oriented policy process.

[Plant responses to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and transmission to other trophic levels]. Progress report, May 1991, DOE Grant DE-FG09-84ER60255

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lincoln, D.E.

1991-05-01

Experiments were performed to determine the effects of carbon dioxide on plants and on the insects feeding on these plants. Current progress is reported for the following experiments: Response of a Specialist-Feeding Insect Herbivore to Carbon Dioxide Induced Changes in Its Hostplant; Growth and Reproduction of Grasshoppers Feeding on a C{sub 4} Grass Under Elevated Carbon Dioxide; Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Temperature Effects on Growth and Defense of Big Sagebrush; Sagebrush and Grasshopper Responses to Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration; Biomass Allocation Patterns of Defoliated Sagebrush Grown Under Two Levels of Carbon Dioxide; and Sagebrush Carbon Allocation Patterns and Grasshopper Nutrition:more » The Influence of Carbon Dioxide Enrichment and Soil Mineral Limitation.« less

Quantifying Sources and Sinks of Reactive Gases in the Lower Atmosphere Using Airborne Flux Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, G. M.; Hanisco, T. F.; Arkinson, H. L.; Bui, T. P.; Crounse, J. D.; Dean-Day, J.; Goldstein, A.; Guenther, A.; Hall, S. R.; Huey, G.;

Sample damage during X-ray fluorescence analysis--case study on ammonium salts in atmospheric aerosols.

PubMed

Van Meel, Katleen; Worobiec, Anna; Stranger, Marianne; Van Grieken, René

2008-08-01

Atmospheric aerosols can consist of, amongst others, compounds like NH(4)NO(3) or (NH(4))(2)SO(4). Such components can suffer radiation damage and/or evaporate during EDXRF measurements, providing errors on successively applied analysis. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of measurements using conventional EDXRF on the volatile compounds and to compare it with the influence of polarized beam EDXRF using secondary targets (and hence indirect irradiation). The effect of different parameters (acquisition time, accelerating voltage, current and medium) on the concentration loss was studied. The measurements performed in vacuum during a long period lead to the highest losses of volatile compounds. The influence of direct irradiation was proved to be larger than the indirect variant.

The ice-core record - Climate sensitivity and future greenhouse warming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorius, C.; Raynaud, D.; Jouzel, J.; Hansen, J.; Le Treut, H.

1990-01-01

The prediction of future greenhouse-gas-warming depends critically on the sensitivity of earth's climate to increasing atmospheric concentrations of these gases. Data from cores drilled in polar ice sheets show a remarkable correlation between past glacial-interglacial temperature changes and the inferred atmospheric concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. These and other palaeoclimate data are used to assess the role of greenhouse gases in explaining past global climate change, and the validity of models predicting the effect of increasing concentrations of such gases in the atmosphere.

Flow injection trace gas analysis method for on-site determination of organoarsenicals

DOEpatents

Aldstadt, J.H. III

1997-06-24

A method is described for real-time determination of the concentration of Lewisite in the ambient atmosphere, the method includes separating and collecting a Lewisite sample from the atmosphere in a collection chamber, converting the collected Lewisite to an arsenite ion solution sample, pumping the arsenite ion containing sample to an electrochemical detector connected to the collection chamber, and electrochemically detecting the converted arsenite ions in the sample, whereby the concentration of arsenite ions detected is proportional to the concentration of Lewisite in the atmosphere. 2 figs.

Mathematical modeling of atmospheric fine particle-associated primary organic compound concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogge, Wolfgang F.; Hildemann, Lynn M.; Mazurek, Monica A.; Cass, Glen R.; Simoneit, Bernd R. T.

1996-08-01

An atmospheric transport model has been used to explore the relationship between source emissions and ambient air quality for individual particle phase organic compounds present in primary aerosol source emissions. An inventory of fine particulate organic compound emissions was assembled for the Los Angeles area in the year 1982. Sources characterized included noncatalyst- and catalyst-equipped autos, diesel trucks, paved road dust, tire wear, brake lining dust, meat cooking operations, industrial oil-fired boilers, roofing tar pots, natural gas combustion in residential homes, cigarette smoke, fireplaces burning oak and pine wood, and plant leaf abrasion products. These primary fine particle source emissions were supplied to a computer-based model that simulates atmospheric transport, dispersion, and dry deposition based on the time series of hourly wind observations and mixing depths. Monthly average fine particle organic compound concentrations that would prevail if the primary organic aerosol were transported without chemical reaction were computed for more than 100 organic compounds within an 80 km × 80 km modeling area centered over Los Angeles. The monthly average compound concentrations predicted by the transport model were compared to atmospheric measurements made at monitoring sites within the study area during 1982. The predicted seasonal variation and absolute values of the concentrations of the more stable compounds are found to be in reasonable agreement with the ambient observations. While model predictions for the higher molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are in agreement with ambient observations, lower molecular weight PAH show much higher predicted than measured atmospheric concentrations in the particle phase, indicating atmospheric decay by chemical reactions or evaporation from the particle phase. The atmospheric concentrations of dicarboxylic acids and aromatic polycarboxylic acids greatly exceed the contributions that are due to direct emissions from primary sources, confirming that these compounds are principally formed by atmospheric chemical reactions.

Dispersion of Fukushima radionuclides in the global atmosphere and the ocean.

PubMed

Povinec, P P; Gera, M; Holý, K; Hirose, K; Lujaniené, G; Nakano, M; Plastino, W; Sýkora, I; Bartok, J; Gažák, M

2013-11-01

Large quantities of radionuclides were released in March-April 2011 during the accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant to the atmosphere and the ocean. Atmospheric and marine modeling has been carried out to predict the dispersion of radionuclides worldwide, to compare the predicted and measured radionuclide concentrations, and to assess the impact of the accident on the environment. Atmospheric Lagrangian dispersion modeling was used to simulate the dispersion of (137)Cs over America and Europe. Global ocean circulation model was applied to predict the dispersion of (137)Cs in the Pacific Ocean. The measured and simulated (137)Cs concentrations in atmospheric aerosols and in seawater are compared with global fallout and the Chernobyl accident, which represent the main sources of the pre-Fukushima radionuclide background in the environment. The radionuclide concentrations in the atmosphere have been negligible when compared with the Chernobyl levels. The maximum (137)Cs concentration in surface waters of the open Pacific Ocean will be around 20 Bq/m(3). The plume will reach the US coast 4-5 y after the accident, however, the levels will be below 3 Bq/m(3). All the North Pacific Ocean will be labeled with Fukushima (137)Cs 10 y after the accident with concentration bellow 1 Bq/m(3). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greenhouse effect in the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, B. M.

2016-04-01

Average optical atmospheric parameters for the infrared spectrum range are evaluated on the basis of the Earth energetic balance and parameters of the standard atmosphere. The average optical thickness of the atmosphere is u ≈ 2.5 and this atmospheric emission is originated at altitudes below 10 km. Variations of atmospheric radiative fluxes towards the Earth and outward are calculated as a function of the concentration of \\text{CO}2 molecules for the regular model of molecular spectrum. As a result of doubling of the \\text{CO}2 concentration the change of the global Earth temperature is (0.4 +/- 0.2) \\text{K} if other atmospheric parameters are conserved compared to the value (3.0 +/- 1.5) \\text{K} under real atmospheric conditions with the variation of the amount of atmospheric water. An observed variation of the global Earth temperature during the last century (0.8 ^\\circ \\text{C}) follows from an increase of the mass of atmospheric water by 7% or by conversion of 1% of atmospheric water in aerosols.

Differentiating atmospheric and mineral sources of sulfur during snowmelt using δ 34S, 35S activity, and δ 18O of sulfate and water as tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanley, J. B.; Mayer, B.; Mitchell, M. J.; Michel, R. L.; Bailey, S.; Kendall, C.

2003-12-01

The biogeochemical cycling of sulfur was studied during the 2000 snowmelt at Sleepers River Research Watershed in northeastern Vermont, USA using a combination of isotopic, chemical, and hydrometric measurements. The snowpack and 10 streams of varying size and land use were sampled for sulfate concentrations and isotopic analyses of 35S, δ 34S, and δ 18O of sulfate. Values of δ 18O of water were measured at one of the streams. Apportionment of atmospheric and mineral S sources based on δ 34S was possible at 7 of the 10 streams. Weathering of S-containing minerals was a major contributor to sulfate flux in streamwater, but atmospheric contributions exceeded 50% in several of the streams at peak snowmelt and averaged 41% overall. In contrast, δ 18Osulfate values of streamwater remained significantly lower than those of atmospheric sulfate throughout the melt period, indicating that atmospheric sulfate undergoes microbial redox reactions in the soil that replace the oxygen of atmospheric sulfate with isotopically lighter oxygen from soil water. Streamwater 35S activities were low relative to those of the snowpack; the youngest 35S-ages of the atmospheric S component in each of the 7 streams ranged from 184 to 320 days. Atmospheric S contributions to streamwater, as determined by δ 34S values, co-varied both with 35S activity and new water contributions as determined by δ 18Owater. However, the δ 18Osulfate and 35S ages clearly show that this new water carries very little of the atmospheric sulfate entering with the current snowmelt to the stream. Most incoming atmospheric sulfate first cycles through the organic soil S pool and ultimately reaches the stream as pedogenic sulfate.

Marine Atmospheric Corrosion of Carbon Steel: A Review

PubMed Central

Alcántara, Jenifer; de la Fuente, Daniel; Chico, Belén; Simancas, Joaquín; Díaz, Iván; Morcillo, Manuel

2017-01-01

The atmospheric corrosion of carbon steel is an extensive topic that has been studied over the years by many researchers. However, until relatively recently, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the action of marine chlorides. Corrosion in coastal regions is a particularly relevant issue due the latter’s great importance to human society. About half of the world’s population lives in coastal regions and the industrialisation of developing countries tends to concentrate production plants close to the sea. Until the start of the 21st century, research on the basic mechanisms of rust formation in Cl−-rich atmospheres was limited to just a small number of studies. However, in recent years, scientific understanding of marine atmospheric corrosion has advanced greatly, and in the authors’ opinion a sufficient body of knowledge has been built up in published scientific papers to warrant an up-to-date review of the current state-of-the-art and to assess what issues still need to be addressed. That is the purpose of the present review. After a preliminary section devoted to basic concepts on atmospheric corrosion, the marine atmosphere, and experimentation on marine atmospheric corrosion, the paper addresses key aspects such as the most significant corrosion products, the characteristics of the rust layers formed, and the mechanisms of steel corrosion in marine atmospheres. Special attention is then paid to important matters such as coastal-industrial atmospheres and long-term behaviour of carbon steel exposed to marine atmospheres. The work ends with a section dedicated to issues pending, noting a series of questions in relation with which greater research efforts would seem to be necessary. PMID:28772766

Do fossil plants signal palaeoatmospheric carbon dioxide concentration in the geological past?

PubMed Central

McElwain, J. C.

1998-01-01

Fossil, subfossil, and herbarium leaves have been shown to provide a morphological signal of the atmospheric carbon dioxide environment in which they developed by means of their stomatal density and index. An inverse relationship between stomatal density/index and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has been documented for all the studies to date concerning fossil and subfossil material. Furthermore, this relationship has been demonstrated experimentally by growing plants under elevated and reducedcarbon dioxide concentrations. To date, the mechanism that controls the stomatal density response to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration remains unknown. However, stomatal parameters of fossil plants have been successfully used as a proxy indicator of palaeo-carbon dioxide levels. This paper presents new estimates of palaeo-atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations for the Middle Eocene (Lutetian), based on the stomatal ratios of fossil Lauraceae species from Bournemouth in England. Estimates of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations derived from stomatal data from plants of the Early Devonian, Late Carboniferous, Early Permian and Middle Jurassic ages are reviewed in the light of new data. Semi-quantitative palaeo-carbon dioxide estimates based on the stomatal ratio (a ratio of the stomatal index of a fossil plant to that of a selected nearest living equivalent) have in the past relied on the use of a Carboniferous standard. The application of a new standard based on the present-day carbon dioxide level is reported here for comparison. The resultant ranges of palaeo-carbon dioxide estimates made from standardized fossil stomatal ratio data are in good agreement with both carbon isotopic data from terrestrial and marine sources and long-term carbon cycle modelling estimates for all the time periods studied. These data indicate elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations during the Early Devonian, Middle Jurassic and Middle Eocene, and reduced concentrations during the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian. Such data are important in demonstrating the long-term responses of plants to changing carbon dioxide concentrations and in contributing to the database needed for general circulation model climatic analogues.

Soot Aerosol In The Atmosphere: Pole-to-Pole Distribution And Contributions by Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pueschel, R. F.; Verma, S.; Howard, S. D.; Ferry, G. V.; Goodman, J.; Allen, D. A.; Strawa, Anthony W. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Interest in the distribution of black carbon (soot) aerosol (BCA) in the atmosphere is warranted for the following reasons: (1) BCA has the highest absorption cross section of any compound known, thus it can absorb solar radiation to cause atmospheric warming; (2) BCA is a strong adsorber of gases, thus it can catalyze heterogeneous chemical reactions to modify the chemical composition of the atmosphere; (3) If aircraft emission is the major source of atmospheric BCA, it can serve as an atmospheric tracer of aircraft exhaust. We collect BCA particles greater than or equal to 0.02 micrometer diameter by wires mounted on both the DC-8 and ER-2 aircraft. After return to the laboratory, the wires are examined with a field emission scanning electron microscope to identify BCA particles by their characteristic morphology. Typically, BCA exists in the atmosphere as small particles of complex morphology. The particle sizes at the source are measured in tens of Angstrom units; after a short residence time in the atmosphere, individual particles coalesce to loosely packed agglomerates of typical dimensions 0.01 to 0.1 micrometer. We approximate the size of each BCA aggregate by that of a sphere of equivalent volume. This is done by computing the volume of a sphere whose diameter is the mean between averaged minimum and maximum dimensions of the BCA particle. While this procedure probably underestimates the actual surface area, it permits us to compare BCA size distributions among themselves and with other types of aerosols. When statistically justified, we fit lognormal distributions to the data points to determine number concentrations, geometric mean radii, standard deviations, BCA surface areas and volumes. Results to date permit the following conclusions: (1) BCA concentration in the northern stratosphere averages 0.6 ng per cubic meters. This amount is one part in 10(exp 4) after a volcanic eruption (e.g., Pinatubo) increasing to about one percent during volcanic quiescence. In the northern troposphere, BCA concentration averages 3.2 ng per cubic meters, or 0.3 percent of the background aerosol. (2) Applying an BCA emission index EI(BCA)=5 x 10(exp -5), measured in the exhaust wake of a Concorde supersonic jet aircraft, to realistic estimates of fuel burnt by the current and projected fleets permits us to conclude that: (i) Most BCA in the northern stratosphere results from aircraft emissions; (ii) Most BCA in the northern troposphere results from other sources than aircraft; (iii) A projected supersonic fleet will increase the northern stratospheric BCA concentration by one order of magnitude, unless the emission index is substantially reduced. (3) A strong gradient between the northern and southern hemispheres indicates that mixing across the equator is greatly inhibited in relation to atmospheric residence times of BCA. (4) The single scatter albedo of BCA/"background" aerosol mixtures suggests a cooling effect for most of the globe; an exemption is the Arctic because of the high surface albedo of the snow/ice covered earth's surface.

Completely automated open-path FT-IR spectrometry.

PubMed

Griffiths, Peter R; Shao, Limin; Leytem, April B

2009-01-01

Atmospheric analysis by open-path Fourier-transform infrared (OP/FT-IR) spectrometry has been possible for over two decades but has not been widely used because of the limitations of the software of commercial instruments. In this paper, we describe the current state-of-the-art of the hardware and software that constitutes a contemporary OP/FT-IR spectrometer. We then describe advances that have been made in our laboratory that have enabled many of the limitations of this type of instrument to be overcome. These include not having to acquire a single-beam background spectrum that compensates for absorption features in the spectra of atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide. Instead, an easily measured "short path-length" background spectrum is used for calculation of each absorbance spectrum that is measured over a long path-length. To accomplish this goal, the algorithm used to calculate the concentrations of trace atmospheric molecules was changed from classical least-squares regression (CLS) to partial least-squares regression (PLS). For calibration, OP/FT-IR spectra are measured in pristine air over a wide variety of path-lengths, temperatures, and humidities, ratioed against a short-path background, and converted to absorbance; the reference spectrum of each analyte is then multiplied by randomly selected coefficients and added to these background spectra. Automatic baseline correction for small molecules with resolved rotational fine structure, such as ammonia and methane, is effected using wavelet transforms. A novel method of correcting for the effect of the nonlinear response of mercury cadmium telluride detectors is also incorporated. Finally, target factor analysis may be used to detect the onset of a given pollutant when its concentration exceeds a certain threshold. In this way, the concentration of atmospheric species has been obtained from OP/FT-IR spectra measured at intervals of 1 min over a period of many hours with no operator intervention.

Measurement of atmospheric ammonia at a dairy using differential optical absorption spectroscopy in the mid-ultraviolet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mount, George H.; Rumburg, Brian; Havig, Jeff; Lamb, Brian; Westberg, Hal; Yonge, David; Johnson, Kristen; Kincaid, Ronald

Ammonia is the most abundant basic gas in the atmosphere, and after N 2 and N 2O is the most abundant nitrogen-containing specie (Seinfeld and Pandis, 1998. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: from air pollution to climate changes. Wiley, New York). Typical concentrations of ammonia in the boundary layer range from <1 part per billion by volume (ppbv) in the free continental troposphere to parts per million (ppmv) levels over animal waste lagoons and near animal stalls. Agricultural activities are the dominant global source of ammonia emissions and a major environmental concern. In the US, ≈85% of ammonia emissions come from livestock operations (EPA Trends, 1998. www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/trends98/chapter2.pdf). Dairy farms constitute a large fraction of the livestock inventory. Current estimates of ammonia emissions to the atmosphere are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, and so it is very important to obtain better estimates of ammonia emissions. We are working at the Washington State University research dairy to quantify ammonia emissions and investigate the effects of various mitigation strategies on those emissions. We describe here a new instrument utilizing the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique to measure ammonia in the mid-ultraviolet with a detectability limit of about 1 ppb. DOAS avoids many of the problems that have thwarted past ammonia concentration measurements. Initial results show concentrations in the barn/concrete yard areas in the tens of parts per million range, over the slurry lagoons of hundreds of parts per billion to low parts per million, and low parts per million levels after initial slurry applications onto pastureland. Future papers will report on emission fluxes from the various parts of the dairy and the results of mitigation strategies; we show here initial data results. For a recent review of ammonia volatilization from dairy farms, see Bussink and Oenema (Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 51(1998) 19).

Comparing Lagrangian and Eulerian models for CO2 transport - a step towards Bayesian inverse modeling using WRF/STILT-VPRM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pillai, D.; Gerbig, C.; Kretschmer, R.; Beck, V.; Karstens, U.; Neininger, B.; Heimann, M.

2012-01-01

We present simulations of atmospheric CO2 concentrations provided by two modeling systems, run at high spatial resolution: the Eulerian-based Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model and the Lagrangian-based Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model, both of which are coupled to a diagnostic biospheric model, the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM). The consistency of the simulations is assessed with special attention paid to the details of horizontal as well as vertical transport and mixing of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. The dependence of model mismatch (Eulerian vs. Lagrangian) on models' spatial resolution is further investigated. A case study using airborne measurements during which both models showed large deviations from each other is analyzed in detail as an extreme case. Using aircraft observations and pulse release simulations, we identified differences in the representation of details in the interaction between turbulent mixing and advection through wind shear as the main cause of discrepancies between WRF and STILT transport at a spatial resolution such as 2 and 6 km. Based on observations and inter-model comparisons of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, we show that a refinement of the parameterization of turbulent velocity variance and Lagrangian time-scale in STILT is needed to achieve a better match between the Eulerian and the Lagrangian transport at such a high spatial resolution (e.g. 2 and 6 km). Nevertheless, the inter-model differences in simulated CO2 time series for a tall tower observatory at Ochsenkopf in Germany are about a factor of two smaller than the model-data mismatch and about a factor of three smaller than the mismatch between the current global model simulations and the data. Thus suggests that it is reasonable to use STILT as an adjoint model of WRF atmospheric transport.

Secular decline of seawater calcium increases seawater buffering and pH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hain, M.; Sigman, D. M.; Higgins, J. A.; Haug, G. H.

2015-12-01

Reconstructed changes in seawater calcium and magnesium concentration ([Ca2+], [Mg2+]) predictably affect the ocean's acid/base and carbon chemistry. Yet inaccurate formulations of chemical equilibrium "constants" are currently in use to account for these changes. Here we develop an efficient implementation of the MIAMI Ionic Interaction Model (Millero and Pierrot, 1998) to predict all chemical equilibrium constants required for carbon chemistry calculations under variable [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] (Hain et al., 2015). We investigate the impact of [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] on the relationships among the ocean's pH, CO2, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), saturation state of CaCO3 (Ω), and buffer capacity. Increasing [Ca2+] and/or [Mg2+] enhances "ion pairing," which increases seawater buffering by increasing the concentration ratio of total to "free" (uncomplexed) carbonate ion. An increase in [Ca2+], however, also causes a decline in carbonate ion to maintain a given Ω, thereby overwhelming the ion pairing effect and decreasing seawater buffering. Given the reconstructions of Eocene [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] ([Ca2+]~20mM; [Mg2+]~30 mM), Eocene seawater would have required essentially the same DIC as today to simultaneously explain a similar-to-modern Ω and the estimated Eocene atmospheric CO2 of ~1000 ppm. During the Cretaceous, at ~4 times modern [Ca2+], ocean buffering would have been at a minimum. Overall, during times of high seawater [Ca2+], CaCO3 saturation, pH, and atmospheric CO2 were more susceptible to perturbations of the global carbon cycle. For example, given both Eocene and Cretaceous seawater [Ca2+] and [Mg2+], a doubling of atmospheric CO2 would require less carbon addition to the ocean/atmosphere system than under modern seawater composition. Moreover, increase in seawater buffering since the Cretaceous may have been a driver of evolution by raising energetic demands of biologically controlled calcification and CO2 concentration mechanisms that aid photosynthesis.

Recent slowdown of atmospheric CO2 amplification due to vegetation-climate feedback over northern lands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Xia, J.; Ahlström, A.; Rinke, A.; Koven, C.; Hayes, D. J.; Ji, D.; Zhang, G.; Krinner, G.; Chen, G.; Dong, J.; Liang, J.; Moore, J.; Jiang, L.; Yan, L.; Ciais, P.; Peng, S.; Wang, Y.; Xiao, X.; Shi, Z.; McGuire, A. D.; Luo, Y.

2017-12-01

The enhanced vegetation growth by climate warming plays a pivotal role in amplifying the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2 at northern high latitudes since 1960s1-3. It remains unclear that whether this mechanism is still robust since 1990s, because a paused vegetation growth increase4,5 and weakened temperature control on CO2 uptake6,7 have been detected during this period. Here, based on in-situ atmospheric CO2 concentration records above northern 50o N, we found a slowdown of the atmospheric CO2 amplification from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s. This phenomenon is associated with the pause of vegetation greening trend and slowdown of spring warming. We further showed that both the vegetation greenness and its growing season length are positively correlated to spring but not autumn temperature from 1982 to 2010 over the northern lands. However, the state-of-art terrestrial biosphere models produce positive responses of gross primary productivity to both spring and autumn warming. These findings emphasize the importance of vegetation-climate feedback in shaping the atmospheric CO2 seasonality, and call for an improved carbon-cycle response to non-uniform seasonal warming at high latitudes in current models.

Atmospheric deposition, CO2, and change in the land carbon sink.

PubMed

Fernández-Martínez, M; Vicca, S; Janssens, I A; Ciais, P; Obersteiner, M; Bartrons, M; Sardans, J; Verger, A; Canadell, J G; Chevallier, F; Wang, X; Bernhofer, C; Curtis, P S; Gianelle, D; Grünwald, T; Heinesch, B; Ibrom, A; Knohl, A; Laurila, T; Law, B E; Limousin, J M; Longdoz, B; Loustau, D; Mammarella, I; Matteucci, G; Monson, R K; Montagnani, L; Moors, E J; Munger, J W; Papale, D; Piao, S L; Peñuelas, J

2017-08-29

Concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) have continued to increase whereas atmospheric deposition of sulphur and nitrogen has declined in Europe and the USA during recent decades. Using time series of flux observations from 23 forests distributed throughout Europe and the USA, and generalised mixed models, we found that forest-level net ecosystem production and gross primary production have increased by 1% annually from 1995 to 2011. Statistical models indicated that increasing atmospheric CO 2 was the most important factor driving the increasing strength of carbon sinks in these forests. We also found that the reduction of sulphur deposition in Europe and the USA lead to higher recovery in ecosystem respiration than in gross primary production, thus limiting the increase of carbon sequestration. By contrast, trends in climate and nitrogen deposition did not significantly contribute to changing carbon fluxes during the studied period. Our findings support the hypothesis of a general CO 2 -fertilization effect on vegetation growth and suggest that, so far unknown, sulphur deposition plays a significant role in the carbon balance of forests in industrialized regions. Our results show the need to include the effects of changing atmospheric composition, beyond CO 2 , to assess future dynamics of carbon-climate feedbacks not currently considered in earth system/climate modelling.

Distribution of atmospheric mercury in northern Southeast Asia and South China Sea during Dongsha Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheu, Guey-Rong; Lin, Neng-Huei; Lee, Chung-Te; Wang, Jia-Lin; Chuang, Ming-Tung; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Chi, Kai Hsine; Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng

2013-10-01

Northern South China Sea (SCS) is adjacent to major atmospheric mercury (Hg) emission source regions; however, studies concerning regional atmospheric Hg distribution and cycling are very limited. Accordingly, measurements of atmospheric Hg were conducted in March and April during the 2010 Dongsha Experiment to study its spatial and temporal distribution. Atmospheric Hg was measured at Hengchun and Dongsha Island (Taiwan), Da Nang (Vietnam), Chiang Mai (Thailand) and over the northern SCS. Atmospheric Hg concentrations ranged between 1.54 and 6.83 ng m-3, mostly higher than the Northern Hemisphere background value. Regional wind fields and backward trajectories indicated that the atmospheric Hg concentrations over northern SCS should principally reflect the export of the East Asian Hg emissions by northeast monsoon. However, significantly elevated Hg concentrations were always observed at Da Nang, possibly due to the influence of local Hg emissions. Chiang Mai is located in the intense biomass burning region in northern Thailand. Therefore, atmospheric Hg concentrations at Chiang Mai reflected the influence of regional biomass burning Hg emissions. Two dust storms were encountered at Dongsha Island, one on March 16 and the other on March 21, with atmospheric Hg enhancements. Compared with the 2008 summer values, elevated Hg levels were observed at Dongsha Island in the spring of 2010. Summer air masses were mainly from the deep SCS, representing relatively clean marine air. On the other hand, air masses were from the north in spring, passing eastern China or Taiwan prior to reaching Dongsha Island. Results of this research thus demonstrated the transport of atmospheric Hg from the East Asian continent to northern SCS by regional monsoon activity in spring, but special events, such as biomass burning and dust storms, can also cause enhancements of ambient Hg levels.

Subterranean karst environments as a global sink for atmospheric methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, Kevin D.; Drobniak, Agnieszka; Etiope, Giuseppe; Mastalerz, Maria; Sauer, Peter E.; Schimmelmann, Arndt

2018-03-01

The air in subterranean karst cavities is often depleted in methane (CH4) relative to the atmosphere. Karst is considered a potential sink for the atmospheric greenhouse gas CH4 because its subsurface drainage networks and solution-enlarged fractures facilitate atmospheric exchange. Karst landscapes cover about 14% of earth's continental surface, but observations of CH4 concentrations in cave air are limited to localized studies in Gibraltar, Spain, Indiana (USA), Vietnam, Australia, and by incomplete isotopic data. To test if karst is acting as a global CH4 sink, we measured the CH4 concentrations, δ13CCH4, and δ2HCH4 values of cave air from 33 caves in the USA and three caves in New Zealand. We also measured CO2 concentrations, δ13CCO2, and radon (Rn) concentrations to support CH4 data interpretation by assessing cave air residence times and mixing processes. Among these caves, 35 exhibited subatmospheric CH4 concentrations in at least one location compared to their local atmospheric backgrounds. CH4 concentrations, δ13CCH4, and δ2HCH4 values suggest that microbial methanotrophy within caves is the primary CH4 consumption mechanism. Only 5 locations from 3 caves showed elevated CH4 concentrations compared to the atmospheric background and could be ascribed to local CH4 sources from sewage and outgassing swamp water. Several associated δ13CCH4 and δ2HCH4 values point to carbonate reduction and acetate fermentation as biochemical pathways of limited methanogenesis in karst environments and suggest that these pathways occur in the environment over large spatial scales. Our data show that karst environments function as a global CH4 sink.

Methane on Mars: Thermodynamic Equilibrium and Photochemical Calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, J. S.; Summers, M. E.; Ewell, M.

2010-01-01

The detection of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere of Mars by Mars Express and Earth-based spectroscopy is very surprising, very puzzling, and very intriguing. On Earth, about 90% of atmospheric ozone is produced by living systems. A major question concerning methane on Mars is its origin - biological or geological. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations indicated that methane cannot be produced by atmospheric chemical/photochemical reactions. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations for three gases, methane, ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the Earth s atmosphere are summarized in Table 1. The calculations indicate that these three gases should not exist in the Earth s atmosphere. Yet they do, with methane, ammonia and nitrous oxide enhanced 139, 50 and 12 orders of magnitude above their calculated thermodynamic equilibrium concentration due to the impact of life! Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations have been performed for the same three gases in the atmosphere of Mars based on the assumed composition of the Mars atmosphere shown in Table 2. The calculated thermodynamic equilibrium concentrations of the same three gases in the atmosphere of Mars is shown in Table 3. Clearly, based on thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, methane should not be present in the atmosphere of Mars, but it is in concentrations approaching 30 ppbv from three distinct regions on Mars.

Understanding the atmospheric measurement and behavior of perfluorooctanoic acid.

PubMed

Webster, Eva M; Ellis, David A

2012-09-01

The recently reported quantification of the atmospheric sampling artifact for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was applied to existing gas and particle concentration measurements. Specifically, gas phase concentrations were increased by a factor of 3.5 and particle-bound concentrations by a factor of 0.1. The correlation constants in two particle-gas partition coefficient (K(QA)) estimation equations were determined for multiple studies with and without correcting for the sampling artifact. Correction for the sampling artifact gave correlation constants with improved agreement to those reported for other neutral organic contaminants, thus supporting the application of the suggested correction factors for perfluorinated carboxylic acids. Applying the corrected correlation constant to a recent multimedia modeling study improved model agreement with corrected, reported, atmospheric concentrations. This work confirms that there is sufficient partitioning to the gas phase to support the long-range atmospheric transport of PFOA. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Effectiveness of sheltering in buildings and vehicles for plutonium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engelmann, R.J.

1990-07-30

The purpose of this paper is to collect and present current knowledge relevant to the protection offered by sheltering against exposure to plutonium particles released to the atmosphere during accidents. For those many contaminants for which effects are linear with the airborne concentration, it is convenient to define a Dose Reduction Factor (DRF). In the past, the DRF has been defined as the ratio of the radiological dose that may be incurred within the shelter to that in the outdoors. As such, it includes the dose through shine from plumes aloft and from material deposited on the surface. For thismore » paper, which is concerned only with the inhalation pathway, the DRF is the ratio of the time-integrated concentration inside the shelter to that outdoors. It is important to note that the range over which effects are linear with concentration may be limited for many contaminants. Examples are when concentrations produce effects that are irreversible, or when concentrations are below effects threshold levels. 71 refs., 4 figs., 8 tabs.« less

Undoing climate warming by atmospheric carbon-dioxide removal: can a holocene-like climate be restored?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDougall, Andrew

2013-04-01

Understandably, most climate modelling studies of future climate have focused on the affects of carbon emissions in the present century or the long-term fate of anthropogenically emitted carbon. These studies make an assumption: that once net anthropogenic carbon emissions cease, that humanity will make no further effort to intervene in atmospheric composition. There is a case to be made, however, that there will be a desire to return to a "safe" atmospheric concentration of CO2. Realistically this implies synthetically removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it is some geologically stable form. For this study experiments were conducted using the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM) forced with novel future atmospheric trace-gas concentration pathways to explore a gradual return to pre-industrial radiative forcing. The concentration pathways follow each RCP (2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) exactly until the peak CO2 concentration of that RCP is reached, at which point atmospheric CO2 is reduced at the same rate it increased until the 1850 concentration of CO2 is reached. Non-CO2 greenhouse gas forcing follows the prescribed RCP path until the year of peak CO2, then is subsequently linearly reduced to pre-industrial forcing. Pasture and crop areas are also gradually reduced to their pre-industrial extent. Under the middle two concentration pathways (4.5 and 6.0) a climate resembling the 20th century climate can be restored by the 25th century, although surface temperature remains above the pre-industrial temperature until at least the 30th century. Due to carbon-cycle feedbacks the quantity of carbon that must be removed from the atmosphere is larger than the quantity that was originally emitted. For concentration pathways 2.6, 4.5, and 6.0 the sequestered CO2 is 115-190% of the original cumulative carbon emissions. These results suggest that even with monumental effort to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, humanity will be living with the consequences of fossil fuel emissions for a very long time.

Nitrogen Loading in Jamaica Bay, Long Island, New York: Predevelopment to 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benotti, Mark J.; Abbene, Irene; Terracciano, Stephen A.

2007-01-01

Nitrogen loading to Jamaica Bay, a highly urbanized estuary on the southern shore of western Long Island, New York, has increased from an estimated rate of 35.6 kilograms per day (kg/d) under predevelopment conditions (pre-1900), chiefly as nitrate plus nitrite from ground-water inflow, to an estimated 15,800 kilograms per day as total nitrogen in 2005. The principal point sources are wastewater-treatment plants, combined sewer overflow/stormwater discharge during heavy precipitation, and subway dewatering, which account for 92 percent of the current (2005) nitrogen load. The principal nonpoint sources are landfill leachate, ground-water flow, and atmospheric deposition, which account for 8 percent of the current nitrogen load. The largest single source of nitrogen to Jamaica Bay is wastewater-treatment plants, which account for 89 percent of the nitrogen load. The current and historic contributions of nitrogen from seawater are unknown, although at present, the ocean likely serves as a sink for nitrogen from Jamaica Bay. Currently, concentrations of nitrogen in surface water are high throughout Jamaica Bay, but some areas with relatively little mixing have concentrations that are five times higher than areas that are well mixed.

A circumpolar perspective of atmospheric organochlorine pesticides (OCPs): Results from six Arctic monitoring stations in 2000-2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yushan; Hung, Hayley; Blanchard, Pierrette; Patton, Gregory W.; Kallenborn, Roland; Konoplev, Alexei; Fellin, Phil; Li, Henrik; Geen, Charles; Stern, Gary; Rosenberg, Bruno; Barrie, Leonard A.

Air concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured on a weekly basis in 2000-2003 at six Arctic stations, which include Alert, Kinngait, and Little Fox Lake in Canada; Point Barrow in the USA; Valkarkai in Russia; and Zeppelin in Norway. These stations cover a large region in the Arctic, providing a comprehensive perspective on OCPs in the circumpolar atmosphere. Currently used pesticide endosulfan I had similar concentrations across the stations in November-May, whereas large spatial divergence was found in June-October. This implies the extensive usage of endosulfan during summertime followed by long-range transport to the Arctic. The median air concentration of endosulfan I was 3.2 pg m -3 ( n=245). Seasonally and spatially uniform concentrations of legacy chlordane-related compounds indicated that the influence of primary emissions on Arctic air has become less important than volatilization emissions. Median air concentrations (pg m -3) of trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, oxychlordane, and heptachlor exo-epoxide were 0.20 ( n=413), 0.58 ( n=413), 0.44 ( n=413), 0.30 ( n=245), and 0.54 ( n=244), respectively. Although extensive usage was banned in the 1970s, large spatial variations reflected that DDT-related compounds were not well mixed in Arctic air. Concentrations of DDT-related compounds were low in general, and median concentrations of p, p'-DDT, o, p'-DDT, p, p'-DDE, o, p'-DDE, and ∑ 4DDT were 0.10, 0.18, 0.37, 0.10, and 0.79 pg m -3 ( n=418), respectively. Air concentrations of pentachloroanisole and dieldrin showed strong seasonal/spatial variations with median values of 3.8 and 0.48 pg m -3 ( n=245). Uniform concentrations were observed for octachlorostyrene with a median of 0.32 pg m -3 ( n=245). Arctic air concentrations of other measured OCPs, such as endrin, heptachlor, methoxychlor, mirex, photomirex, tetrachloroveratrole, trichloroveratrol, and trifluralin, were generally low and mostly below method detection limits.

Estimating historical atmospheric mercury concentrations from silver mining and their legacies in present-day surface soil in Potosí, Bolivia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagan, Nicole; Robins, Nicholas; Hsu-Kim, Heileen; Halabi, Susan; Morris, Mark; Woodall, George; Zhang, Tong; Bacon, Allan; Richter, Daniel De B.; Vandenberg, John

2011-12-01

Detailed Spanish records of mercury use and silver production during the colonial period in Potosí, Bolivia were evaluated to estimate atmospheric emissions of mercury from silver smelting. Mercury was used in the silver production process in Potosí and nearly 32,000 metric tons of mercury were released to the environment. AERMOD was used in combination with the estimated emissions to approximate historical air concentrations of mercury from colonial mining operations during 1715, a year of relatively low silver production. Source characteristics were selected from archival documents, colonial maps and images of silver smelters in Potosí and a base case of input parameters was selected. Input parameters were varied to understand the sensitivity of the model to each parameter. Modeled maximum 1-h concentrations were most sensitive to stack height and diameter, whereas an index of community exposure was relatively insensitive to uncertainty in input parameters. Modeled 1-h and long-term concentrations were compared to inhalation reference values for elemental mercury vapor. Estimated 1-h maximum concentrations within 500 m of the silver smelters consistently exceeded present-day occupational inhalation reference values. Additionally, the entire community was estimated to have been exposed to levels of mercury vapor that exceed present-day acute inhalation reference values for the general public. Estimated long-term maximum concentrations of mercury were predicted to substantially exceed the EPA Reference Concentration for areas within 600 m of the silver smelters. A concentration gradient predicted by AERMOD was used to select soil sampling locations along transects in Potosí. Total mercury in soils ranged from 0.105 to 155 mg kg-1, among the highest levels reported for surface soils in the scientific literature. The correlation between estimated air concentrations and measured soil concentrations will guide future research to determine the extent to which the current community of Potosí and vicinity is at risk of adverse health effects from historical mercury contamination.

Temporal and spatial trends of organochlorine pesticides in Great Lakes precipitation.

PubMed

Sun, Ping; Backus, Sean; Blanchard, Pierrette; Hites, Ronald A

2006-04-01

Organochlorine pesticide concentrations in precipitation samples collected from 1997 to 2003 at seven Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network sites around the Great Lakes are reported. The 28-day volume weighted mean concentrations of several pesticides, including gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), endosulfan, hexachlorobenzene, chlordane, and DDE, showed significant seasonal trends. For current-use pesticides (endosulfan and gamma-HCH), their concentrations peaked in late spring to summer just after their agricultural application. For the banned pesticides, higher concentrations were observed in the winter due to their enhanced partitioning to particles and scavenging by snow. Long-term decreasing trends were observed for several pesticides such as gamma-HCH and DDE. On the other hand, beta-HCH showed significant increasing concentrations as a function of time at Brule River, Eagle Harbor, and Sleeping Bear Dunes. Generally, Chicago had the highest concentration of chlordanes, dieldrin, and DDT, indicating that urban areas could be a source for these compounds to precipitation. For gamma-HCH and endosulfans, Point Petre had the highest concentrations due to the application of these pesticides in the surrounding areas.

Pressure Effects on Oxygen Concentration Flammability Thresholds of Materials for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirsch, David; Williams, Jim; Beeson, Harold

2006-01-01

Spacecraft materials selection is based on an upward flammability test conducted in a quiescent environment in the highest-expected oxygen-concentration environment. However, NASA s advanced space exploration program is anticipating using various habitable environments. Because limited data is available to support current program requirements, a different test logic is suggested to address these expanded atmospheric environments through the determination of materials self-extinguishment limits. This paper provides additional pressure effects data on oxygen concentration and partial pressure self-extinguishment limits under quiescent conditions. For the range of total pressures tested, the oxygen concentration and oxygen partial pressure flammability thresholds show a near linear function of total pressure. The oxygen concentration/oxygen partial pressure flammability thresholds depend on the total pressure and appear to increase with increasing oxygen concentration (and oxygen partial pressure). For the Constellation Program, the flammability threshold information will allow NASA to identify materials with increased flammability risk because of oxygen concentration and total pressure changes, minimize potential impacts, and allow for development of sound requirements for new spacecraft and extraterrestrial landers and habitats.

Atmospheric ammonia and its impacts on regional air quality over the megacity of Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Wang, Shanshan; Nan, Jialiang; Shi, Chanzhen; Fu, Qingyan; Gao, Song; Wang, Dongfang; Cui, Huxiong; Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso; Zhou, Bin

2015-10-30

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) has great environmental implications due to its important role in ecosystem and global nitrogen cycle, as well as contribution to secondary particle formation. Here, we report long-term continuous measurements of NH3 at different locations (i.e. urban, industrial and rural) in Shanghai, China, which provide an unprecedented portrait of temporal and spatial characteristics of atmospheric NH3 in and around this megacity. In addition to point emission sources, air masses originated from or that have passed over ammonia rich areas, e.g. rural and industrial sites, increase the observed NH3 concentrations inside the urban area of Shanghai. Remarkable high-frequency NH3 variations were measured at the industrial site, indicating instantaneous nearby industrial emission peaks. Additionally, we observed strong positive exponential correlations between NH4(+)/(NH4(+)+NH3) and sulfate-nitrate-ammonium (SNA) aerosols, PM2.5 mass concentrations, implying a considerable contribution of gas-to-particle conversion of ammonia to SNA aerosol formation. Lower temperature and higher humidity conditions were found to favor the conversion of gaseous ammonia to particle ammonium, particularly in autumn. Although NH3 is currently not included in China's emission control policies of air pollution precursors, our results highlight the urgency and importance of monitoring gaseous ammonia and improving its emission inventory in and around Shanghai.

The Lifetime of DMS in Northern Latitudes: Results from Four Shipboard Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norman, A.; Wadleigh, M. A.; Zaganescu, C.; Burridge, C.; Eaton, S.; Seguin, M.; Siauw, A.; Sharma, S.; Levasseur, M.; Scarratt, M.; Michaud, S.; Leaitch, R.; Blanchet, J.; Steiner, N.; McFarlane, N.

2006-12-01

The lifetime of dimethylsulfide (DMS) is usually referred to as being a day or more and is typically based on oxidation by OH and nitrate. However, the definition of DMS lifetime is not simply academic. It is an essential component for climate models attempting to estimate the effect of DMS oxidation as a feedback to global warming: an effect that is of increasing importance at high latitudes. The relevance of DMS oxidation by halogens, which are present at concentrations below detection limits of most current instrumentation, has largely been left as a modeling exercise. However, recent results from studies incorporating DMS flux from surface water and atmospheric measurements at mid to high latitudes permit a closer examination of the assumptions surrounding oxidation. A unique series of atmospheric and ocean DMS measurements were performed as part of Canadian Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (C-SOLAS) in 2002 and 2003 to clarify new aerosol formation. Month-long shipboard campaigns were conducted in the summer of 2002 over the North Pacific and a seasonal study with three campaigns was performed in 2003 above the NW Atlantic. Land- and ship-based measurements of the oxidation products sulphur dioxide, aerosol sulphate, and methane sulfonic acid provide a larger context in which to place the results. Sulphur isotope apportionment was used to quantify the contribution of DMS to sulphate and sulphur dioxide to link gas concentrations with biogenic aerosol formation.

Impact Delivery of Reduced Greenhouse Gases on Early Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haberle, R. M.; Zahnle, K.; Barlow, N.

2017-01-01

Reducing greenhouse gases are once again the latest trend in finding solutions to the early Mars climate dilemma. In its current form - as proposed by Ramirez et al. [1], later refined by Wordsworth et al. [2], and confirmed by Ramirez [3] - collision induced absorptions between CO2-H2 or CO2-CH4 provide enough extra greenhouse power to raise global mean surface temperatures to the melting point of water provided the atmosphere is thick enough and the reduced gases are abundant enough. To raise surface temperatures significantly by this mechanism, surface pressures must be at least 500 mb and H2 and/or CH4 concentrations must be at or above the several percent level. Both Wordsworth et al. [2] and Ramirez [3] show that the melting point can be reached in atmospheres with 1-2 bars of CO2 and 2-10% H2; smaller concentrations of H2 will suffice if CH4 is also present. If thick weakly reducing atmospheres are the solution to the faint young Sun paradox, then plausible mechanisms must be found to generate and sustain the gases. Possible sources of reducing gases include volcanic outgassing, serpentinization, and impact delivery; sinks include photolyis, oxidation, and escape to space. The viability of the reduced greenhouse hypothesis depends, therefore, on the strength of these sources and sinks.

Atmospheric ammonia and its impacts on regional air quality over the megacity of Shanghai, China

PubMed Central

Wang, Shanshan; Nan, Jialiang; Shi, Chanzhen; Fu, Qingyan; Gao, Song; Wang, Dongfang; Cui, Huxiong; Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso; Zhou, Bin

2015-01-01

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) has great environmental implications due to its important role in ecosystem and global nitrogen cycle, as well as contribution to secondary particle formation. Here, we report long-term continuous measurements of NH3 at different locations (i.e. urban, industrial and rural) in Shanghai, China, which provide an unprecedented portrait of temporal and spatial characteristics of atmospheric NH3 in and around this megacity. In addition to point emission sources, air masses originated from or that have passed over ammonia rich areas, e.g. rural and industrial sites, increase the observed NH3 concentrations inside the urban area of Shanghai. Remarkable high-frequency NH3 variations were measured at the industrial site, indicating instantaneous nearby industrial emission peaks. Additionally, we observed strong positive exponential correlations between NH4+/(NH4++NH3) and sulfate-nitrate-ammonium (SNA) aerosols, PM2.5 mass concentrations, implying a considerable contribution of gas-to-particle conversion of ammonia to SNA aerosol formation. Lower temperature and higher humidity conditions were found to favor the conversion of gaseous ammonia to particle ammonium, particularly in autumn. Although NH3 is currently not included in China’s emission control policies of air pollution precursors, our results highlight the urgency and importance of monitoring gaseous ammonia and improving its emission inventory in and around Shanghai. PMID:26514559

Multipoles and Force on External Points for a Two-layered Spheroidal Liquid Mass Rotating Differentialy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cisneros-Parra, Joel U.; Martinez-Herrera, Francisco J.; Montalvo-Castro, J. Daniel

We recently reported on a series of equilibrium figures for a self-gravitating heterogeneous liquid body, consisting of two concentric distorted spheroids, “nucleus” and “atmosphere,” each endowed with its own internal motion of differential rotation. In our current work, we calculate the body’s force at external points and obtain a multipolar expansion of the potential. We also give an account of figures with prolate nuclei, which remained unnoticed by us in our former paper.

Visible and Thermal Imaging of Sea Ice and Open Water from Coast Guard Arctic Domain Awareness Flights

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

dropsondes, micro- aircraft), cloud top/base heights Arctic Ocean Surface Temperature project Steele Buoy drops for SLP , SST, SSS, & surface velocity...Colón & Vancas (NIC) Drop buoys for SLP , temperature and surface velocity Waves & Fetch in the MIZ Thompson SWIFTS buoys measuring wave energy...Expendable CTD, AXCP= Air Expendable Current Profiler, SLP = Sea Level atmospheric Pressure, SST= Seas Surface Temperature, A/C= aircraft, FSD= Floe Size Distribution, SIC=Sea Ice Concentration

Influence of the Southeast Asian biomass burnings on the atmospheric persistent organic pollutants observed at near sources and receptor site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Shun-Shiang; Lee, Wen-Jhy; Wang, Lin-Chi; Lin, Neng-Huei; Chang-Chien, Guo-Ping

2013-10-01

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PBDD/Fs, PBBs and PBDEs are bio-accumulative, toxic, and susceptible to long-range transport (LRT). This study is the first that comprehensively discusses the long-range atmospheric transport behavior of these five groups of POPs. The main goal is to investigate the atmospheric characteristics of these POPs at the biomass burning sites of Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Da Nang in Vietnam, as well as the influence of the Southeast Asian biomass burnings on the Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS) in Taiwan. Biomass burning in Southeast Asia is usually carried to remove the residues of agricultural activities. The ambient air in Da Nang seems to be more seriously affected by the local biomass burnings than that in Chiang Mai. The elevated atmospheric brominated POP (PBDD/Fs, PBBs and PBDEs) concentrations in Da Nang were attributed to the biomass burning and viewed as mostly unrelated to the local use of brominated flame retardants. In the spring of 2010, the mean atmospheric concentrations in LABS during the first and second Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs) were 0.00428 and 0.00232 pg I-TEQ Nm-3 for PCDD/Fs, 0.000311 and 0.000282 pg WHO-TEQ m-3 for PCBs, 0.000379 and 0.000449 pg TEQ Nm-3 for total PBDD/Fs, 0.0208 and 0.0163 pg Nm-3 for total PBBs, and 109 and 18.2 pg Nm-3 for total PBDEs, respectively. These values represent the above concentrations due to the Southeast Asian biomass burnings. The affected atmospheric POP concentrations at the LABS were still at least one order lower than those in other atmospheric environments, except for the PBDE concentrations during the first IOP (109 pg Nm-3), which was surprisingly higher than those in Taiwanese metal complex areas (93.9 pg Nm-3) and urban areas (34.7 pg Nm-3). Atmospheric POP concentrations do not seem to dramatically decrease during long-range transport, and the reasons for this need to be further investigated.

The organism and the habitation atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agadzhanyan, N. A.

1978-01-01

Experimental data is examined on the study of the influence of the different parameters of the atmosphere on the organism for the purpose of making a physiological determination of the permissible oxygen concentrations in inhabited airtight compartments. The application of high oxygen concentrations for respiration and for medical purposes are considered. Data is presented on the evolution of the atmosphere and of the role of O2 in the process of the evolutionary development of living beings; the influence of an organism of an artificial, high and low oxygen concentration atmospheres; the laws of oxygen permeation into fluid media of the organism; the biological role of inert gases; etc. The relationship between the gas medium of habitation and reactivity of the organism is determined.

What Air Quality Models Tell Us About Sources and Sinks of Atmospheric Aldehydes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luecken, D.; Hutzell, W. T.; Phillips, S.

2010-12-01

Atmospheric aldehydes play important roles in several aspects of air quality: they are critical radical sources that drive ozone formation, they are hazardous air pollutants that are national drivers for cancer risk, they participate in aqueous chemistry and potentially aerosol formation, and are key species for evaluating the accuracy of isoprene emissions. For these reasons, it is important to accurately understand their sources and sinks, and the sensitivity of their concentrations to emission controls. While both compounds have been included in air quality modeling for many years, current, state-of-the-science chemical mechanisms have difficulty reproducing measured values of aldehydes, which calls into question the robustness of ozone, HAPs and aerosol predictions. In the past, we have attributed discrepancies to measurement errors, inventory errors, or the focus on high-NOx urban regimes. Despite improvements in all of these areas, the measurements still diverge from model predictions, with formaldehyde often underpredicted by 50% and acetaldehyde showing a large degree of scatter - from 20% overprediction to 50% underprediction. To better examine the sources of aldehydes, we implemented the new SAPRC07T mechanism in the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. This mechanism incorporates current recommendations for kinetic data and has the most detailed representation of product formation under a wide variety of conditions of any mechanism used in regional air quality models. We use model simulations to pinpoint where and when aldehyde concentrations tend to deviate from measurements. We demonstrate the role of secondary production versus primary emissions in aldehdye concentrations and find that secondary sources produce the largest deviations from measurements. We identify which VOCs are most responsible for aldehyde secondary production in the areas of the U.S. where the largest health effects are seen, and discuss how this affects consideration of control strategies.

The influence of stabilizers on the production of gold nanoparticles by direct current atmospheric pressure glow microdischarge generated in contact with liquid flowing cathode.

PubMed

Dzimitrowicz, Anna; Jamroz, Piotr; Greda, Krzysztof; Nowak, Piotr; Nyk, Marcin; Pohl, Pawel

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were prepared by direct current atmospheric pressure glow microdischarge (dc-μAPGD) generated between a miniature argon flow microjet and a flowing liquid cathode. The applied discharge system was operated in a continuous flow liquid mode. The influence of various stabilizers added to the solution of the liquid cathode, i.e., gelatin (GEL), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), as well as the concentration of the Au precursor (chloroauric acid, HAuCl 4 ) in the solution on the production growth of Au NPs was investigated. Changes in the intensity of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band in UV/Vis absorption spectra of solutions treated by dc-μAPGD and their color were observed. The position and the intensity of the LSPR band indicated that relatively small nanoparticles were formed in solutions containing GEL as a capping agent. In these conditions, the maximum of the absorption LSPR band was at 531, 534, and 535 nm, respectively, for 50, 100, and 200 mg L -1 of Au. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to analyze the structure and the morphology of obtained Au NPs. The shape of Au NPs was spherical and uniform. Their mean size was ca. 27, 73, and 92 nm, while the polydispersity index was 0.296, 0.348, and 0.456 for Au present in the solution of the flowing liquid cathode at a concentration of 50, 100, and 200 mg L -1 , respectively. The production rate of synthesized Au NPs depended on the precursor concentration with mean values of 2.9, 3.5, and 5.7 mg h -1 , respectively.

The influence of stabilizers on the production of gold nanoparticles by direct current atmospheric pressure glow microdischarge generated in contact with liquid flowing cathode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzimitrowicz, Anna; Jamroz, Piotr; Greda, Krzysztof; Nowak, Piotr; Nyk, Marcin; Pohl, Pawel

2015-04-01

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were prepared by direct current atmospheric pressure glow microdischarge (dc-μAPGD) generated between a miniature argon flow microjet and a flowing liquid cathode. The applied discharge system was operated in a continuous flow liquid mode. The influence of various stabilizers added to the solution of the liquid cathode, i.e., gelatin (GEL), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), as well as the concentration of the Au precursor (chloroauric acid, HAuCl4) in the solution on the production growth of Au NPs was investigated. Changes in the intensity of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band in UV/Vis absorption spectra of solutions treated by dc-μAPGD and their color were observed. The position and the intensity of the LSPR band indicated that relatively small nanoparticles were formed in solutions containing GEL as a capping agent. In these conditions, the maximum of the absorption LSPR band was at 531, 534, and 535 nm, respectively, for 50, 100, and 200 mg L-1 of Au. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to analyze the structure and the morphology of obtained Au NPs. The shape of Au NPs was spherical and uniform. Their mean size was ca. 27, 73, and 92 nm, while the polydispersity index was 0.296, 0.348, and 0.456 for Au present in the solution of the flowing liquid cathode at a concentration of 50, 100, and 200 mg L-1, respectively. The production rate of synthesized Au NPs depended on the precursor concentration with mean values of 2.9, 3.5, and 5.7 mg h-1, respectively.

The delivery of organic contaminants to the Arctic food web: why sea ice matters.

PubMed

Pućko, Monika; Stern, Gary A; Macdonald, Robie W; Jantunen, Liisa M; Bidleman, Terry F; Wong, Fiona; Barber, David G; Rysgaard, Søren

2015-02-15

For decades sea ice has been perceived as a physical barrier for the loading of contaminants to the Arctic Ocean. We show that sea ice, in fact, facilitates the delivery of organic contaminants to the Arctic marine food web through processes that: 1) are independent of contaminant physical-chemical properties (e.g. 2-3-fold increase in exposure to brine-associated biota), and 2) depend on physical-chemical properties and, therefore, differentiate between contaminants (e.g. atmospheric loading of contaminants to melt ponds over the summer, and their subsequent leakage to the ocean). We estimate the concentrations of legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) in melt pond water in the Beaufort Sea, Canadian High Arctic, in 2008, at near-gas exchange equilibrium based on Henry's law constants (HLCs), air concentrations and exchange dynamics. CUPs currently present the highest risk of increased exposures through melt pond loading and drainage due to the high ratio of melt pond water to seawater concentration (Melt pond Enrichment Factor, MEF), which ranges from 2 for dacthal to 10 for endosulfan I. Melt pond contaminant enrichment can be perceived as a hypothetical 'pump' delivering contaminants from the atmosphere to the ocean under ice-covered conditions, with 2-10% of CUPs annually entering the Beaufort Sea via this input route compared to the standing stock in the Polar Mixed Layer of the ocean. The abovementioned processes are strongly favored in first-year ice compared to multi-year ice and, therefore, the dynamic balance between contaminant inventories and contaminant deposition to the surface ocean is being widely affected by the large-scale icescape transition taking place in the Arctic. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determining How Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Have Changed during the History of the Earth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badger, Marcus P. S.; Pancost, Richard D.; Harrison, Timothy G.

2011-01-01

The reconstruction of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is essential to understanding the history of the Earth and life. It is also an important guide to identifying the sensitivity of the Earth system to this greenhouse gas and, therefore, constraining its future impact on climate. However, determining the concentration of…

Toward Synchronous Evaluation of Source Apportionments for Atmospheric Concentration and Deposition of Sulfate Aerosol Over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itahashi, S.

2018-03-01

Source apportionments for atmospheric concentration, dry deposition, and wet deposition of sulfate aerosol (SO42-) were synchronously evaluated over East Asia, a main source of anthropogenic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Estimating dry deposition was difficult owing to the difficulty of measuring deposition velocity directly; therefore, sensitivity simulations using two dry deposition schemes were conducted. Moreover, sensitivity simulations for different emission inventories, the largest uncertainty source in the air quality model, were also conducted. In total, four experimental settings were used. Model performance was verified for atmospheric concentration and wet deposition using a ground-based observation network in China, Korea, and Japan, and all four model settings captured the observations. The underestimation of wet deposition over China was improved by an adjusted approach that linearly scaled the modeled precipitation values to observations. The synchronous evaluation of source apportionments for atmospheric concentration and dry and wet deposition showed the dominant contribution of anthropogenic emissions from China to the atmospheric concentration and deposition in Japan. The contributions of emissions from volcanoes were more important for wet deposition than for atmospheric concentration. Differences in the dry deposition scheme and emission inventory did not substantially influence the relative ratio of source apportionments over Japan. Because the dry deposition was more attributed to local factors, the differences in dry deposition may be an important determinant of the source contributions from China to Japan. Verification of these findings, including the dry deposition velocity, is necessary for better understanding of the behavior of sulfur compound in East Asia.

Evolutionary History of Atmospheric CO2 during the Late Cenozoic from Fossilized Metasequoia Needles

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuqing; Momohara, Arata; Wang, Li; Lebreton-Anberrée, Julie; Zhou, Zhekun

2015-01-01

The change in ancient atmospheric CO2 concentrations provides important clues for understanding the relationship between the atmospheric CO2 concentration and global temperature. However, the lack of CO2 evolution curves estimated from a single terrestrial proxy prevents the understanding of climatic and environmental impacts due to variations in data. Thus, based on the stomatal index of fossilized Metasequoia needles, we reconstructed a history of atmospheric CO2 concentrations from middle Miocene to late Early Pleistocene when the climate changed dramatically. According to this research, atmospheric CO2 concentration was stabile around 330–350 ppmv in the middle and late Miocene, then it decreased to 278–284 ppmv during the Late Pliocene and to 277–279 ppmv during the Early Pleistocene, which was almost the same range as in preindustrial time. According to former research, this is a time when global temperature decreased sharply. Our results also indicated that from middle Miocene to Pleistocene, global CO2 level decreased by more than 50 ppmv, which may suggest that CO2 decrease and temperature decrease are coupled. PMID:26154449

Evolutionary History of Atmospheric CO2 during the Late Cenozoic from Fossilized Metasequoia Needles.

PubMed

Wang, Yuqing; Momohara, Arata; Wang, Li; Lebreton-Anberrée, Julie; Zhou, Zhekun

2015-01-01

The change in ancient atmospheric CO2 concentrations provides important clues for understanding the relationship between the atmospheric CO2 concentration and global temperature. However, the lack of CO2 evolution curves estimated from a single terrestrial proxy prevents the understanding of climatic and environmental impacts due to variations in data. Thus, based on the stomatal index of fossilized Metasequoia needles, we reconstructed a history of atmospheric CO2 concentrations from middle Miocene to late Early Pleistocene when the climate changed dramatically. According to this research, atmospheric CO2 concentration was stabile around 330-350 ppmv in the middle and late Miocene, then it decreased to 278-284 ppmv during the Late Pliocene and to 277-279 ppmv during the Early Pleistocene, which was almost the same range as in preindustrial time. According to former research, this is a time when global temperature decreased sharply. Our results also indicated that from middle Miocene to Pleistocene, global CO2 level decreased by more than 50 ppmv, which may suggest that CO2 decrease and temperature decrease are coupled.

Scavenging of radioactive soluble gases from inhomogeneous atmosphere by evaporating rain droplets.

PubMed

Elperin, Tov; Fominykh, Andrew; Krasovitov, Boris

2015-05-01

We analyze effects of inhomogeneous concentration and temperature distributions in the atmosphere, rain droplet evaporation and radioactive decay of soluble gases on the rate of trace gas scavenging by rain. We employ a one-dimensional model of precipitation scavenging of radioactive soluble gaseous pollutants that is valid for small gradients and non-uniform initial altitudinal distributions of temperature and concentration in the atmosphere. We assume that conditions of equilibrium evaporation of rain droplets are fulfilled. It is demonstrated that transient altitudinal distribution of concentration under the influence of rain is determined by the linear wave equation that describes propagation of a scavenging wave front. The obtained equation is solved by the method of characteristics. Scavenging coefficients are calculated for wet removal of gaseous iodine-131 and tritiated water vapor (HTO) for the exponential initial distribution of trace gases concentration in the atmosphere and linear temperature distribution. Theoretical predictions of the dependence of the magnitude of the scavenging coefficient on rain intensity for tritiated water vapor are in good agreement with the available atmospheric measurements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Further evaluation of wetland emission estimates from the JULES land surface model using SCIAMACHY and GOSAT atmospheric column methane measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayman, Garry; Comyn-Platt, Edward; McNorton, Joey; Chipperfield, Martyn; Gedney, Nicola

2016-04-01

The atmospheric concentration of methane began rising again in 2007 after a period of near-zero growth [1,2], with the largest increases observed over polar northern latitudes and the Southern Hemisphere in 2007 and in the tropics since then. The observed inter-annual variability in atmospheric methane concentrations and the associated changes in growth rates have variously been attributed to changes in different methane sources and sinks [2,3]. Wetlands are generally accepted as being the largest, but least well quantified, single natural source of CH4, with global emission estimates ranging from 142-284 Tg yr-1 [3]. The modelling of wetlands and their associated emissions of CH4 has become the subject of much current interest [4]. We have previously used the HadGEM2 chemistry-climate model to evaluate the wetland emission estimates derived using the UK community land surface model (JULES, the Joint UK Land Earth Simulator) against atmospheric observations of methane, including SCIAMACHY total methane columns [5] up to 2007. We have undertaken a series of new HadGEM2 runs using new JULES emission estimates extended in time to the end of 2012, thereby allowing comparison with both SCIAMACHY and GOSAT atmospheric column methane measurements. We will describe the results of these runs and the implications for methane wetland emissions. References [1] Rigby, M., et al.: Renewed growth of atmospheric methane. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L22805, 2008; [2] Nisbet, E.G., et al.: Methane on the Rise-Again, Science 343, 493, 2014; [3] Kirschke, S., et al.,: Three decades of global methane sources and sinks, Nature Geosciences, 6, 813-823, 2013; [4] Melton, J. R., et al.: Present state of global wetland extent and wetland methane modelling: conclusions from a model inter-comparison project (WETCHIMP), Biogeosciences, 10, 753-788, 2013; [5] Hayman, G.D., et al.: Comparison of the HadGEM2 climate-chemistry model against in situ and SCIAMACHY atmospheric methane data, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 13257-13280, 2014.

Assessing atmospheric concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by evergreen Rhododendron maximum next to a contaminated stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dang, Viet D.; Walters, David; Lee, Cindy M.

2016-01-01

Conifers are often used as an “air passive sampler”, but few studies have focused on the implication of broadleaf evergreens to monitor atmospheric semivolatile organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In this study, we used Rhododendron maximum (rhododendron) growing next to a contaminated stream to assess atmospheric PCB concentrations. The study area was located in a rural setting and approximately 2 km downstream of a former Sangamo-Weston (S-W) plant. Leaves from the same mature shrubs were collected in late fall 2010, and winter and spring 2011. PCBs were detected in the collected leaves suggesting that rhododendron can be used as air passive samplers in rural areas where active sampling is impractical. Estimated ΣPCB (47 congeners) concentrations in the atmosphere decreased from fall 2010 to spring 2011 with concentration means at 3990, 2850, and 931 pg m-3 in fall 2010, winter 2011, and spring 2011, respectively. These results indicate that the atmospheric concentrations at this location continue to be high despite termination of active discharge from the former S-W plant. Leaves had a consistent pattern of high concentrations of tetra- and penta-CBs similar to the congener distribution in polyethylene (PE) passive samplers deployed in the water column suggesting that volatilized PCBs from the stream were the primary source of contaminants in rhododendron leaves.

Short-term temperature-dependent air-surface exchange and atmospheric concentrations of polychlorinated naphthalenes and organochlorine pesticides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, R.G.M.; Burnett, V.; Harner, T.

2000-02-01

Atmospheric concentrations of five organochlorine (OC) pesticides, some of which have been banned for a number of years, and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were measured at a U.K. site over periods of 6 h for 7 days resulting in 28 samples. Mean concentrations of the pesticides were {alpha}-HCH 90 pg m{sup {minus}3}, {gamma}-HCH 500, {rho},{rho}{prime}-DDE 8, dieldrin 63, endrin 22, and HCB 39. PCN mean homologue concentrations were {sub 3}CNs 67 pg m{sup {minus}3}, {sub 4}CNs 78, {sub 5}CNs 5, {sub 6}CNs 0.6, {sub 7}CNs 0.6, and {Sigma}PCNs 152. TEQ concentrations for those PCNs ascribed TEF values ranged between 0.36 andmore » 3.6 fg m{sup {minus}3} which corresponds to {approximately}3.0--30% of the TEQ concentrations of PCDD/Fs at the same site. All the compounds measured, except HCB, exhibited a strong temperature-dependent diurnal cycling. Results from Clausius-Clapeyron plots show that pesticide concentrations were controlled by temperature-driven air-surface recycling throughout the first 5 days when stable atmospheric conditions were dominant, while during the last 2 days advection became more influential as more unstable and cooler weather started to influence the site. PCN concentrations were controlled primarily by a mixture of recycling and advection throughout the first 5 days and then by advection in the final 2 days, suggesting that there are ongoing emissions from diffuse point sources of PCNs into the U.K. atmosphere. This study provides further evidence of the rapid air-surface exchange of semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) and shows how different factors alone or in combination can produce rapid changes in the atmospheric concentrations of past and present SOCs.« less

Atmospheric deposition as a source of carbon and nutrients to an alpine catchment of the Colorado Rocky Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mladenov, N.; Williams, M. W.; Schmidt, S. K.; Cawley, K.

2012-08-01

Many alpine areas are experiencing deglaciation, biogeochemical changes driven by temperature rise, and changes in atmospheric deposition. There is mounting evidence that the water quality of alpine streams may be related to these changes, including rising atmospheric deposition of carbon (C) and nutrients. Given that barren alpine soils can be severely C limited, atmospheric deposition sources may be an important source of C and nutrients for these environments. We evaluated the magnitude of atmospheric deposition of C and nutrients to an alpine site, the Green Lake 4 catchment in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Using a long-term dataset (2002-2010) of weekly atmospheric wet deposition and snowpack chemistry, we found that volume weighted mean dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were 1.12 ± 0.19 mg l-1, and weekly concentrations reached peaks as high at 6-10 mg l-1 every summer. Total dissolved nitrogen concentration also peaked in the summer, whereas total dissolved phosphorus and calcium concentrations were highest in the spring. To investigate potential sources of C in atmospheric deposition, we evaluated the chemical quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and relationships between DOM and other solutes in wet deposition. Relationships between DOC concentration, fluorescence, and nitrate and sulfate concentrations suggest that pollutants from nearby urban and agricultural sources and organic aerosols derived from sub-alpine vegetation may influence high summer DOC wet deposition concentrations. Interestingly, high DOC concentrations were also recorded during "dust-in-snow" events in the spring, which may reflect an association of DOM with dust. Detailed chemical and spectroscopic analyses conducted for samples collected in 2010 revealed that the DOM in many late spring and summer samples was less aromatic and polydisperse and of lower molecular weight than that of winter and fall samples. Our C budget estimates for the Green Lake 4 catchment illustrated that wet deposition (9.9 kg C ha-1 yr-1) and dry deposition (6.9 kg C ha-1 yr-1) were a combined input of approximately 17 kg C ha-1 yr-1, which could be as high as 24 kg C ha-1 yr-1 in high dust years. This atmospheric C input approached the C input from microbial autotrophic production in barren soils. Atmospheric wet and dry deposition also contributed 4.3 kg N ha-1 yr-1, 0.15 kg P ha-1 yr-1, and 2.7 kg Ca2+ ha-1 yr-1 to this alpine catchment.

Introductory lecture: atmospheric organic aerosols: insights from the combination of measurements and chemical transport models.

PubMed

Pandis, Spyros N; Donahue, Neil M; Murphy, Benjamin N; Riipinen, Ilona; Fountoukis, Christos; Karnezi, Eleni; Patoulias, David; Skyllakou, Ksakousti

2013-01-01

The formation, atmospheric evolution, properties, and removal of organic particulate matter remain some of the least understood aspects of atmospheric chemistry despite the importance of organic aerosol (OA) for both human health and climate change. Here, we summarize our recent efforts to deal with the chemical complexity of the tens of thousands of organic compounds in the atmosphere using the volatility-oxygen content framework (often called the 2D-Volatility Basis Set, 2D-VBS). Our current ability to measure the ambient OA concentration as a function of its volatility and oxygen to carbon (O:C) ratio is evaluated. The combination of a thermodenuder, isothermal dilution and Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS) together with a mathematical aerosol dynamics model is a promising approach. The development of computational modules based on the 2D-VBS that can be used in chemical transport models (CTMs) is described. Approaches of different complexity are tested against ambient observations, showing the challenge of simulating the complex chemical evolution of atmospheric OA. The results of the simplest approach describing the net change due to functionalization and fragmentation are quite encouraging, reproducing both the observed OA levels and O : C in a variety of conditions. The same CTM coupled with source-apportionment algorithms can be used to gain insights into the travel distances and age of atmospheric OA. We estimate that the average age of OA near the ground in continental locations is 1-2 days and most of it was emitted (either as precursor vapors or particles) hundreds of kilometers away. Condensation of organic vapors on fresh particles is critical for the growth of these new particles to larger sizes and eventually to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) sizes. The semivolatile organics currently simulated by CTMs are too volatile to condense on these tiny particles with high curvature. We show that chemical aging reactions converting these semivolatile compounds to extremely low volatility compounds can explain the observed growth rates of new particles in rural environments.

Evaluation of terrestrial carbon cycle models with atmospheric CO2 measurements: Results from transient simulations considering increasing CO2, climate, and land-use effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dargaville, R.J.; Heimann, Martin; McGuire, A.D.; Prentice, I.C.; Kicklighter, D.W.; Joos, F.; Clein, Joy S.; Esser, G.; Foley, J.; Kaplan, J.; Meier, R.A.; Melillo, J.M.; Moore, B.; Ramankutty, N.; Reichenau, T.; Schloss, A.; Sitch, S.; Tian, H.; Williams, L.J.; Wittenberg, U.

2002-01-01

An atmospheric transport model and observations of atmospheric CO2 are used to evaluate the performance of four Terrestrial Carbon Models (TCMs) in simulating the seasonal dynamics and interannual variability of atmospheric CO2 between 1980 and 1991. The TCMs were forced with time varying atmospheric CO2 concentrations, climate, and land use to simulate the net exchange of carbon between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. The monthly surface CO2 fluxes from the TCMs were used to drive the Model of Atmospheric Transport and Chemistry and the simulated seasonal cycles and concentration anomalies are compared with observations from several stations in the CMDL network. The TCMs underestimate the amplitude of the seasonal cycle and tend to simulate too early an uptake of CO2 during the spring by approximately one to two months. The model fluxes show an increase in amplitude as a result of land-use change, but that pattern is not so evident in the simulated atmospheric amplitudes, and the different models suggest different causes for the amplitude increase (i.e., CO2 fertilization, climate variability or land use change). The comparison of the modeled concentration anomalies with the observed anomalies indicates that either the TCMs underestimate interannual variability in the exchange of CO2 between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere, or that either the variability in the ocean fluxes or the atmospheric transport may be key factors in the atmospheric interannual variability.

Organochlorine compounds and current-use pesticides in snow and lake sediment in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, and Glacier National Park, Montana, 2002-03

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mast, M. Alisa; Foreman, William T.; Skaates, Serena V.

2006-01-01

Organochlorine compounds and current-use pesticides were measured in snow and lake-sediment samples from Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Glacier National Park in Montana to determine their occurrence and distribution in high-elevation aquatic ecosystems. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, collected snow samples at eight sites in Rocky Mountain National Park and at eight sites in Glacier National Park during spring of 2002 and 2003 just prior to the start of snowmelt. Surface sediments were collected from 11 lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park and 10 lakes in Glacier National Park during summer months of 2002 and 2003. Samples were analyzed for organochlorine compounds by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection and current-use pesticides by gas chromatography with electron-impact mass spectrometry. A subset of samples was reanalyzed using a third instrumental technique (gas chromatography with electron-capture negative ion mass spectrometry) to verify detected concentrations in the initial analysis and to investigate the presence of additional compounds. For the snow samples, the pesticides most frequently detected were endosulfan, dacthal, and chlorothalonil, all of which are chlorinated pesticides that currently are registered for use in North America. Concentrations of these pesticides in snow were very low, ranging from 0.07 to 2.36 nanograms per liter. Of the historical-use pesticides, hexachlorobenzene, dieldrin, and trans-nonachlor were detected in snow but only in one sample each. Annual deposition rates of dacthal, endosulfan, and chlorothalonil were estimated at 0.7 to 3.0 micrograms per square meter. These estimates are likely biased low because they do not account for pesticide deposition during summer months. For the lake-sediment samples, DDE (p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichoroethene) and DDD (p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichoroethane) were the most frequently detected organochlorine compounds. DDE and DDD are degradation products of DDT (p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), which is a well-documented, persistent organochlorine insecticide that has been banned from use in the United States since 1972. Detected concentrations were very low, ranging from 0.12 to 4.7 micrograms per kilogram, and probably pose little threat to aquatic organisms in park lakes. DDD and DDE concentrations in a sediment core from Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park indicate that atmospheric deposition of DDT and possibly other banned organochlorine compounds to high-elevation parks has been in decline since the 1970s. Commonly detected current-use pesticides in lake sediments included dacthal and endosulfan sulfate, which ranged in concentrations from 0.11 to 0.26 micrograms per kilogram for dacthal and 0.12 to 1.2 micrograms per kilogram for endosulfan sulfate. Both compounds were found in nearly all the snow samples, confirming that some current-use pesticides entering high-elevation aquatic ecosystems through atmospheric deposition are accumulating in lake sediments and potentially in aquatic biota.

Aircraft Observations of Mercury over the US: The Nomadss Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffe, D. A.; Ambrose, J. L., II; Gratz, L.; Jaegle, L.; Shah, V.; Selin, N. E.; Song, S.; Giang, A.

2014-12-01

The Nitrogen, Oxidants, Mercury, and Aerosol Distributions, Sources and Sinks (NOMADSS) experiment took place in the summer of 2013. This is one of the first airborne experiments to focus on the sources and chemistry of Hg in the atmosphere. The experiment flew 19 research flights on the NCAR C-130 aircraft, based out of Smyrna, TN. The primary Hg goals for NOMADSS were to constrain emissions of Hg over the U.S. and quantify the distribution and chemistry of Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM) and Reactive Mercury (RM) in the troposphere. We measured speciated Hg on the C-130 using the UW-Detector of Oxidized HG species (UW-DOHGS). This instrument has been developed over several years and tested/calibrated with several HgX2 compounds and other compounds to examine possible interferences. In its current configuration, the instrument quantitatively measures HgX2 compounds (HgCl2 and HgBr2) with no interference from O3. During NOMADSS, flight planning was facilitated by use of the NASA GEOS-5 system, which provided forecasts for many relevant tracers. Post-mission analyses are being conducted using the GEOS-Chem Hg model. This provides a key tool to compare current estimates of Hg sources and distribution with aircraft observations. We are using the NOMADSS data for several types of analyses: GEM emissions and concentrations in power plant plumes and downwind of urban centers; Presence of RM in relatively high concentration in several free tropospheric locations; Evaluation and interpretation of the data using the GEOS-Chem Hg model. While there are a number of important results from NOMADSS, the most striking is the high concentrations of RM GOM in some regions of the upper troposphere, significantly higher than calculated by the standard GEOS-Chem simulation. We believe this is most likely due to halogen oxidation. These results suggest higher halogen concentrations or faster oxidation of GEM and thus a substantial rethinking of Hg oxidation in the global atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases and greenhouse effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chilingar, G. V.; Sorokhtin, O. G.; Khilyuk, L.; Gorfunkel, M. V.

2009-09-01

Conventional theory of global warming states that heating of atmosphere occurs as a result of accumulation of CO2 and CH4 in atmosphere. The writers show that rising concentration of CO2 should result in the cooling of climate. The methane accumulation has no essential effect on the Earth’s climate. Even significant releases of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide into the atmosphere do not change average parameters of the Earth’s heat regime and the atmospheric greenhouse effect. Moreover, CO2 concentration increase in the atmosphere results in rising agricultural productivity and improves the conditions for reforestation. Thus, accumulation of small additional amounts of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere as a result of anthropogenic activities has practically no effect on the Earth’s climate.

Atmospheric CO2 effect on stable carbon isotope composition of terrestrial fossil archives.

PubMed

Hare, Vincent J; Loftus, Emma; Jeffrey, Amy; Ramsey, Christopher Bronk

2018-01-17

The 13 C/ 12 C ratio of C 3 plant matter is thought to be controlled by the isotopic composition of atmospheric CO 2 and stomatal response to environmental conditions, particularly mean annual precipitation (MAP). The effect of CO 2 concentration on 13 C/ 12 C ratios is currently debated, yet crucial to reconstructing ancient environments and quantifying the carbon cycle. Here we compare high-resolution ice core measurements of atmospheric CO 2 with fossil plant and faunal isotope records. We show the effect of pCO 2 during the last deglaciation is stronger for gymnosperms (-1.4 ± 1.2‰) than angiosperms/fauna (-0.5 ± 1.5‰), while the contributions from changing MAP are -0.3 ± 0.6‰ and -0.4 ± 0.4‰, respectively. Previous studies have assumed that plant 13 C/ 12 C ratios are mostly determined by MAP, an assumption which is sometimes incorrect in geological time. Atmospheric effects must be taken into account when interpreting terrestrial stable carbon isotopes, with important implications for past environments and climates, and understanding plant responses to climate change.

Methods for determination of low-molecular weight carbonyl compounds in the ambient atmosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vairavamurthy, A.; Roberts, J.M.; Newman, L.

1991-01-01

Determination of carbonyl compounds in the ambient atmosphere is receiving increasing attention because of the critical role these compounds play in tropospheric organic chemistry. Currently, field measurements are very limited mainly because of the analytical challenges posed by trace concentrations and interferences arising from atmospheric copollutants. We review here the methods for used for determination of carbonyl compounds, from an atmospheric chemistry perspective, emphasizing the principles, advantages, and limitations. Since a large number of varied types of methods have been used specifically for determination of formaldehyde, it is considered separately from other carbonyls. It is clear that despite more thanmore » a decade of work, many problems related to sampling, interferences, and artifacts have not been resolved. Because of the increasing demand for time-series measurements in field studies, and automated method for continuous sampling and analysis of carbonyls is very much required. The widely used liquid chromatographic method based on 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatization appears unsuitable for this purpose because of the lengthy collection times required to achieve sub-ppbv detection limits. Important issues to be considered in the development of a suitable field method and potential approaches are discussed. 155 refs., 19 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Tibetan butter.

PubMed

Wang, Yawei; Yang, Ruiqiang; Wang, Thanh; Zhang, Qinghua; Li, Yingming; Jiang, Guibin

2010-02-01

The Tibetan plateau is considered a potential cold trap for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and plays an important role in the global long-range transport of these compounds. This present work surveyed the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Tibetan butter samples collected from different prefectures in Tibet autonomous region (TAR). summation operator(25)PCB concentrations ranged from 137 to 2518 pg g(-1) with a mean value 519 pg g(-1), which were far lower than those in the butter from other regions in the world. The highest level was found in butter from Sichuan province, which is located to the east of the Tibetan plateau and the lowest value was in samples from southeast TAR. The average concentration of summation Sigma(12)PBDE was 125 pg g(-1). The sample with highest and lowest summation Sigma(12)PBDE concentration (955 and 18.0 pg g(-1)) was from the south and southeast part of the plateau, respectively. Back trajectory model implied that the sources of these two groups of POPs were by atmospheric deposition in south, whereas the western plateau was mainly influenced by the tropical monsoon from south Asia. Air currents from Sichuan and Gansu province are further responsible for the atmospheric transport of PCBs and PBDEs to the eastern and northern side of the plateau. Local air concentrations of summation Sigma(5)PCBs predicted using air-milk transfer factor were at the lower end of published global levels. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gas exchange and the coagulation system of the blood during the effect on the body of high concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palosh, L.; Agadzhanyan, N. A.; Davydov, G. A.; Rybakov, B. K.; Sergiyenko, A. S.

1974-01-01

Maximum permissible concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in a controlled atmosphere were determined by evaluating their effects on human gas exchange, blood coagulation, and tolerances to acute hypoxia, acceleration, and physical loads. It was found that functional disturbances depend on the concentration of respiratory gases and the length of stay in an altered atmosphere. By changing the atmospheric composition and by bringing the gaseous environment into accordance with the work and rest regimen and energy expenditures, the general reactivity of the body changes favorably.

Radiocarbon tracer measurements of atmospheric hydroxyl radical concentrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, M. J.; Farmer, J. C.; Fitzner, C. A.; Henry, M. N.; Sheppard, J. C.

1986-01-01

The usefulness of the C-14 tracer in measurements of atmospheric hydroxyl radical concentration is discussed. The apparatus and the experimental conditions of three variations of a radiochemical method of atmosphere analysis are described and analyzed: the Teflon bag static reactor, the flow reactor (used in the Wallops Island tests), and the aircraft OH titration reactor. The procedure for reduction of the aircraft reactor instrument data is outlined. The problems connected with the measurement of hydroxyl radicals are discussed. It is suggested that the gas-phase radioisotope methods have considerable potential in measuring tropospheric impurities present in very low concentrations.

Radiocarbon dating of twentieth century works of art

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrucci, F.; Caforio, L.; Fedi, M.; Mandò, P. A.; Peccenini, E.; Pellicori, V.; Rylands, P.; Schwartzbaum, P.; Taccetti, F.

2016-11-01

The atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons caused a sudden increase in the radiocarbon concentration in the atmosphere from 1955, reaching its maximum value in 1963-1965. Once the nuclear tests in the atmosphere were halted, the 14C concentration started to decrease. This behavior of the radiocarbon concentration is called the "Bomb Peak", and it has successfully been used as a tool for high-precision radiocarbon measurements, in forensic sciences and biology. In the art field, the possibility of dating canvas, wood and paper, widely used as supports for paintings, may be an invaluable tool in modern art studies.

HO2 measurements at atmospheric concentrations using a chemical ionization mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrecht, S.; Novelli, A.; Hofzumahaus, A.; Kang, S.; Baker, Y.; Mentel, T. F.; Fuchs, H.

2017-12-01

Correct and precise measurements of atmospheric radical species are necessary for a better understanding of the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. Due to the reactivity of radicals, and their consequent low concentrations, direct measurements of these species are particularly challenging and have been proven in the past to be affected by interfering species. Here we present a chemical ionization source coupled to an APi-HR-TOF-MS (Aerodyne Research Inc.), which has a limit of detection for HO2 radicals well below its atmospheric concentrations ( 1 x 108 molecules cm-3). The instrument was calibrated with a well-established and characterized HO2 calibration source in use for the laser induced fluorescence instrument in the Forschungszentrum Jülich. Within the source, a well characterized amount of HO2 radicals is produced after photolysis of water by a mercury lamp. In addition, several experiments were performed in the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR at the Forschungszentrum Jülich to test for potential interferences. Measurements of HO2 radicals were concurrently detected by a laser induced fluorescence instrument allowing for the comparison of measurements within the two different and independent techniques for various atmospheric conditions regarding concentrations of O3, NOx and VOCs. Results from the intercomparison together with the calibration procedure of the instrument and laboratory characterization will be presented.

Spatial Patterns of Atmospherically Deposited Organic Contaminants at High-Elevation in the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA

PubMed Central

Bradford, David F.; Stanley, Kerri; McConnell, Laura L.; Tallent-Halsell, Nita G.; Nash, Maliha S.; Simonich, Staci M.

2011-01-01

Atmospherically deposited contaminants in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, USA have been implicated as adversely affecting amphibians and fish, yet little is known about the distributions of contaminants within the mountains, particularly at high elevation. We tested the hypothesis that contaminant concentrations in a high-elevation portion of the Sierra Nevada decrease with distance from the adjacent San Joaquin Valley. We sampled air, sediment, and tadpoles twice at 28 water bodies in 14 dispersed areas in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (2785 – 3375 m elevation; 43 – 82 km from Valley edge). We detected up to 15 chemicals frequently in sediment and tadpoles, including current- and historic-use pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Only β-endosulfan was found frequently in air. Concentrations of all chemicals detected were very low, averaging in the parts-per-billion range or less in sediment and tadpoles, and on the order of 10 pg/m3 for β-endosulfan in air. Principal components analysis indicated that chemical compositions were generally similar among sites, suggesting that chemical transport patterns were likewise similar among sites. In contrast, transport processes did not appear to strongly influence concentration differences among sites because variation in concentrations among nearby sites was high relative to sites far from each other. Moreover, a general relationship for concentrations as a function of distance from the valley was not evident across chemical, medium, and time. Nevertheless, concentrations for some chemical/medium/time combinations showed significant negative relationships with metrics for distance from the Valley. However, the magnitude of these distance effects among high-elevation sites was small relative to differences found in other studies between the valley edge and the nearest high-elevation sites. PMID:20821540

Ice-nucleating particles in Canadian Arctic sea-surface microlayer and bulk seawater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irish, Victoria E.; Elizondo, Pablo; Chen, Jessie; Chou, Cédric; Charette, Joannie; Lizotte, Martine; Ladino, Luis A.; Wilson, Theodore W.; Gosselin, Michel; Murray, Benjamin J.; Polishchuk, Elena; Abbatt, Jonathan P. D.; Miller, Lisa A.; Bertram, Allan K.

2017-09-01

The sea-surface microlayer and bulk seawater can contain ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and these INPs can be emitted into the atmosphere. Our current understanding of the properties, concentrations, and spatial and temporal distributions of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater is limited. In this study we investigate the concentrations and properties of INPs in microlayer and bulk seawater samples collected in the Canadian Arctic during the summer of 2014. INPs were ubiquitous in the microlayer and bulk seawater with freezing temperatures in the immersion mode as high as -14 °C. A strong negative correlation (R = -0. 7, p = 0. 02) was observed between salinity and freezing temperatures (after correction for freezing depression by the salts). One possible explanation is that INPs were associated with melting sea ice. Heat and filtration treatments of the samples show that the INPs were likely heat-labile biological materials with sizes between 0.02 and 0.2 µm in diameter, consistent with previous measurements off the coast of North America and near Greenland in the Arctic. The concentrations of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater were consistent with previous measurements at several other locations off the coast of North America. However, our average microlayer concentration was lower than previous observations made near Greenland in the Arctic. This difference could not be explained by chlorophyll a concentrations derived from satellite measurements. In addition, previous studies found significant INP enrichment in the microlayer, relative to bulk seawater, which we did not observe in this study. While further studies are needed to understand these differences, we confirm that there is a source of INP in the microlayer and bulk seawater in the Canadian Arctic that may be important for atmospheric INP concentrations.

The atmospheric electric global circuit. [thunderstorm activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasemir, H. W.

1979-01-01

The hypothesis that world thunderstorm activity represents the generator for the atmospheric electric current flow in the earth atmosphere between ground and the ionosphere is based on a close correlation between the magnitude and the diurnal variation of the supply current (thunderstorm generator current) and the load current (fair weather air-earth current density integrated over the earth surface). The advantages of using lightning survey satellites to furnish a base for accepting or rejecting the thunderstorm generator hypothesis are discussed.

The combined effects of acidification and hypoxia on pH and aragonite saturation in the coastal waters of the California current ecosystem and the northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feely, Richard A.; Okazaki, Remy R.; Cai, Wei-Jun; Bednaršek, Nina; Alin, Simone R.; Byrne, Robert H.; Fassbender, Andrea

2018-01-01

Inorganic carbon chemistry data from the surface and subsurface waters of the West Coast of North America have been compared with similar data from the northern Gulf of Mexico to demonstrate how future changes in CO2 emissions will affect chemical changes in coastal waters affected by respiration-induced hypoxia ([O2] ≤ 60 μmol kg-1). In surface waters, the percentage change in the carbon parameters due to increasing CO2 emissions are very similar for both regions even though the absolute decrease in aragonite saturation is much higher in the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico. However, in subsurface waters the changes are enhanced due to differences in the initial oxygen concentration and the changes in the buffer capacity (i.e., increasing Revelle Factor) with increasing respiration from the oxidation of organic matter, with the largest impacts on pH and CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) occurring in the colder West Coast waters. As anthropogenic CO2 concentrations begin to build up in subsurface waters, increased atmospheric CO2 will expose organisms to hypercapnic conditions (pCO2 >1000 μatm) within subsurface depths. Since the maintenance of the extracellular pH appears as the first line of defense against external stresses, many biological response studies have been focused on pCO2-induced hypercapnia. The extent of subsurface exposure will occur sooner and be more widespread in colder waters due to their capacity to hold more dissolved oxygen and the accompanying weaker acid-base buffer capacity. Under present conditions, organisms in the West Coast are exposed to hypercapnic conditions when oxygen concentrations are near 100 μmol kg-1 but will experience hypercapnia at oxygen concentrations of 260 μmol kg-1 by year 2100 under the highest elevated-CO2 conditions. Hypercapnia does not occur at present in the Gulf of Mexico but will occur at oxygen concentrations of 170 μmol kg-1 by the end of the century under similar conditions. The aragonite saturation horizon is currently above the hypoxic zone in the West Coast. With increasing atmospheric CO2, it is expected to shoal up close to surface waters under the IPCC Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 in West Coast waters, while aragonite saturation state will exhibit steeper gradients in the Gulf of Mexico. This study demonstrates how different biological thresholds (e.g., hypoxia, CaCO3 undersaturation, hypercapnia) will vary asymmetrically because of local initial conditions that are affected differently with increasing atmospheric CO2. The direction of change in amplitude of hypercapnia will be similar in both ecosystems, exposing both biological communities from the West Coast and Gulf of Mexico to intensification of stressful conditions. However, the region of lower Revelle factors (i.e., the Gulf of Mexico), currently provides an adequate refuge habitat that might no longer be the case under the most severe RCP scenarios.

Atmospheric concentrations and trends of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) over 7 years of sampling in the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network.

PubMed

Rauert, Cassandra; Shoieb, Mahiba; Schuster, Jasmin K; Eng, Anita; Harner, Tom

2018-07-01

Poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) were monitored at 21 sites in the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network. Atmospheric concentrations previously reported from 2009 were compared to concentrations measured at these sites in 2013 and 2015, to assess trends over 7 years of monitoring. Concentrations of the fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and fluorinated sulfonamides and sulfonamidoethanols (FOSAs and FOSEs) were stable at these sites from 2009 to 2015 with no significant difference (p > 0.05) in concentrations. Elevated concentrations of all the neutral PFAS were detected at the urban sites as compared to the polar/background sites. The perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs), meanwhile, saw a significant increase (p < 0.001) in concentrations from 2009 to 2015. The perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) had elevated concentrations in 2015, however, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Concentrations of the PFSAs and the PFCAs were similar at all location types, showing the global reach of these persistent compounds. Concentrations of the cyclic VMS (cVMS) were at least an order of magnitude higher than the linear VMS (lVMS) and the PFAS. Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) saw a weak significant increase in concentrations from 2009 to 2013 (p < 0.05), however, hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3) had a strong significant decrease in concentrations from 2009 to 2015 (p < 0.01). Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Microwave assisted digestion followed by ICP-MS for determination of trace metals in atmospheric and lake ecosystem.

PubMed

Ahmed, Manan; Chin, Ying Hui; Guo, Xinxin; Zhao, Xing-Min

2017-05-01

The study of trace metals in the atmosphere and lake water is important due to their critical effects on humans, aquatic animals and the geochemical balance of ecosystems. The objective of this study was to investigate the concentration of trace metals in atmospheric and lake water samples during the rainy season (before and after precipitation) between November and December 2015. Typical methods of sample preparation for trace metal determination such as cloud point extraction, solid phase extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction are time-consuming and difficult to perform; therefore, there is a crucial need for development of more effective sample preparation procedure. A convection microwave assisted digestion procedure for extraction of trace metals was developed for use prior to inductively couple plasma-mass spectrometric determination. The result showed that metals like zinc (133.50-419.30μg/m 3 ) and aluminum (53.58-378.93μg/m 3 ) had higher concentrations in atmospheric samples as compared to lake samples before precipitation. On the other hand, the concentrations of zinc, aluminum, chromium and arsenic were significantly higher in lake samples after precipitation and lower in atmospheric samples. The relationship between physicochemical parameters (pH and turbidity) and heavy metal concentrations was investigated as well. Furthermore, enrichment factor analysis indicated that anthropogenic sources such as soil dust, biomass burning and fuel combustion influenced the metal concentrations in the atmosphere. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Atmospheric impacts of a natural gas development within the urban context of Morgantown, West Virginia.

PubMed

Williams, Philip J; Reeder, Matthew; Pekney, Natalie J; Risk, David; Osborne, John; McCawley, Michael

2018-10-15

The Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) in West Virginia provides a unique opportunity in the field of unconventional energy research. By studying near-surface atmospheric chemistry over several phases of a hydraulic fracturing event, the project will help evaluate the impact of current practices, as well as new techniques and mitigation technologies. A total of 10 mobile surveys covering a distance of approximately 1500 km were conducted through Morgantown. Our surveying technique involved using a vehicle-mounted Los Gatos Research gas analyzer to provide geo-located measurements of methane (CH 4 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The ratios of super-ambient concentrations of CO 2 and CH 4 were used to separate well-pad emissions from the natural background concentrations over the various stages of well-pad development, as well as for comparisons to other urban sources of CH 4 . We found that regional background methane concentrations were elevated in all surveys, with a mean concentration of 2.699 ± 0.006 ppmv, which simply reflected the complexity of this riverine urban location. Emissions at the site were the greatest during the flow-back phase, with an estimated CH 4 volume output of 20.62 ± 7.07 g/s, which was significantly higher than other identified urban emitters. Our study was able to successfully identify and quantify MSEEL emissions within this complex urban environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contemporary reliance on bicarbonate acquisition predicts increased growth of seagrass Amphibolis antarctica in a high-CO2 world

PubMed Central

Burnell, Owen W.; Connell, Sean D.; Irving, Andrew D.; Watling, Jennifer R.; Russell, Bayden D.

2014-01-01

Rising atmospheric CO2 is increasing the availability of dissolved CO2 in the ocean relative to HCO3−. Currently, many marine primary producers use HCO3− for photosynthesis, but this is energetically costly. Increasing passive CO2 uptake relative to HCO3− pathways could provide energy savings, leading to increased productivity and growth of marine plants. Inorganic carbon-uptake mechanisms in the seagrass Amphibolis antarctica were determined using the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide (AZ) and the buffer tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS). Amphibolis antarctica seedlings were also maintained in current and forecasted CO2 concentrations to measure their physiology and growth. Photosynthesis of A. antarctica was significantly reduced by AZ and TRIS, indicating utilization of HCO3−-uptake mechanisms. When acclimated plants were switched between CO2 treatments, the photosynthetic rate was dependent on measurement conditions but not growth conditions, indicating a dynamic response to changes in dissolved CO2 concentration, rather than lasting effects of acclimation. At forecast CO2 concentrations, seedlings had a greater maximum electron transport rate (1.4-fold), photosynthesis (2.1-fold), below-ground biomass (1.7-fold) and increase in leaf number (2-fold) relative to plants in the current CO2 concentration. The greater increase in photosynthesis (measured as O2 production) compared with the electron transport rate at forecasted CO2 concentration suggests that photosynthetic efficiency increased, possibly due to a decrease in photorespiration. Thus, it appears that the photosynthesis and growth of seagrasses reliant on energetically costly HCO3− acquisition, such as A. antarctica, might increase at forecasted CO2 concentrations. Greater growth might enhance the future prosperity and rehabilitation of these important habitat-forming plants, which have experienced declines of global significance. PMID:27293673

Contemporary reliance on bicarbonate acquisition predicts increased growth of seagrass Amphibolis antarctica in a high-CO2 world.

PubMed

Burnell, Owen W; Connell, Sean D; Irving, Andrew D; Watling, Jennifer R; Russell, Bayden D

2014-01-01

Rising atmospheric CO2 is increasing the availability of dissolved CO2 in the ocean relative to HCO3 (-). Currently, many marine primary producers use HCO3 (-) for photosynthesis, but this is energetically costly. Increasing passive CO2 uptake relative to HCO3 (-) pathways could provide energy savings, leading to increased productivity and growth of marine plants. Inorganic carbon-uptake mechanisms in the seagrass Amphibolis antarctica were determined using the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide (AZ) and the buffer tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS). Amphibolis antarctica seedlings were also maintained in current and forecasted CO2 concentrations to measure their physiology and growth. Photosynthesis of A. antarctica was significantly reduced by AZ and TRIS, indicating utilization of HCO3 (-)-uptake mechanisms. When acclimated plants were switched between CO2 treatments, the photosynthetic rate was dependent on measurement conditions but not growth conditions, indicating a dynamic response to changes in dissolved CO2 concentration, rather than lasting effects of acclimation. At forecast CO2 concentrations, seedlings had a greater maximum electron transport rate (1.4-fold), photosynthesis (2.1-fold), below-ground biomass (1.7-fold) and increase in leaf number (2-fold) relative to plants in the current CO2 concentration. The greater increase in photosynthesis (measured as O2 production) compared with the electron transport rate at forecasted CO2 concentration suggests that photosynthetic efficiency increased, possibly due to a decrease in photorespiration. Thus, it appears that the photosynthesis and growth of seagrasses reliant on energetically costly HCO3 (-) acquisition, such as A. antarctica, might increase at forecasted CO2 concentrations. Greater growth might enhance the future prosperity and rehabilitation of these important habitat-forming plants, which have experienced declines of global significance.

Recent advances in understanding secondary organic aerosol: Implications for global climate forcing: Advances in Secondary Organic Aerosol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shrivastava, Manish; Cappa, Christopher D.; Fan, Jiwen

Anthropogenic emissions and land use changes have modified atmospheric aerosol concentrations and size distributions over time. Understanding preindustrial conditions and changes in organic aerosol due to anthropogenic activities is important because these features (1) influence estimates of aerosol radiative forcing and (2) can confound estimates of the historical response of climate to increases in greenhouse gases. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed in the atmosphere by oxidation of organic gases, represents a major fraction of global submicron-sized atmospheric organic aerosol. Over the past decade, significant advances in understanding SOA properties and formation mechanisms have occurred through measurements, yet current climate modelsmore » typically do not comprehensively include all important processes. Our review summarizes some of the important developments during the past decade in understanding SOA formation. We also highlight the importance of some processes that influence the growth of SOA particles to sizes relevant for clouds and radiative forcing, including formation of extremely low volatility organics in the gas phase, acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry of isoprene epoxydiols, particle-phase oligomerization, and physical properties such as volatility and viscosity. Several SOA processes highlighted in this review are complex and interdependent and have nonlinear effects on the properties, formation, and evolution of SOA. Current global models neglect this complexity and nonlinearity and thus are less likely to accurately predict the climate forcing of SOA and project future climate sensitivity to greenhouse gases. Efforts are also needed to rank the most influential processes and nonlinear process-related interactions, so that these processes can be accurately represented in atmospheric chemistry-climate models.« less

Recent advances in understanding secondary organic aerosol: Implications for global climate forcing: Advances in Secondary Organic Aerosol

DOE PAGES

Shrivastava, Manish; Cappa, Christopher D.; Fan, Jiwen; ...

2017-06-15

Anthropogenic emissions and land use changes have modified atmospheric aerosol concentrations and size distributions over time. Understanding preindustrial conditions and changes in organic aerosol due to anthropogenic activities is important because these features (1) influence estimates of aerosol radiative forcing and (2) can confound estimates of the historical response of climate to increases in greenhouse gases. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed in the atmosphere by oxidation of organic gases, represents a major fraction of global submicron-sized atmospheric organic aerosol. Over the past decade, significant advances in understanding SOA properties and formation mechanisms have occurred through measurements, yet current climate modelsmore » typically do not comprehensively include all important processes. Our review summarizes some of the important developments during the past decade in understanding SOA formation. We also highlight the importance of some processes that influence the growth of SOA particles to sizes relevant for clouds and radiative forcing, including formation of extremely low volatility organics in the gas phase, acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry of isoprene epoxydiols, particle-phase oligomerization, and physical properties such as volatility and viscosity. Several SOA processes highlighted in this review are complex and interdependent and have nonlinear effects on the properties, formation, and evolution of SOA. Current global models neglect this complexity and nonlinearity and thus are less likely to accurately predict the climate forcing of SOA and project future climate sensitivity to greenhouse gases. Efforts are also needed to rank the most influential processes and nonlinear process-related interactions, so that these processes can be accurately represented in atmospheric chemistry-climate models.« less

Recent advances in understanding secondary organic aerosol: Implications for global climate forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrivastava, Manish; Cappa, Christopher D.; Fan, Jiwen; Goldstein, Allen H.; Guenther, Alex B.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Kuang, Chongai; Laskin, Alexander; Martin, Scot T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Petaja, Tuukka; Pierce, Jeffrey R.; Rasch, Philip J.; Roldin, Pontus; Seinfeld, John H.; Shilling, John; Smith, James N.; Thornton, Joel A.; Volkamer, Rainer; Wang, Jian; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Zaveri, Rahul A.; Zelenyuk, Alla; Zhang, Qi

2017-06-01

Anthropogenic emissions and land use changes have modified atmospheric aerosol concentrations and size distributions over time. Understanding preindustrial conditions and changes in organic aerosol due to anthropogenic activities is important because these features (1) influence estimates of aerosol radiative forcing and (2) can confound estimates of the historical response of climate to increases in greenhouse gases. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed in the atmosphere by oxidation of organic gases, represents a major fraction of global submicron-sized atmospheric organic aerosol. Over the past decade, significant advances in understanding SOA properties and formation mechanisms have occurred through measurements, yet current climate models typically do not comprehensively include all important processes. This review summarizes some of the important developments during the past decade in understanding SOA formation. We highlight the importance of some processes that influence the growth of SOA particles to sizes relevant for clouds and radiative forcing, including formation of extremely low volatility organics in the gas phase, acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry of isoprene epoxydiols, particle-phase oligomerization, and physical properties such as volatility and viscosity. Several SOA processes highlighted in this review are complex and interdependent and have nonlinear effects on the properties, formation, and evolution of SOA. Current global models neglect this complexity and nonlinearity and thus are less likely to accurately predict the climate forcing of SOA and project future climate sensitivity to greenhouse gases. Efforts are also needed to rank the most influential processes and nonlinear process-related interactions, so that these processes can be accurately represented in atmospheric chemistry-climate models.

Factors influencing the atmospheric concentrations of PCBs at an abandoned e-waste recycling site in South China.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Wu, Xiaowei; Hou, Minmin; Zhao, Hongxia; Chen, Ruize; Luo, Chunling; Zhang, Gan

2017-02-01

The diurnal atmospheric concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated at an abandoned e-waste recycling site in South China during winter and summer. Total PCB concentrations during winter and summer were 27.6-212 and 368-1704pg/m 3 in the particulate phase and 270-697 and 3000-15,500pg/m 3 in the gaseous phase, respectively. Both gaseous and particulate PCB concentrations and compositions exhibited significant difference between winter and summer samples, but no diurnal variations during the measurement period. The correlation analysis between PCB concentrations and meteorological conditions, including atmospheric temperature, humidity, and mixing layer height, suggested that the seasonal variability of atmospheric PCB concentrations was strongly temperature-dependent, while the diurnal variability was probably source-dependent. The temperature-driven variations can also be proved by the significant linear correlation between ln P and 1/T in the Clausius-Clapeyron plot. Although government has implemented controls to reduce e-waste pollution, both the relatively high concentrations of PCBs and the diurnal variation in the air suggested that emissions from occasional e-waste recycling activities may still exist in this recycling area. These results underline the importance of continuing e-waste recycling site management long after abandonment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anomalous changes in atmospheric radon concentration before and after the 2011 northern Wakayama Earthquake (Mj 5.5).

PubMed

Goto, Mikako; Yasuoka, Yumi; Nagahama, Hiroyuki; Muto, Jun; Omori, Yasutaka; Ihara, Hayato; Mukai, Takahiro

2017-04-28

A significant increase in atmospheric radon concentration was observed in the area around the epicentre before and after the occurrence of the shallow inland earthquake in the northern Wakayama Prefecture on 5 July 2011 (Mj 5.5, depth 7 km) in Japan. The seismic activity in the sampling site was evaluated to identify that this earthquake was the largest near the sampling site during the observation period. To determine whether this was an anomalous change, the atmospheric daily minimum radon concentration measured for a 13-year period was analysed. When the residual radon concentration values without the seasonal radon variation and the linear trend was > 3 standard deviations of the residual radon variation corresponding to the normal period, the values were deemed as anomalous. As a result, an anomalous increase in radon concentration was determined before and after the earthquake. In conclusion, anomalous change related to earthquakes with at least Mj 5.5 can be detected by monitoring atmospheric radon near the epicentre. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.