Atmospheric lifetime experiment. 1. Introduction, instrumentation, and overview

Journal Article · Thu Oct 20 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC088iC13p08353· OSTI ID:6813439

Prinn, R G; Simmonds, R G; Rasmussen, R A; Crawford, A J; Rosen, R D; Alyea, F N; Cardelino, C A; Cunnold, D M; Fraser, P J; Lovelock, J E

The atmospheric lifetime experiment is designed to determine accurately the atmospheric concentrations of the four halocarbons CFCl/sub 3/, CF/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/, CCl/sub 4/, and also N/sub 2/O with emphasis on measurement of their long-term trends in the atmosphere. Comparison of these concentrations and trends for the four halocarbons with estimates of their industrial emission rates then enables calculations of their global circulation rates and globally averaged atmosphere lifetimes. The experiment utilizes automated dual-column electron-capture gas chromatographs which sample the background air about 4 times daily at the following globally distributed sites: Adrigole, Ireland (52/sup 0/N, 10/sup 0/W); Cape Meares, Oregon (45/sup 0/N, 124/sup 0/W); Ragged Point, Barbados (13/sup 0/N, 59/sup 0/W); Point Matatula, American Samoa (14/sup 0/S, 171/sup 0/W); and Cape Grim. Tasmania (41/sup 0/S, 145/sup 0/E). We review the climatology of these ''clean air'' sites and their ability to describe the global air mass. The instrumentation and methods for data acquisition and processing are then described. An overview of the data obtained and the trends derived during the 3-year period from July 1978 through June 1981 for each of the five species being measured is presented. The comparative behavior of the species with latitude and time is emphasized. The global average surface concentrations of CFCl/sub 3/, CF/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/, CH/sub 3/CCl/sub 3/, CCl/sub 4/, and N/sub 2/O are increasing at annually averaged rates of 5.7, 6.0, 8.7, 1.8, and 0.2% per year, respectively, at the midpoint of the 3-year period of the measurements.

• Research Organization: Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• OSTI ID: 6813439
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 88:C13; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
FREONS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
LAYERS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE LAYER
QUANTITY RATIO