Determination of fluxes of oxides of nitrogen by eddy correlation

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6996564

Watkins, B A; Stocker, D W; Stedman, D H ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Denver, Denver, CO (US)

Knowledge of the atmospheric cycle of nitrogen oxides is of primary importance for an understanding of atmospheric chemistry. Nitrogen oxides play a key role in the photochemistry of the troposphere as well as in the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen between the biosphere and the atmosphere. The emission densities of biogenic sources of NO{sub x} are likely to be small and highly variable. As yet they are poorly quantitated. Published measurements of NO{sub x} soil fluxes are based on field studies using the enclosure technique. While this technique is convenient, it has not been proven that the biogenic soil processes remain unperturbed or that the fluxes are representative of an area larger than that sampled, approximately 700 cm{sup 3}. Eddy correlation, which is a micrometeorological technique, causes no disturbance to the soil environment and provides a direct measurement of the turbulent flux. The eddy correlation technique was employed to determine fluxes of the oxides of nitrogen at an agricultural site in eastern Colorado. The study investigated dry deposition to a field of growing winter wheat from mid January through May 1986. The results of this study aid in quantitating the emission densities of NO{sub x} from biogenic sources.

• OSTI ID: 6996564
• Report Number(s): CONF-880679--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540220 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACIDIFICATION
AIR-BIOSPHERE INTERACTIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
COLORADO
DEPOSITION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEMS
EMISSION
FEDERAL REGION VIII
LAND POLLUTION
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
SOILS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TROPOSPHERE
USA