Analytical Techniques For Atmospheric Measurement

Almost all of the breakthroughs in understanding the atmospherehave been initiated by field observations, using a range ofinstrumental techniques. Developing or deploying instruments tomake further observations demands a thorough understanding of thechemical and spectroscopic principles on which such measurementsdepend. Written as an authoritative guide to the techniques of instrumentalmeasurement for the atmospheric scientist, research student orundergraduate, Analytical Techniques for Atmospheric Measurementfocuses on the instruments used to make real time measurements ofatmospheric gas and aerosol composition. Topics covered include howthey work, their strengths and weaknesses for a particular task,the platforms on which they have been deployed and how they arecalibrated. It explains the fundamental principles upon which theinstrumental techniques are based (ie what property of a moleculecan be exploited to enable its detection), what limits instrumentalsensitivity and accuracy, and the information that can be gainedfrom their use.

Until the 1980s, researchers studied and measured only the physical properties of aerosols. Since the 80s, however, interest in the physicochemcal properties of aerosols has grown tremendously. Scientists in environmental hygiene, medicine, and toxicology have recognized the importance held by the chemical composition and properties of aerosols and the interactions of inhaled, "bad" aerosols. This book offers the first comprehensive treatment of modern aerosol analytical methods, sampling and separation procedures, and environmental applications, and offers critical reviews of the latest literature. This important field has developed rapidly in the last 15 years, but until now, no book effectively summarized or analyzed the existing research. Analytical Chemistry of Aerosols reviews procedures, techniques, and trends in the measurement and analysis of atmospheric aerosols. With contributions from acknowledged, international experts, the book discusses various methods of bulk analysis, single particle analysis, and the analysis of special aerosol systems, including fibrous and bacterial aerosols.

This work explores a wide range of data analysis and signal processing methods for different possible applications in atmospheric measurements. While these methods and applications span a wide area of disciplines, the evaluation of applicability and limitations and the results of this evaluation show many similarities. In the first study, a new framework for the temporal characterization of airborne atmospheric measurement instruments is provided. Allan-Werle-plots are applied to quantify dominant noise structures present in the time series. Their effects on the drift correction capabilities and measurement uncertainty estimation can be evaluated via simulation. This framework is applied to test flights of an airborne field campaign and reveals an appropriate interval between calibration measurements of 30 minutes. During ground operation, the drift correction is able to reduce the measurement uncertainty from 1.1% to 0.2 %. Additional short-term disturbances during airborne operation increase the measurement uncertainty to 1.5 %. In the second study, the applicability and limitations of several noise reduction methods are tested for different background characteristics. The increase in signal-noiseratio and the added bias strongly depend on the background structure. Individual regions of applicability show almost no overlap for the different noise reduction methods. In the third study, a fast and versatile Bayesian method called sequential Monte Carlo filter is explored for several applications in atmospheric field experiments. This algorithm combines information provided via the measurements with prior information from the dominant chemical reactions. Under most conditions the method shows potential for precision enhancement, data coverage increase and extrapolation. Limitations are observed that can be analyzed via the entropy measure and improvements are achieved via the extension by an additional activity parameter. In the final study, state-of-the-art neural network architectures and appropriate data representations are used to reduce the effect of interference fringes in absorption spectroscopy. Using the neural network models as an alternative to linear fitting yields a large bias which renders the model approach not applicable. On the task of background interpolation the neural network approach shows robust de-noising behavior and is shown to be transferable to a different absorption spectrometer setup. Application of the interpolation to the test set lowers the detection limit by 52%. This work highlights the importance of in-depth analysis of the effects and limitations of advanced data analysis techniques to prevent biases and data artifacts and to determine the expected data quality improvements. An elaboration of the limitations is particularly important for deep learning applications. All presented studies show great potential for further applications in atmospheric measurements.

This practical handbook provides a clearly structured, concise and comprehensive account of the huge variety of atmospheric and related measurements relevant to meteorologists and for the purpose of weather forecasting and climate research, but also to the practitioner in the wider field of environmental physics and ecology. The Springer Handbook of Atmospheric Measurements is divided into six parts: The first part offers instructive descriptions of the basics of atmospheric measurements and the multitude of their influencing factors, fundamentals of quality control and standardization, as well as equations and tables of atmospheric, water, and soil quantities. The subsequent parts present classical in-situ measurements as well as remote sensing techniques from both ground-based as well as airborn or satellite-based methods. The next part focusses on complex measurements and methods that integrate different techniques to establish more holistic data. Brief discussions of measurements in soils and water, at plants, in urban and rural environments and for renewable energies demonstrate the potential of such applications. The final part provides an overview of atmospheric and ecological networks. Written by distinguished experts from academia and industry, each of the 64 chapters provides in-depth discussions of the available devices with their specifications, aspects of quality control, maintenance as well as their potential for the future. A large number of thoroughly compiled tables of physical quantities, sensors and system characteristics make this handbook a unique, universal and useful reference for the practitioner and absolutely essential for researchers, students, and technicians.

This companion provides a collection of frequently needed numerical data as a convenient desk-top or pocket reference for atmospheric scientists as well as a concise source of information for others interested in this matter. The material contained in this book was extracted from the recent and the past scientific literature; it covers essentially all aspects of atmospheric chemistry. The data are presented primarily in the form of annotated tables while any explanatory text is kept to a minimum. In this condensed form of presentation, the volume may serve also as a supplement to many textbooks used in teaching the subject at various universities. Peter Warneck, a physical chemist specializing in atmospheric chemistry, received the diploma in 1954 and the doctorate in 1956 at the university in Bonn, Germany. In 1959, following several postdoctoral assignments, he joined the GCA Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts, where he explored elementary processes in the atmospheres of the earth and other planets. He returned to Germany in 1970 to head the chemical kinetics group in the Air Chemistry Division of the Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry in Mainz. In 1974 he also became professor of physical chemistry at the university in Mainz. In 1991, following German reunification, Warneck was appointed the founding director of the new Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig. He served in this position parallel to his activities in Mainz until official retirement. Warneck’s research included laboratory studies of chemical mechanisms and photochemistry as well as the development of analytical techniques for field measurements. Since 1990, his interests are focused on chemical reactions in clouds. Jonathan Williams is an atmospheric chemist. He received his BSc in Chemistry and French and his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia, England. Between 1995-1997 he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the NOAA Aeronomy laboratory in Boulder, USA, and from 1998 to present as a member of staff at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany. He has participated in many international field measurement campaigns on aircraft, ships and at ground stations. Dr Williams is currently an editor on three atmospheric chemistry journals. His present research involves investigating the chemistry of reactive organic species in the atmosphere, in particular over forested ecosystems and in the marine boundary layer. Dr Williams leads a research group focussed specifically on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) at the Max Planck Institute and in 2008 he was made an honorary Reader at the University of East Anglia, UK.

Evaluating traditional and recent analytical methods according to speed, sensitivity, and cost-efficiency, this reference supports specialists in the selection of effective analytical techniques and equipment for the study of soils, soil contaminants, and environmental samples. Updated and revised, this Third Edition illustrates the advantages, limitations, range, and challenges of the major analytical approaches utilized in modern research laboratories. It includes new chapters and expanded discussions of the measurement of organic pollutants in the environment and gas fluxes between the land surface and atmosphere, and an extensive range of environmental materials.