Tropospheric Nitrogen Oxide Measurements at Barrow, Alaska,
Abstract
Nitrogen oxides play a critical role in the chemistry of the atmosphere and indirectly influence global warming through the production of ozone. At Barrow, Alaska, the NOAA long-term surface ozone record indicates an increase of about 2% per year during the summer months. Since NOx (NO+NO2) concentrations above about 30 ppt (parts per trillion) result in net ozone production in the presence of sunlight, we propose that the observed Barrow surface ozone increase is related to anthropogenic nitrogen oxide emissions. A high-sensitivity chemiluminescent instrument for measurements of nitrogen oxides has been built to test this hypothesis. Measurement campaigns have been conducted during summer 1988 and spring 1989, and are continuing during spring and summer 1990. Periods during which the NOy concentrations measured at the GMCC site were unaffected by local (Barrow) emissions were selected from the data record. Observations during these periods suggest that nitrogen oxide concentrations are, at times, very elevated at Barrow and sufficient to account for photochemical 03 production. Based on simultaneous collection of meteorological, sulfur, and NO, data, several sources of nitrogen oxides have been tentatively identified at Barrow.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADP007363
Entities
People
- D. A. Jaffe
- R. E. Honrath
Organizations
- University of Alaska Fairbanks