Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Ace-Fts Observations Of Acetonitrile In The Lower Stratosphere, J. J. Harrison, P. F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

This work reports the first infrared satellite remote-sensing measurements of acetonitrile (CH₃CN) in the Earth's atmosphere using solar occultation measurements made by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) between 2004 and 2011. The retrieval scheme uses new quantitative laboratory spectroscopic measurements of acetonitrile (Harrison and Bernath, 2012). Although individual ACE-FTS profile measurements are dominated by measurement noise, median profiles in 10 degrees latitude bins show a steady decline in volume mixing ratio from similar to 150 ppt (parts per trillion) at 11.5 km to < 40 ppt at 25.5-29.5 km. These new measurements agree well with the scant available air-and balloon-borne data in the lower stratosphere. An acetonitrile stratospheric lifetime of 73 ± 20 yr has been determined.

Variability Of Atmospheric Hydrocarbon Concentrations And Deposition Rates, Charles Thomas Farmer

OES Theses and Dissertations

The atmospheric hydrocarbon concentration was determined at various locations throughout Southeastern Virginia from July 1981 to February 1983. During this period the concentration ranged from 0.4 to 5.5 μg/m³ . From October 1982 to February 1983, WET and dry deposition samples were collected in conjunction with these air samples. Total hydrocarbon dry deposition rates ranged from deposition rates ranged from 4 to 189 μg/m² /day, while WET 22 to 670 μg/m² /day. Hydrocarbon concentrations found were within the ranges reported in the literature for wet, dry and atmospheric hydrocarbon concentrations.

Linear trend analysis revealed no correlation between …