Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Spectral Shape As An Indicator Of Molecular Weight In Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter, John Robert Helms

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Spectral slope is a term used to parameterize featureless absorbance spectra according to their shape. Spectral slope is obtained by calculating the slope of the log-linearized absorption spectrum over a given range of wavelengths. Past studies have shown that spectral slope is related to molecular size in fulvic acids. A simple method of spectral analysis that compares spectral slopes obtained from two distinct regions of the UV spectra of aquatic dissolved organic matter is demonstrated. The ratio of these slopes (R_S) shows considerable change during photo-oxidation, variation within estuaries, and substantial shifts with depth in the upper 1000 …