Measurements of Hydroxyl (OH), Hydroperoxy (HO2), and Other Photo-Oxidants and Products During 2016 PROPHET (Program on Oxidants Photochemistry Emissions and Transport)

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This project is part of a summer field study to gain a better understanding of reactive chemistry in the atmosphere of a forested environment. In this project, key radical species will be measured that are relevant to the production of small secondary particles in the atmosphere. Improving the understanding of reactive chemistry in forest environments will improve projections of how changes in forest succession and climate might affect the future composition of the atmosphere. The field study will take place at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) Program for Research on Oxidants: PHotochemistry, Emissions, and Transport (PROPHET) in the summer of 2016. The overarching objectives of the field study are to investigate the inability of current atmospheric chemistry models to reproduce observed radical concentrations in forest environments in order to accurately predict the impact of biogenic volatile organic carbon emissions on the production of ozone, secondary organic aerosols and the cycling of nitrogen between the atmosphere and the biosphere. Species to be measured related to understanding atmospheric oxidation include hydroxyl (OH), hydroperoxy (HO2), and organic peroxy (RO2) radicals; sulfuric acid (H2SO4); organic acids; and low-volatility and extremely low volatility organic compounds (LVOC and ELVOC). There will also be several weeks of laboratory measurements conducted at the University of Indiana to intercompare the instrumentation of those participating in the PROPHET 2016 campaign.