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Non‐methane hydrocarbons in the Arctic atmosphere at Barrow, Alaska
Author(s) -
Doskey Paul V.,
Gaffney Jeffrey S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/91gl03136
Subject(s) - arctic , atmosphere (unit) , environmental science , methane , atmospheric sciences , the arctic , haze , climatology , oceanography , geography , meteorology , geology , chemistry , organic chemistry
C 2 ‐C 8 non‐methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were detected in the arctic atmosphere at Barrow, Alaska, during seven sampling periods in March 1989. The most prominent NMHCs were ethene, acetylene, ethane, propane, and benzene. The concentrations and distribution of these species were similar to those observed at the same location in 1982 and in the Norwegian Arctic in 1983. The distribution of NMHCs in background arctic air during this period was similar to that of aged urban air. These findings provide additional evidence that NMHCs in the arctic atmosphere during spring may originate from industrialized mid‐latitude regions and contribute to the arctic haze phenomenon.