Open AccessIntercomparison of NO, NO 2 , NO y , O 3 , and RO x measurements during the Oxidizing Capacity of the Tropospheric Atmosphere (OCTA) campaign 1993 at Izaña
Author(s) -
Zenker T.,
Fischer H.,
Nikitas C.,
Parchatka U.,
Harris G. W.,
Mihelcic D.,
Müsgen P.,
Pätz H. W.,
Schultz M.,
VolzThomas A.,
Schmitt R.,
Behmann T.,
Weißenmayer M.,
Burrows J. P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/97jd03739
Subject(s) - oxidizing agent , analytical chemistry (journal) , troposphere , volume (thermodynamics) , parts per notation , atmosphere (unit) , mixing ratio , environmental science , meteorology , materials science , chemistry , atmospheric sciences , physics , environmental chemistry , thermodynamics , organic chemistry
An informal comparison of NO, NO 2 , NO y , O 3 , and RO x measurements obtained by different instruments and techniques at Izaña in 1993 during the European Oxidizing Capacity of the Tropospheric Atmosphere (OCTA) campaign was performed. For O 3 , two UV instruments agree within 7% (95% cl.) limited by a difference in response of 7.0%±0.2% (95% cl.) which likely was caused by O 3 losses in one of the inlet lines. The NO mixing ratios obtained by two NO/O 3 Chemiluminescence (CL) instruments range between 0–200 parts per trillion by volume (pptv), except for short periods influenced by traffic pollution. The response of the two CL detectors agrees within 3%±10% (95% cl.). The NO y data, ranging between 100 pptv and several ppbv in plumes, were obtained using two different gold‐CO‐converters and inlet designs with subsequent CL detection of NO. A systematic difference in the slope between the two data series of 1.44±0.05 (95% cl.) was likely caused by NO y , losses in the inlet line of one of the instruments. Three different NO 2 data sets were obtained using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS), a photolytic converter/CL technique (PLC/CL), and the Matrix Isolation Electron Spin Resonance (MIESR) technique. The linear slopes between the data sets of the three methods are consistent with unity at a 95% confidence level, 1.13±0.30 (TDL versus PLC/CL), 0.90±0.47 (TDL versus MIESR), and 1.04+0.34 (PLC/CL versus MIESR). RO x measurements were performed by three different chemical amplifier (CA) designs and the MIESR technique. Using 30‐min averaged values between 13–65 pptv, two CA instruments agree within 25% (95% cl.) with the mean of MIESR (1.01+0.20 and 0.98±0.24, 95% cl.), while the third CA responded low (0.65±0.32, 95% cl.).