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Long‐Path Ftir Measurement of Atmospheric Trace Gas Concentrations
Author(s) -
Gosz James R.,
Dahm Clifford N.,
Risser Paul G.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1941630
Subject(s) - trace gas , temporal scales , environmental science , ecosystem , spatial ecology , range (aeronautics) , atmospheric sciences , scale (ratio) , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , energy flow , ecology , terrestrial ecosystem , remote sensing , energy (signal processing) , materials science , geology , physics , biology , composite material , quantum mechanics
Extending the ecological knowledge base to larger scales will require new measurement tools. Long—path Fourier—Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is a promising technology because of its ability to measure the concentration of multiple trace gases simultaneously over spatial scales up to 1 km. Detection limits reaching 1μL/KL for numerous gases make this a powerful method with the potential to study spatial patterning of biological processes, fluxes between ecosystems, important processing pathways within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and scale—dependent processing phenomena. Repeated measurements down to the second range add excellent temporal capabilities. This analytical tool, drawing on the latest developments in analytical chemistry, expands the temporal and spatial scales over which ecosystem nutrient cycling energy flow, and biospheric/atmospheric interactions can be studied.