2006 TexAQS / GoMACCS
Texas Air Quality Study / Gulf of Mexico Atmospheric Composition and Climate Study
NOAA Component
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2006 Science Plan  |
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NOAA Research Vessel Ronald H. Brown Platform Instrumentation and Science Background
The instrumentation proposed for deployment on the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown will provide characterization of the atmospheric dynamics, gas-phase chemistry, aerosol chemical, physical, and optical properties, and radiation fields in this complex environment. Central to this field deployment will be techniques that yield information on the interactions between gas-phase and aerosol chemistry and how the evolving aerosol properties affect the radiation fields. A critical requirement is understanding how these chemical effects are influenced by transport to, from and within the MBL. Thus particular emphasis has been placed on the need to understand the dynamical structure of the MBL at large scales via remote sensing instruments. Smaller scales will also be studied with the addition of instrumentation to investigate the turbulence structure from the surface layer to the top of the MBL. Coincident with this activity will be measurements of chemical fluxes of CO2, and possibly O3.
| Parameter | Method |
| Photolysis rates (j-values) | Spectral radiometer |
| Ozone (O3) | UV absorbance |
| Ozone | NO chemiluminescence |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | Nondispersive IR |
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) | Nondispersive IR |
| Sulfur dioxide (SO2) | Pulsed UV fluorescence |
| Nitric oxide (NO) | Chemiluminescence |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | Photolysis/chemiluminescence |
| Total reactive nitrogen oxides (NOy) | Au tube/chemiluminescence |
| Peroxyacyl nitric anhydrides (PANs) | GC/ECD |
| Alkyl nitrates (RONO2) | GC/MS |
| Nitrate radical (NO3); Dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) | Cavity ring-down spectrometry |
| Nitric acid (HNO3) | Mist chamber/IC |
| Water vapor (H2O) | Nondispersive IR |
| Continuous Speciation of VOCs | PTR-MS/CIMS |
| VOC Speciation | GC/MS |
| Formaldehyde (HCHO) | CHD fluorimetry |
| Radon (Rn) | Radon gas decay |
| Seawater/atmospheric CO2 | Nondispersive IR |
| Enhanced measurement of radiative fluxes | Spectral radiometers |
| Aerosol optical depth | MicroTOPS |
| Irradiance | Portable Radiation Package (PRP) |
| Size-resolved aerosol composition and gravimetric mass | Impactors (IC, XRF, and thermal-optical OC/EC) |
| OC/EC | On-line thermal optical |
| Ionic Aerosol Composition | Particle In Liquid Sampler (PILS) |
| Aerosol Size and Composition | Aerosol Mass Spectrometer |
| Organic function groups | FTIR |
| Aerosol scattering (400, 550, 700 nm) | TSI Model 3563 Nephelometer |
| Aerosol absorption (400, 550, 700nm) | Radiance Research PSAP |
| Aerosol number | CNC |
| Aerosol size distribution | Twin DMAs and an APS |
| Aerosol light scattering hygroscopic growth f(RH) | Twin TSI 3563 nephelometers |
| Aerosol size hygroscopic growth g(RH) | Tandem DMAs |
| Aerosol light extinction hygroscopic growth f(RH) | Cavity ring-down spectrometer |
| Total and sub-micron aerosol extinction | Cavity ring-down spectrometer |
| Ozone/aerosol vertical profiles | O3/Aerosol Lidar (OPAL) |
| Wind/temperature vertical profiles | 915 MHz wind Radar |
| High-resolution BL winds/aerosol | Doppler Lidar (HRDL) |
| Wind profiles/microscale turbulence | C-band radar |
| Temperature/relative humidity profiles | Radiosondes |
| Surface energy balance (fluxes) | Eddy covariance (bow mounted) |
| High resolution BL turbulence structure | Doppler mini-Sodar |
NOAA's Atmospheric Research Campaign
Combining Climate Change and Air Quality Research
NOAA Research Earth System Research Laboratory Chemical Sciences Division
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