Rebecca Washenfelder

Rebecca Washenfelder photo

Research Scientist II

Tropospheric Chemistry
CIRES

Mailing address:
NOAA ESRL Chemical Sciences Division
325 Broadway, R/CSD7
Boulder, CO 80305 USA

Phone: (303) 497-4810
Fax: (303) 497-5126
Email: Rebecca.Washenfelder@noaa.gov


I am a scientist at the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), employed through the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado in Boulder. I joined the laboratory in August 2006 as a National Academies Postdoctoral Fellow. I am currently working with Dr. Steve Brown.

The focus of my research is developing new spectroscopic measurements for field studies of atmospheric trace gases. Most recently, I have constructed a field instrument for incoherent broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. This instrument measures glyoxal (CHOCHO), nitrous acid (HONO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Education

B.A., Chemistry, Pomona College, 1999
M.S., Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2002
Ph.D., Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2006

Research

- Measurement of trace reactive gases in the atmosphere using spectroscopic techniques.
- Characterizing and quantifying emission sources.
- Information about my graduate work: column concentrations of greenhouse gases and the Total Carbon Column Observing Network.

Current Topics

Incoherent broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (IBBCEAS) is an analytical technique that was first described by Fiedler et al. (2003). This approach uses a broadband light source, optical cavity, and grating spectrometer to acquire spectra with a very long effective absorption pathlength. Spectral fitting methods can be used to retrieve multiple absorbers. I have used this technique in the laboratory to measure glyoxal in the 440 - 460 nm spectral region.

During the spring 2010, I constructed an IBBCEAS field instrument with two channels. Each channel is optimized for a different spectral region. The first channel is used to measure glyoxal (CHOCHO) at 440 - 460 nm and the second channel is used to measure nitrous acid (HONO) at 360 - 375 nm. This instrument was used at the CalNex ground site in Pasadena, California during summer 2010.

Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

last modified: July 02, 2012