Cronn, D. R. | Engineering Papers

NASA NTRS1983

Halocarbon concentration patterns associated with frontal passages

The atmospheric mixing ratios of CCl2F2 (F-12) and CCl3F (F-11) increase abruptly up to 14 ppt (F-12) and 8 ppt (F-11) after strong cold fronts pass and decrease abruptly after warm fronts pass at a semicontinuous monitoring station near Pullman, WA (46 deg 42 min N, 117 deg 10 min W). It is concluded that air masses from higher latitudes (above 60 deg N) can have F-12 and/or F-11 concentrations as much as 5 percent higher than mid-latitude air masses. Conversely, nitrous oxide shows no significant changes during frontal passages and is uniformly distributed between air masses.

Carter, M. W.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Determination of trace gases in learjet and U-2 whole air samples collected during the intertropical convergence zone experiment

The contribution of Washington State University (WSU) to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) study, conducted in the Panama Canal Zone in July 1977 is reported. The ITCZ program had the objective to study the meteorology and air chemistry to determine, if possible, the magnitude of injection of tropospheric air into the stratosphere in the ITCZ. WSU was responsible for two phases of the air chemistry program for the ITCZ study: (1) the collection of whole-air samples from ground level to 13.7 km using a Learjet as a sampling platform, and the analysis of the samples for selected halocarbons, C2 hydrocarbons, N2O, and SF6; and (2) the analysis for selected halocarbon species and N2O of low pressure whole-air samples, collected between 13.7 km and 21.3 km by a U-2 aircraft. The report is divided into separate sections describing the Learjet and the U-2 sampling methods, analytical methods, and results. Complete data tables for all samples analyzed are given.

Cronn, D. R.↗