Aerosol Sampling and Analysis for the GEOTRACES Program
Abstract
The GEOTRACES Science Plan emphasizes the importance of atmospheric deposition on the budgets and biogeochemistry of trace elements and isotopes in the world's oceans. With funding from the National Science Foundation, an aerosol and rainfall sampling program is being developed for use on future GEOTRACES cruises. This includes preparation and testing of dual high-volume TISCH 5170-VBL aerosol samplers for inorganic trace elements and isotopes, major ions, organic material, and isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen. A third 5170-VBL aerosol sampler is equipped with a 5-stage Sierra-style slotted impactor to collect size-fractionated aerosols for chemical measurements. The aerosol samplers will be operated using wind speed and wind sector control to avoid contamination from ship's exhaust. Duplicate automated rain samplers have also been developed to collect unfiltered and filtered rain samples. Rainfall will be filtered immediately (during collection) to avoid re-adsorption artifacts. Two intercalibration experiments are planned where aerosol and rainfall subsamples will be distributed to the community for testing and validation of analytical methods. The first experiment is being conducted in early September 2008 on the roof at RSMAS/University of Miami. Results from the GEOTRACES aerosol samplers will be compared to a multi-channel aerosol sampling system (using 47mm PCTE filters), and with ongoing aerosol collections at RSMAS. The second experiment is planned for the atmospheric sampling tower at Bellows AFB (Oahu, HI) in summer 2009. Details of the sampling equipment and sample collection methods will be discussed, along with preliminary results from the first intercalibration experiment. Community input will be solicited for planning the second intercalibration experiment.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008AGUFMOS23E1304L
- Keywords:
-
- 0368 Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry;
- 4801 Aerosols (0305;
- 4906);
- 4805 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling (0412;
- 0414;
- 0793;
- 1615;
- 4912);
- 4875 Trace elements (0489);
- 4924 Geochemical tracers