Location: Petrie Science & Engineering Building, room 317

Department of Chemistry, University of York
https://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/academic/d-g/edwardsp/

A talk of two parts: NOx control of nocturnal biogenic VOC oxidation in the South East US and recent advances in the use of low cost sensors for atmospheric science

The influence of nitrogen oxides (NOx) on daytime atmospheric oxidation cycles is well known, with clearly defined high- and low-NOx regimes. Night-time oxidation of volatile organic compounds also influences secondary pollutants but lacks a similar clear definition of high- and low-NOx regimes, even though such regimes exist. Decreases in anthropogenic NOx emissions in the US and Europe coincided with increases in Asia over the last 10 to 20 years, and have altered both daytime and nocturnal oxidation cycles. I will present measurements from day- and night-time research flights over the southeast US in 1999 and 2013, supplemented by atmospheric chemistry simulations, to investigate the NOx control of nocturnal BVOC oxidation.

The second part of my talk will focus on recent work to enable the use of low cost sensors for atmospheric chemistry research. Over recent years the use of low cost sensors for atmospheric measurements has exploded. Significant issues with these devices, however, have so far limited their use for atmospheric chemistry research. This short section of the talk will show approaches we have taken to address these issues in order to enable the use of these potentially exciting new tools.