Western Airborne Mercury Observations (WAMO)

该项目的目标是开发、评估和利用一种机载仪器来测量汞的两种最重要的化学形式：气态元素汞（GEM）和活性气态汞（RGM）。 该仪器将通过两种方法定量RGM，一种是1小时分辨率，另一种是2.5分钟分辨率。 将比较这两种技术的数据，并评估RGM测量的不确定性。 这将使第一次高时间分辨率的观测GEM和RGM的飞机，并允许以下问题的大气汞循环得到解决：1）两个不同的空中RGM测量同意在其各自的不确定性？2)GEM的飞机观测与Mt.俄勒冈州的学士天文台？3)可以空气质量与高架RGM，看到以前在山。据模型预测，它将出现在美国西南部，被识别？ 如果是这样，美国西部对RGM的化学和气象控制是什么？4)对流层中GEM和RGM的分布情况如何？5)空气中的测量能否用于量化工业源中GEM和RGM的通量？ 该项目将使人们更好地了解美国大气汞的化学处理及其源和汇。由于汞的健康影响，汞的生物累积是一个具有全球和国家意义的问题。 来自华盛顿大学的一名博士后和一名本科生将参与该项目。

The goal of this project is to develop, evaluate, and utilize an airborne instrument to measure two of the most important chemical forms of mercury (Hg): gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM). The instrument will quantify RGM by two methods, one with one-hour resolution and a second with 2.5-minute resolution. Data from the two techniques will be compared and the uncertainty of the RGM measurements will be assessed. This will enable the first high time resolution observations of both GEM and RGM by aircraft and allow the following questions on the atmospheric mercury cycle to be addressed: 1) Do the two different airborne RGM measurements agree within their respective uncertainties? 2) Do GEM observations by aircraft agree with observations at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory in Oregon? 3) Can air masses with elevated RGM, seen previously at Mt. Bachelor and predicted by models to be present over the southwest U.S., be identified? If so, what are the chemical and meteorological controls on RGM in the western U.S.? 4) What is the distribution of GEM and RGM in the troposphere? 5) Can airborne measurements be used to quantify the flux of GEM and RGM from industrial sources? This project should lead to a better understanding of the chemical processing of atmospheric mercury and its sources and sinks in the U.S.Bioaccumulation of mercury is a problem with global and national significance because of its health impacts. One postdoctoral fellow and one undergraduate student from the University of Washington will participate in the project.