CAREER: Understanding the Fate of Reactive Organic Carbon in the Atmosphere

这个CAREER项目的重点是研究通过湿沉降从大气中去除有机气体。对有机气体的溶解度和清除情况进行一系列实验室和实地测量，将有助于估计清除的时间表。这项研究的结果可以显着提高大气成分和气溶胶质量的模型估计，并可能更广泛地导致更好地了解全球碳循环相关的空气质量和气候变化的研究。这项研究的首要目标是估计含氧气体的沉积时间尺度，以帮助了解活性有机碳的命运和大气反应性的去除。主要目标是：（1）通过新的实验室和实地测量，量化控制活性有机碳沉积的参数;（2）了解大气成分的命运和沉积影响大气反应性和气溶胶形成的潜力;（3）提高对大气成分和气溶胶形成的认识。将建造一个新型的“雨室”，它使用受控的可变降水来选择性地将气体作为溶解度的函数。亨利定律常数将在这个室中测量数百个短寿命的含氧气体形成的广泛的大气相关的前体。清除室还将部署在弗吉尼亚森林实验室的现场，将化合物溶解度与短期含氧气体的湿沉积联系起来，重点是在萜烯排放量高的生长季节收集的数据。这项研究的结果将导致更好地了解氧化和沉积之间的竞争，以去除大气中的活性碳。该项目包括开发在线教育材料和手工操作。通过与西弗吉尼亚州科学博物馆和弗吉尼亚理工大学教育网络和影响中心的合作，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被视为通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，

This CAREER project is focused on studying the removal of organic gases from the atmosphere by wet deposition. A series of laboratory and field measurements of the solubility and scavenging of organic gases will enable estimates of the timescales for removal. The results of this research could significantly improve model estimates of atmospheric composition and aerosol mass and could more broadly lead to a better understanding of the global carbon cycle relevant to the study of air quality and climate change.The overarching goal of this research is to estimate timescales for the deposition of oxygenated gases to assist with understanding the fate of reactive organic carbon and the removal of atmospheric reactivity. The major objectives are to: (1) quantify the parameters controlling the deposition of reactive organic carbon through novel laboratory and field measurements; (2) understand the fate of atmospheric components and the potential for deposition to impact atmospheric reactivity and aerosol formation; and (3) improve understanding of atmospheric composition and aerosol formation. A novel “rain chamber” will be built that uses controlled, variable precipitation to selectively scavenge gases as a function of solubility. Henry’s Law constants will be measured in this chamber for hundreds of short-lived oxygenated gases formed from a wide range of atmospherically relevant precursors. The scavenging chamber also will be deployed in the field at the Virginia Forest Lab to connect compound solubility to wet deposition for short-lived oxygenated gases, with a focus on data collected during the growing season when terpene emission is high. The results of this research will lead to a better understanding of the competition between oxidation and deposition for the removal of reactive carbon from the atmosphere.This project includes the development of on-line educational materials and hands-on activities through a collaboration with the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the Virginia Tech Center for Educational Networks and Impacts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.