Simultaneous observations of the CO and O3 minority gases in the lower atmosphere

• Grant number: 99/05578-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 1999
• End date: January 31, 2001
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geophysics
• Principal Investigator: Volker Walter Johann Heinrich Kirchhoff
• Grantee: Volker Walter Johann Heinrich Kirchhoff
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

What is proposed is a piece of research involving simultaneous observations of carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3), with the objective of studying their origin, correlation and photochemistry. The measurements will be carried out in the municipality of Maxaranguape, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. This location has special characteristics, extremely propitious for this presente research. It is located near the sea, next to the beach. It is in fact a location still isolated from the closest larger municipality, which is Natal. It receives air masses directly from the ocean. The paths of the air masses in this locality are very regular, in the sense of always originating in the region of the South Atlantic. For this reason the components of minority gases present in the air masses are the purest possible, having traveled over the oceans for several days. The objective of the work is to take samples in the location indicated, measuring the concentrations of CO and O3, simultaneously. For the measurements of CO we will use gas chromatography, with a mercury oxide detector, and for the measurement of O3, we will use the technique of balloon sounding, to obtain the concentration in the entire troposphere. (AU)