Trace Gas Measurements

Thomas Peter, Johannes Stähelin

Various trace gases can threaten human health, reduce crop yields, and have adverse effects on deciduous forests and other ecosystems. In the boundary layer ozone is one prominent example. It is produced photo-chemically from its precursors, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Hence, NOx and VOC emissions have to be reduced in order to lower the ozone concentration. Ozone is also an important greenhouse gas with the largest efficiency in the tropopause region. Finally, several trace gases can be used as tracers for the investigation of atmospheric transport processes such as tropospheric/stratospheric exchange of air.

• Trace gas measurements in Arosa
• Milan Photooxidant Plume measurements (project completed)
• Measurements of Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone along air routes (NOXAR) (project completed)
• Trace gas measurements in the tropopause region (SPURT)
• Trace gas measurements at the Gotthard highway