Assessment of "storage correction" required for in situ 14CO production in air sample cylinders

D. C. Lowe; V. A. Levchenko; R. C. Moss; W. Allan; G. W. Brailsford; A. M. Smith

doi:10.1029/2002GL014719

Assessment of "storage correction" required for in situ ¹⁴CO production in air sample cylinders

D. C. Lowe^*, V. A. Levchenko, R. C. Moss, W. Allan, G. W. Brailsford, A. M. Smith

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We draw attention to an effect that has the potential to compromise measurements of atmospheric ¹⁴CO by the in situ production of ¹⁴C in air sample cylinders. We present first experimental determinations of the size of this effect using measurements made on cylinders containing an air sample and a CO/nitrogen calibration gas stored in laboratories in New Zealand from a few months to 11 years. These data are collated with measurements made on air samples stored at Scott Base, Antarctica to determine a mean in situ production rate for ¹⁴CO of 4.7 ± 0.5 molecules cm^-3 yr^-1 (STP) at sea level and in the latitude range 40-90° (geomagnetic) in a single floor laboratory. This rate is significant compared to observed annual cycles in ¹⁴CO (typically 5-10 ¹⁴CO molecules cm^-3) caused by OH variations and clearly has to be corrected for when ¹⁴CO data are used to determine atmospheric OH distributions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	43-1-43-4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	29
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL014719
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2002

Access to Document

10.1029/2002GL014719

Cite this

@article{958e84a693b54f4f9276bfe14e02e71e,

title = "Assessment of {"}storage correction{"} required for in situ 14CO production in air sample cylinders",

abstract = "We draw attention to an effect that has the potential to compromise measurements of atmospheric 14CO by the in situ production of 14C in air sample cylinders. We present first experimental determinations of the size of this effect using measurements made on cylinders containing an air sample and a CO/nitrogen calibration gas stored in laboratories in New Zealand from a few months to 11 years. These data are collated with measurements made on air samples stored at Scott Base, Antarctica to determine a mean in situ production rate for 14CO of 4.7 ± 0.5 molecules cm-3 yr-1 (STP) at sea level and in the latitude range 40-90° (geomagnetic) in a single floor laboratory. This rate is significant compared to observed annual cycles in 14CO (typically 5-10 14CO molecules cm-3) caused by OH variations and clearly has to be corrected for when 14CO data are used to determine atmospheric OH distributions.",

author = "Lowe, {D. C.} and Levchenko, {V. A.} and Moss, {R. C.} and W. Allan and Brailsford, {G. W.} and Smith, {A. M.}",

year = "2002",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1029/2002GL014719",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

pages = "43--1--43--4",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Inc.",

number = "7",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessment of "storage correction" required for in situ 14CO production in air sample cylinders

AU - Lowe, D. C.

AU - Levchenko, V. A.

AU - Moss, R. C.

AU - Allan, W.

AU - Brailsford, G. W.

AU - Smith, A. M.

PY - 2002/4/1

Y1 - 2002/4/1

N2 - We draw attention to an effect that has the potential to compromise measurements of atmospheric 14CO by the in situ production of 14C in air sample cylinders. We present first experimental determinations of the size of this effect using measurements made on cylinders containing an air sample and a CO/nitrogen calibration gas stored in laboratories in New Zealand from a few months to 11 years. These data are collated with measurements made on air samples stored at Scott Base, Antarctica to determine a mean in situ production rate for 14CO of 4.7 ± 0.5 molecules cm-3 yr-1 (STP) at sea level and in the latitude range 40-90° (geomagnetic) in a single floor laboratory. This rate is significant compared to observed annual cycles in 14CO (typically 5-10 14CO molecules cm-3) caused by OH variations and clearly has to be corrected for when 14CO data are used to determine atmospheric OH distributions.

AB - We draw attention to an effect that has the potential to compromise measurements of atmospheric 14CO by the in situ production of 14C in air sample cylinders. We present first experimental determinations of the size of this effect using measurements made on cylinders containing an air sample and a CO/nitrogen calibration gas stored in laboratories in New Zealand from a few months to 11 years. These data are collated with measurements made on air samples stored at Scott Base, Antarctica to determine a mean in situ production rate for 14CO of 4.7 ± 0.5 molecules cm-3 yr-1 (STP) at sea level and in the latitude range 40-90° (geomagnetic) in a single floor laboratory. This rate is significant compared to observed annual cycles in 14CO (typically 5-10 14CO molecules cm-3) caused by OH variations and clearly has to be corrected for when 14CO data are used to determine atmospheric OH distributions.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036555097&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1029/2002GL014719

DO - 10.1029/2002GL014719

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 29

SP - 43-1-43-4

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 7

ER -

Assessment of "storage correction" required for in situ ¹⁴CO production in air sample cylinders

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this