Distribution of Light Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air

Stephens, Edgar R.; Burleson, Frank R.

doi:10.1080/00022470.1969.10469359

Cited by 65 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…and other light hydro-4 carbons were measured in air samples from southern California, most of them from areas in which enhanced hydrocarbon concentrations were expected and were found as the result of urban pollution [Stephens and Burleson, 1969]. The concentrations of the least-polluted of these air samples, as judged by the lower concentrations of the hydrocarbons other than CH4, were measured to contain about 1.2-1.3 ppmv CH4, in reasonable agreement with the NRL data for samples collected a few years later.…”

Section: Strengths Of Sources and Sinksmentioning

confidence: 99%

World-wide increase in tropospheric methane, 1978?1983

Blake

Rowland

1986

J Atmos Chem

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tropospheric concentrations of methane in remote locations have averaged a yearly world-wide increase of 0.018+0.002 parts per million by volume (ppmv) during the period from JanUary 1978 to December 1983. The concentrations in the north temperate zone are always greater than those in the south temperate zone by 7+1% because the major methane sources are all predominantly located in th~ northern hemisphere, The average world-wide tropospheric concentration of methane in dry air was 1.625 ppmv at the end of 1983, measured against an NBS standard certified as 0.97ppmv (but with an accuracy of only +1%). The world-wide concentration increases are described by a linea~ equation with a standard deviation of 0.003 ppmv for ten different collection periods during 1978-1983. The precision of measurement of the methane concentration in the atmospheric samples and in the standard was measured to be +0.4% for each. Repetitive measurements of an air sample collected in No?ember 1977 have shown the same concentration for six years with a standard deviation for these data of +0.003 ppmv.The causes for the stea~y increase in methane concentration in the troposphere cannot be fixed with certainty from present data.Contributing causes can include increases in the source strengths from cattle and rice fields. The atmospheric concentrations of CO, CH, and HO are all closely coupled with one another, and increased concentrations of CO and/or CH~ should cause reduced concentrations of HO, which in turn should lengthen the atmospheric lifetimes of CO and CH 4.Among other physical and chemical effects, a increase of 0.18 ppmv per decade should contribute a greenhouse warming of about 0.04°C per decade.Other secondary contributions to the greenhouse effect from increases in CH~ may arise from methane-induced increases in stratospheric HpO, in-tropospheric 02, and in numerous other trace species whose concentration is controlled by reaction with HO radicals.An increased CH~ source strength may result from the effect of increasing atmospherlc temperatures on the known aqueous biological CH 4 sources, such as swamps, and may be an added consequence of the greenhouse effect.

show abstract

Section: Strengths Of Sources and Sinksmentioning

confidence: 99%

World-wide increase in tropospheric methane, 1978?1983

Blake

Rowland

1986

J Atmos Chem

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In Calvert's Table I11 (unpublished GMC van data) we are shown a ratio as high as 2.09 for these hydrocarbons. Neligan (5), Stephens and Burleson ( 6 ) , and Altshuller et al (7) found only very low concentrations relative to acetylene. However, we surveyed the published literature and did not find any reported concentrations of isobutylene and butene-2 that were greater than acetylene concentrations on a weight basis.…”

Section: Daniel L Flammmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrocarbon involvement in photochemical smog formation in Los Angeles atmosphere. Comments

Crabtree¹,

Mayrsohn²

1977

Environ. Sci. Technol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…23 Very little information is available on other naturally occurring hydrocarbons. Concentrations of 0.003 ppm or less have been reported 24 for ethane, ethylene, and acetylene in rural, southern California, and 0.06 ppm of nbutane has been reported 25 in Pt. Barrow, Alaska.…”

Section: Background Hydrocarbon Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%