HR: 0800h
AN: A11B-0057    [Abstracts]
TI: A New Technique for Sampling Firn Air
AU: * Perron, F E
EM: Frank.E.Perron@erdc.usace.army.mil
AF: Cold Regions Research & Engineering Lab, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755-1290 United States
AU: Dibb, J E
EM: jack.dibb@unh.edu
AF: Institute of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AU: Albert, M R
EM: Mary.R.Albert@erdc.usace.army.mil
AF: Cold Regions Research & Engineering Lab, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755-1290 United States
AB: The discovery and subsequent interest in photochemical interactions between the polar snowpack and the atmosphere has spawned interest in reliable methods of measuring chemical concentrations in interstitial air. Consistent sampling of the interstitial air in the snowpack had been problematic due to great chemical differences possible from sampling different layers in the snow and the difficulties in acquiring a sample that could serve multiple investigators at the same time. This paper describes a new air sampling device that was developed to solve many of the sampling problems. This new system allows multiple simultaneous chemical analysis of air contained in the pore spaces of the arctic snowpack at unlimited increments from depths of 0 to 150 cm. The three major components are a 4 ft diameter highly UV transmittent acrylic "hood" with a 10 cm rim, a 10 cm diameter casing barrel, and an air probe head. These components operate along with a variety of sub-components that supplement the sampling process. The technique provides for a common sample collection, use for a variety of gases to be sampled, it eliminates short circuit air sampling, provides undisturbed snow for in-situ sampling at multiple sample depths in the same location. The design is discussed and possible extension as a platform for other sensors is described.
DE: 1827 Glaciology (1863)
DE: 1863 Snow and ice (1827)
DE: 1094 Instruments and techniques
DE: 0365 Troposphere--composition and chemistry
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting