HR: 1400h
AN: A33A-12 [Abstracts]
TI: MTBE as a Tracer for Asian and Mexican Megacity Emissions
AU: * West, B
EM: bwest@rsmas.miami.edu
AF: University of Miami, RSMAS/MAC, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, United
States
AU: Wintle, T
EM: wintleta@hotmail.com
AF: University of Miami, RSMAS/MAC, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, United
States
AU: Giebel, B
EM: bgiebel@rsmas.miami.edu
AF: University of Miami, RSMAS/MAC, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, United
States
AU: Riemer, D
EM: driemer@rsmas.miami.edu
AF: University of Miami, RSMAS/MAC, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, United
States
AU: Apel, E
EM: apel@ucar.edu
AF: NCAR, Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AU: Hills, A
EM: hills@ucar.edu
AF: NCAR, Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AU: Emmons, L
EM: emmons@ucar.edu
AF: NCAR, Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AU: Orlando, J
EM: orlando@ucar.edu
AF: NCAR, Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AU: Sive, B
EM: bcs@gust.sr.unh.edu
AF: University of New Hampshire, Climate Change Research Center, Institute for the Study of
Earth, Oceans and Space, Durham, NH 03824, United States
AB:
Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is an oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC) added to gasoline to either
increase the oxygenated content and/or to increase the octane rating. MTBE is currently added to fuels in Asia and
Mexico in the range of 2-7%. Only small quantities of MTBE are found in fuels in the United States because of
extensive regulatory action restricting its use. MTBE is short lived in the atmosphere with a lifetime of
approximately 3.5 days. Losses are primarily due to reaction with the OH radical. It is an exclusive indicator of
tailpipe and evaporative emissions and unlike ethyne is not emitted from biomass burning. We used MTBE
measured during the MIRAGE and INTEX-B airborne studies and during the CLIVAR P16N oceanographic cruise
that coincidently traversed the Pacific Ocean to differentiate and quantify important VOC emission sources from
Asia and Mexico.
DE: 0345 Pollution: urban and regional (0305, 0478, 4251)
DE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry
DE: 0368 Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly