Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region
Tags: physical sciences, air quality, greenhouse gases, ecological monitoring
| Principal Investigator: | Huffman, Bill (1) |
| Licence Number: | 13161 |
| Organization: | State University of New York |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2000
|
| Issued: | Sep 29, 2000 |
| Project Team: | self |
Objective(s): During August and September of 1968, Cavanaugh et al. (1969; ES&T, V#, n3, p.215) collected a series of air samples from Northern Alaska. Several species of volatile organic compounds were then quantified by GC-FID. Extraordinarily high levels of n-butanol were found in all three sampling locations. The Cavanaugh group was skeptical of their results, and thus conducted a series of analytical checks in order to confirm their results. It is proposed that, in an attempt to duplicate the findings of Cavanaugh et al. in Northern Alaska, several air samples be collected from the tundra regions north of of Inuvik at the beginning of freeze-up and analysed for n-butanol and a suite of other naturally occuring volatile organic compounds. If results comparable to Cavanaugh et al. are found, further research regarding the role of n-butanol in carbon cycling, air chemistry and terrestrial ecology of tundar systems will be warranted.
Project Description: It is proposed that about 12 air samples would be collected into 6 liter stainless steel canisters using a small (<10kg) battery powered air sampler. Additionally, a 0.5 cubic meter open-bottom PVC chamber would be placed on the tundra for a period of 4-6 hours. Air would be sampled from the chamber periodically to establish biogenic emmission rates of n-butanol and other volatile organic compounds. Finally, several 1kg soil samples would be collected from the area around the air sampling site for future analysis. The proposed collection site would be accessed by snowmobile or ATV using existing trails.
