Atmospheric hydrocarbons as tracers for climate change, air transport, and oxidation chemistry in the Arctic, GEOSummit, Greenland

This study is a contribution to the Arctic Observing Network (AON). It will undertake 4 years of continuous measurements of atmospheric methane, and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC; ethane, ethyne, propane, iso-butane, n-butane, iso-pentane, n-pentane, benzene, toluene) at the Greenland Environmental Observatory at Summit (GEOSummit). An existing monitoring system that has previously been operated at Summit for two seasons will be deployed. This gas chromatography instrument is specifically tailored towards operation at this remote arctic site, as it is fully automated and remotely controllable. This instrument uses a minimal amount of power and does not require cryogen and compressed gas supplies, which make it highly favorable and cost efficient for Summit conditions. A second analytical channel will be added to include monitoring of the important climate gas methane with the same instrument. Data are available through the World Data Center for Greenhouse Gases.