Ground‐based nitric oxide measurements at Wallops Island, Virginia

Abstract

In July of 1983, ambient measurements of nitric oxide (NO) were obtained at Wallops Island, Virginia, during the NASA GTE/CITE ground‐based instrument intercomparison field study. The instrument, which was designed for measurements in the remote troposphere from an aircraft platform, is briefly described. Ten days of ambient air observations showed broadly uniform diurnal behavior, although considerable variability was encountered. Two distinct synoptic meteorological conditions resulted in markedly different levels of nitric oxide abundance. When the local winds were from the north to west sectors, which placed the sampling site within 130 to 300 km of large urban centers, the midday mixing ratios were typically in the range of 200–300 pptv. In contrast, when the air mass sustained a 1‐ or 2‐day period over the Atlantic Ocean, the mixing ratios were substantially lower and in the 50–60 pptv range.