Skip to main content
Log in

Measuring Eddy Covariance Fluxes of Ammonia Using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy

  • Published:
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution: Focus

Abstract

Field measurements of NH3 fluxes using an eddy covariance technique were made for a total of 60 days between July and September 2002 at an intensively managed grassland in Southern Scotland. The collected data demonstrate the suitability of a tuneable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) system coupled with a sonic anemometer for eddy covariance measurements. The novelty of these measurements is the application to ammonia, which has only become measurable using TDLAS techniques recently, because of its small ambient concentration. Data presented in this paper show typical features of the fluxes and concentration for the summer season. NH3 concentration and flux values are in a similar range to previous studies using flux gradient methods at the same field site, although the particularly wet season reduced the concentration of NH3 in the air. For an example day, measured NH3 fluxes ranged between −11 and 44 ng m−2 s−1 with an average value of 3.78 ng m−2 s−1 indicating a small net emission from the vegetation. Spectral analysis executed on the data shows the percentage of flux carried by the small eddies (from 0.2 to 2 m) suggesting that high detection frequency instruments are particularly suitable for estimating NH3 fluxes between atmosphere and vegetation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Flechard, C.R. and Fowler, D.: 1998, ‘Atmospheric ammonia at a moor land site. I: The meteorological control of ambient ammonia concentrations and the influence of local sources’, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 124(547), 733–757.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, D., Sutton, M.A., Smith, R.I., Pitcairn, C.E.R., Coyle, M., Campbell, G. and Stedman, J.: 1998, ‘Regional Mass Budgets of Oxidized and Reduced Nitrogen and their Relative Contribution to the N inputs of sensitive ecosystems’, Environ. Pollut. 102(S1), 337–342.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuller, R.M., Groom, G.B., Jones A.R.: 1994, ‘The Land Cover Map of Great Britain: An Automated Classification of Landsat thematic mapper data’, Photogramm. Eng. Remote Sens. 60, 553–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaimal, J.C., Wyngaard, J.C., Izumi, J. and Coté, O.R.: 1972, ‘Spectral Characteristics Of Surface-Layer Turbulence’, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 98, 563–589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milford, C., Theobald, M.R., Nemitz, E. and Sutton, M.: 2001, ‘Dynamics of Ammonia Exchange in Response to Cutting and Fertilising in an Intensively-Managed Grassland’, Water, air soil pollut. 1, 167–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, W.J., Spicer, C.W., et al.: 1998, ‘Eddy Correlation Fluxes of Trace Gases Using a Tandem Mass Spectrometer’, Atmos. Environ. 32(17), 2887–2898.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutton, M. A., Burkhardt, J. K., et al.: 1995, ‘Measurement and Modelling of Ammonia Exchange over Arable Croplands’, in G. J. Heij and J. W. Erisman (eds.), Acid Rain Research: Do we have Enough Answers? pp. 71–80.

  • Sutton, M.A., Nemitz, E., Milford, C., Fowler, D., Moreno, J., San José, R., Wyers, G.P., Otjes, R.P., Harrison, R., Husted, S. and Schjørring, J.K.: 2000, ‘Micrometeorological Measurements of Net Ammonia Fluxes over Oilseed Rape during Two Vegetation Periods’, Agric. Forest Meteorol. 105(4), 351–369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahniser, M.S., Nelson, D.D., McManus, J.B., Kebabian, P.L.: 1995, ‘Measurement of Trace Gas Fluxes Using Tuneable Diode Laser Spectroscopy’, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 351, 371–382.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Famulari.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Famulari, D., Fowler, D., Hargreaves, K. et al. Measuring Eddy Covariance Fluxes of Ammonia Using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy. Water Air Soil Pollut: Focus 4, 151–158 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11267-004-3025-1

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11267-004-3025-1

Keywords

Navigation