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Organic Trace Gases in the Atmosphere: An Overview

Jonathan Williams

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Air Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany. Email: williams@mpch-mainz.mpg.de

Jonathan Williams is an atmospheric chemist. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry and French and his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia, England. Between 1995 and 1997 he worked at the NOAA Aeronomy laboratory in Boulder, USA. He has participated in many international field campaigns, on aircraft and ships, and at ground stations. His present research involves investigating the chemistry of reactive organic species in the atmosphere, and he leads a group with this aim at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany. In his spare time he enjoys sailing, swimming, and the occasional beer.

Environmental Chemistry 1(3) 125-136 https://doi.org/10.1071/EN04057
Submitted: 20 July 2004 Accepted: 27 September 2004 Published: 7 December 2004

Environmental Context. The major carbon-containing atmospheric gases (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane) are found in the atmosphere at the parts-per-million levels, where they affect physical phenomena such as the greenhouse effect. There are however many more carbon-containing gases at much lower levels with many and varied roles; in the main these gases are more chemically active and affect principally chemical phenomena such as the ozone budget.

Abstract. An overview of atmospheric organic trace gases is presented. This work is suited to those new to the field and to those seeking to place related activities in a broader context.

Keywords. : atmospheric chemistry — gases — regional scale — persistent pollutants — sink (atmospheric)

Acknowledgements

I am grateful for the fruitful coffee break discussions and feedback from my colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, in particular John Crowley, Horst Fischer, Carl Brennikmeijer, Franz Slemr, Joachim Curtius, Gavin Salisbury, Stephan Bormann, Jürgen Kesselmeier, and Jos Lelieveld. Two anonymous reviewers are thanked for helpful suggestions.

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