The Convective Transport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST) Experiment.

The Convective Transport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST) experiment was conducted from Guam (13.5° N, 144.8° E) during January-February 2014. Using the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V research aircraft, the experiment investigated the photochemical environment over the tropical western Pacific (TWP) warm pool, a region of massive deep convection and the major pathway for air to enter the stratosphere during Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter. The new observations provide a wealth of information for quantifying the influence of convection on the vertical distributions of active species. The airborne in situ measurements up to 15 km altitude fill a significant gap by characterizing the abundance and altitude variation of a wide suite of trace gases. These measurements, together with observations of dynamical and microphysical parameters, provide significant new data for constraining and evaluating global chemistry climate models. Measurements include precursor and product gas species of reactive halogen compounds that impact ozone in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere. High accuracy, in-situ measurements of ozone obtained during CONTRAST quantify ozone concentration profiles in the UT, where previous observations from balloon-borne ozonesondes were often near or below the limit of detection. CONTRAST was one of the three coordinated experiments to observe the TWP during January-February 2014. Together, CONTRAST, ATTREX and CAST, using complementary capabilities of the three aircraft platforms as well as ground-based instrumentation, provide a comprehensive quantification of the regional distribution and vertical structure of natural and pollutant trace gases in the TWP during NH winter, from the oceanic boundary to the lower stratosphere.

Atmospheric benzenoid emissions from plants rival those from fossil fuels.

Despite the known biochemical production of a range of aromatic compounds by plants and the presence of benzenoids in floral scents, the emissions of only a few benzenoid compounds have been reported from the biosphere to the atmosphere. Here, using evidence from measurements at aircraft, ecosystem, tree, branch and leaf scales, with complementary isotopic labeling experiments, we show that vegetation (leaves, flowers, and phytoplankton) emits a wide variety of benzenoid compounds to the atmosphere at substantial rates. Controlled environment experiments show that plants are able to alter their metabolism to produce and release many benzenoids under stress conditions. The functions of these compounds remain unclear but may be related to chemical communication and protection against stress. We estimate the total global secondary organic aerosol potential from biogenic benzenoids to be similar to that from anthropogenic benzenoids (~10 Tg y(-1)), pointing to the importance of these natural emissions in atmospheric physics and chemistry.

First eddy covariance flux measurements by PTR-TOF.

The recently developed PTR-TOF instrument was evaluated to measure methanol fluxes emitted from grass land using the eddy covariance method. The high time resolution of the PTR-TOF allowed storing full mass spectra up to m/z 315 with a frequency of 10 Hz. Three isobaric ions were found at a nominal mass of m/z 33 due to the high mass resolving power of the PTR-TOF. Only one of the three peaks contributed to eddy covariance fluxes. The exact mass of this peak agrees well with the exact mass of protonated methanol (m/z 33.0335). The eddy covariance methanol fluxes measured with PTR-TOF were compared to virtual disjunct eddy covariance methanol fluxes simultaneously measured with a conventional PTR-MS. The methanol fluxes from both instruments show excellent agreement.

[Medical check-ups on the <>. Benefit for population at risk or self-selection of healthy and health-conscious patients?]. / Medizinische Check-ups auf dem Gesundheitsschiff. Nutzen für Risikogruppen oder Selbstelektion gesunder und gesundheitsbewusster Patienten?

The aim of the present study was to assess health related characteristics and reasons for participation on the <>, second, to compare these variables with a representative Swiss Health Survey (SHS). Characteristics of the participants were collected cross-sectionally and afterwards compared with results of the SHS. Response rate was 74.6% (n = 206). Compared to the SHS population smoking rate and alcohol consumption were significantly lower and a doctor's visit within the last 12 months more frequent. Considerable differences in health related characteristics exist between our study and the SHS suggesting a self-selection of healthy people. Thus a potential health gain by this kind of medical prevention program is at least questionable.