Laser spectroscopy is an emerging technology for measuring nitrous oxide (N₂O) dynamics in the environment, but most studies have focused on atmospheric applications. We have coupled a commercially available cavity ring-down spectroscope (CRDS) (Picarro G5101-i isotopic N₂O analyzer) to an air/water gas…

We present a novel determination of the dissolution kinetics of inorganic calcite in seawater. We dissolved ¹³C-labeled calcite in unlabeled seawater, and traced the evolving …

Automated in situ instrumentation captured high-resolution surface water pCO₂, CH₄ and²²²Rn data at the creek mouth, and ∼500 m upstream in a sub-tropical mangrove ecosystem (Southern Moreton Bay, Australia, S27.78°, E153.38°) over a spring-neap-spring tidal cycle (∼15 …

Estuaries have high rates of primary production and respiration and can be hotspots for carbon dioxide and methane enriched submarine groundwater discharge. Here, we report high resolution pCO₂, CH₄, δ¹³C–CO₂, δ¹³C–CH₄…

Automated cavity ring down spectroscopy was used to make continuous measurements of dissolved methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide in a coral reef lagoon for 2 weeks (Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef). Radon (²²²Rn) was used to trace the influence of tidally driven pore water exchange on greenhouse gas dynamics. Clear tidal variation was…

Floods frequently produce deoxygenation and acidification in waters of artificially drained coastal acid sulfate soil (CASS) wetlands. These conditions are ideal for carbon dioxide and methane production. We investigated CO₂ and CH₄ dynamics and quantified carbon loss within an artificially drained CASS wetland during and after a flood. We separated the…

Fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from unconventional gas extraction processes (e.g. shale gas, tight gas and coal bed methane/coal seam gas) are poorly understood due in part to the extensive area over which these emissions may occur. We apply a rapid qualitative approach for source assessment at the scale of a large gas field. A mobile cavity ring down spectrometer (Picarro G2201-…

The replacement of native species by invasive Phragmites australis in coastal wetlands may impact ecosystem processes including fluxes of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). To investigate differences in daytime CH…

We present a study of methane emissions from oil and gas producing well pad facilities in the Barnett Shale region of Texas, measured using an innovative ground-based mobile flux plane (MFP) measurement system, as part of the Barnett Coordinated Campaign. Using only public roads, we measured the emissions from nearly 200 well pads over 2 weeks in October 2013. The population of…

This study presents two methods for estimating methane emissions from a waste water treatment plant (WWTP) along with results from a measurement campaign at a WWTP in Valence, France. These methods, chamber measurements and tracer release, rely on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and cavity ring-down spectroscopy instruments. We show that the tracer release method is suitable…

A portable Wavelength Scanned-Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer (Picarro L2120) fitted with a diffusion sampler (DS-CRDS) was used for the first time to continuously measure δ¹⁸O and δ²H of stream water. The experiment took place during a storm event in a wet tropical agricultural catchment in north-eastern Australia. At a temporal…

Temperature reconstructions across Heinrich stadials 1–3 are presented from an absolute-dated speleothem from Abaco Island in the Bahamas to understand the nature of climate change across these intervals in the subtropical Atlantic. The stalagmite carbonate record, dated by the U–Th geochronometry technique, includes higher δ¹⁸O and …

Insights into the effects of stormwater control measures (SCMs) on urban stream hydrology and in-stream processes are required to understand their effectiveness in mitigating the environmental problems associated with urbanization. Stable water isotopes were applied to understand processes occurring within SCMs and their effects on water sourcing in urban streams. We sampled ten…

The isotopic composition of near surface (or planetary boundary layer) water vapor on the south coast of Iceland (63.83°N, 21.47°W) has been monitored in situ between November 2011 and April 2013. The calibrated data set documents seasonal variations in the relationship between δ¹⁸O and local humidity (ppmv) and between deuterium…

Laser-based spectroscopic techniques, such as cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS), provide a new, costeffective and more widely available approach to measure the oxygen isotope ratio in water molecules, H218O/H216O (d18O), and are used increasingly to measure d18O in the world’s oceans. Here, we present results froman interlaboratory comparison designed to evaluate the quality of…

Deuterium (dD) and oxygen (d18O) isotopes are powerful tracers of the hydrological cycle and have been extensively used for paleoclimate reconstructions as they can provide information on past precipitation,temperature and atmospheric circulation. More recently, the use of 17O excess derived from precise measurement of d17O and d18O gives new and additional insights in tracing the…

A laboratory and field experiment compared fluxes of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O measured with cavity ring-downspectroscopy (CRDS) and gas chromatography (GC). The comparison between CRDS and GC showed thataverage CO₂ fluxes were significantly higher for CRDS in both the laboratory and field, but the same experimental treatments effects were detected for…

A correction for the undesirable effects of direct and indirect cross-interference from water vapour on ammonia (NH₃) measurements was developed using an optical laser sensor based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy. This correction relied on new measurements of the collisional broadening due to water vapour of two NH₃ spectral…

As the research and development of renewable energy sources increases in momentum, it was great to have the opportunity to participate in the First European Photosynthesis Congress held at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden.

Picarro has been involved with high precision measurements of greenhouse gas processes for several years, especially measuring…

Describes development of and results obtained from an analyzer engineered by Picarro for measuring six important atmospheric contaminants (hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor and methane) that are of interest to researchers monitoring Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).

Picarro has developed a field-deployable, real time, ambient gas monitor capable of measuring atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia with parts-per-billion (ppbv) sensitivity and water vapor with parts-per-million (ppmv) sensitivity. Results from field trials of three different CO2 analyzers at Harvard, Penn State, and the NOAA facility in Boulder CO…

Description of field-deployable instrumentation that measures carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor with both high-accuracy and high-precision would reduce the uncertainty in the determination of terrestrial sources and sinks of these dominant greenhouse gases.

Results presented from field trials at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and laboratory tests at INSTAAR of a newly available analyzer capable of performing continuous measurements of stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) of liquid water and / or water vapor samples.

Picarro has developed an isotope analyzer for lab and field measurements of carbon isotopes in CO₂ with the goal of allowing turnkey analysis to be done without the need for flask samples and complex IRMS methods. Here we present a description of the analyzer and its technology as well as recent results from two different collaborators who utilized the analyzer.

Describing work by CSIRO, CO2 CRC and Picarro to characterize sequestration site leaks using tracers and isotopes.

Describes the first field data taken by Oregon State University of Picarro's dual-species Eddy-Covariance analyzer.

Describes work by INSTAAR, NOAA & Picarro on both liquid water and water vapor measurements of stable water isotopes.

From the EGU 2009 General Assembly, describing measurements of edible oils and chocolates made with Picarro's iTOC-CRDS Isotopic Carbon Analyzer.

Describes specific design aspects of WS-CRDS-based analyzers and how these details result in ultra-stable field measurements.

Describes how CRDS works and shows hydrogen, oxygen and carbon isotope data for water vapor, evapotranspiration, food and agricultural applications.

Describes liquid water and water vapor isotope measurements with the Picarro isotopic water analyzer.

Describes field testing of Picarro's fast analyzer for eddy covariance flux measurements of greenhouse gases.

Describes results of laboratory testing and field campaigns with Picarro's flight-ready greenhouse gas analyzer.

Describes results from a Picarro N2O analyzer based in the mid-infrared spectral region.

Describes a newly-developed analyzer for tracer-based measurements and shows results from field work using such a system.

Describes recent developments in GC-C-CRDS-based instrumentation applied to isotope measurements in large molecules.

Describes the flexibility of Picarro's fast water isotope analyzer for applications requiring very short sample-to-sample measurement times and shows data taken in lab and field measurements.

Describes recent developments in CRDS instrumentation in the mid-infrared spectral region for applications using N2O isotopologue and trace concentration measurements.

Describes field work conducted with Picarro water isotope analyzer for both water vapor and liquid water samples.

Describes use and methods for stable isotope-based food adulteration testing using Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometry.

Describes application and function of a the LIAISON, a new Picarro universal interface for high throughput analysis.

While stable isotope techniques have been previously applied to partition evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes in crops, it has only recently become possible to take in situ, long-term, continuous (every 10 seconds) measurements of stable water vapor isotopologues. A Picarro water vapor isotope analyzer (L1115-_i) based on cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) was recently…

The regulation of Earth’s climate and its ability to sustain life are critically linked to water as it exists in all three of its phases (gas, liquid, and solid). Earth’s water cycle, its movement between the hydrosphere, biosphere, and the atmosphere, and how it undergoes phase changes, is incredibly complex. While we continue to gain insight into the water cycle, there remains…

The quantification of fugitive methane emissions from extended sources such as landfills is problematic due to the high temporal variability and spatial heterogeneity of the emission. Additionally, the relationship between the emission rate and the gas concentration at a given location is dependent on the meteorological conditions and local topography, preventing accurate quantification of…

Cavity Ring-Down spectroscopy is becoming a gold standard for atmospheric monitoring. High sensitivity and precision coupled with low drift characteristics ensure optimal operation even in remote field stations or on aircraft and ships. However, current platforms have been limited to two or three species simultaneous observation. Research and development at Picarro have been focused on…

Hydrothermal fluids from two vent sites along the East Scotia Ridge, E2 and E9, were analyzed for their hydrogen and oxygen isotopic values using a Picarro L1115-i CRDS. The fluids display varying salinity, sulfate and hydrogen sulfide content. None of the samples analyzed in this work showed any signs of spectroscopic interference. Isotopic values of the fluids were combined with…

The world’s first continuous flow isotopic TIC/DOC-CRDS measurements are reported here with remarkable achieved precisions. A measurement precision of the isotopic ratio in the range of 0.2 ‰ to 0.4 ‰ was achieved in minutes of measurement time. Such precision readily distinguishes the isotopic DIC and DOC signatures from a set of three different streamwater samples collected from various…

Describes a field campaign wherein a Picarro water isotope analyzer was used to measure isotopes in water vapor over a corn field in China for the purpose of studying evapotranspiration. The Picarro sampled vapor along with a cold trap sampling system and the real-time Picarro data was compared to offline analysis of the trapped vapor.

The recent development of a field deployable water isotope analyzer using CRDS technology was used to directly measure the vapor isotopes in real time and at multiple heights above the crop canopy. This technique was coupled with additional samples gathered using conventional techniques and a new xylem water extracting apparatus developed by the IAEA.

In a paper published by the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), the drift performance of 47 Picarro analyzers of 3 different generations were compared (Yver Kowket al, Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., 8, 4219–4272, 2015). The results show that methane drift (the minimum of the Allan standard deviation) was much better in first-generation G1000 analyzers.