Donald R. BlakeProfessor, Chemistry Professor, Earth System Science |
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Research Interests |
Atmospheric Chemistry | |
| URL | http://www.physsci.uci.edu/~rowlandblake/ | |
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Academic Distinctions |
Outstanding Professor Alpha Phi Society, 2000, 2002 NASA Group Achievement Award, 1993, 1998, 2000 UCI Chemistry Department Outstanding Teaching Award, 1979 Bank of America Chemistry Award, 1975 |
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| Appointments |
Postdoctoral Reseach Associate, UCI, 1984-1985 Research Specialist, UCI, 1985-1991 Associate Research Chemist, UCI, 1991-1994 Research Chemist, UCI, 1994-1998 Professor of Chemistry, UCI, 1998-Present |
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Research Abstract |
Atmospheric composition is changing at an unprecedented rate. Our research research group identifies and quantifies atmospheric gases (a) remote locations throughout the Pacific region from Alaska to New Zealand: (b) highly polluted cities throughout the world; and (c) areas with special conditions, such as burning forests and/or agricultural wastes, or the marine boundary layer in oceanic locations with high biological emissions. Whole air samples are collected on land, ships, and aircraft and are returned to our laboratory for analysis. Gas chromatography utilizing flame ionization detection, electron capture detection, and mass spectrometry is our main analytical tool. A three gas chromatograph analytical system is used to quantify about 150 halocarbons, nonmethane hydrocarbons, and alkyl nitrates ranging in mole fraction from about 2 parts per billion to 10 parts per quadrillion. In an attempt to determine "background" concentrations of selected trace gases, since 1978 we have been collecting air samples at surface locations every three months in Pacific regions from northern Alaska to southern New Zealand. Results from this "background" study recently led to our discovery that methyl bromide, a gas that significantly affects stratospheric ozone concentrations, has a tropospheric seasonal cycle. This finding provides an important constraint on hemispheric and seasonal methyl bromide sources and removal processes. Energy use, principally fossil fuel combustion, in eastern Asia has increased substantially during the past decade and likely will continue into the next decade. Concentration data for samples collected in various Chinese cities and rural areas by group members and colleagues from Hong Kong and Guangzhou will be used to help better constrain emission inventories used in chemical models of the atmosphere. Since 1988 our research group has been involved in NASA and NSF sponsored airborne projects. The general motivation for these experiments is regional or global change. For example, the 1991 and 1994 NASA Pacific Exploratory Missions-west (PEM-west) were designed in part to determine baseline concentrations of trace gases and aerosols in air advected from the Asian continent. NASAs 2001 TRACE-P airborne mission flown in the same region and season (winter/spring) as the 1994 PEM provided valuable information regarding changes in atmospheric concentrations of important trace gases. The Japanese Space Agency missions (PEACE) flown in winter and spring of 2002 were in part designed to extend the seasonal observations of the TRACE-P project. Graduate students are involved in building equipment, aircraft integration, collecting samples during flights, analyzing samples at our home laboratory, interpreting data, preparing manuscripts, designing sampling studies for various projects, and writing proposals. Professor F. Sherwood Rowland and I share the research group and all graduate students. Current Projects Include: GREENLAND NSF-- Investigation of photochemical transformations within snow and their effect on snows and atmospheric composition TRAVEL NASA-- Latitudinal tropospheric concentration distributions of selected halocarbons and hydrocarbons Urban DOE-- Volatile organic compounds and their distribution in selected U.S. cities INTEX NASA-- Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Oceanic GCI (private)-- Marine emissions of radiatively important trace gases to the atmosphere SOFEX NSF-- Southern Ocean Iron Experiment ANTCI NSF--A Collaborative Project: Antarctic Tropshpere Chemistry Investigation |
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| Publications | "Changing Concentrations of CO, CH4, C5H8, CH3Br, CH3I, and Dimethyl Sulfide during the Southern Ocean Iron Enrichment Experiments", Wingenter OW, Haase KB, Strutton P, Friederich G, Meinardi S, Blake DR, and Rowland FS. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America , 2004 101(23), 8537-8541 | |
| "Long-term Decrease in the Global Atmospheric Burden of Tetrachloroethene(C2Cl4)", Simpson IJ, Meinardi S, Blake NJ, Rowland FS, and Blake DR. Geophysical Research Letters, 2004 31(8), L08108/1-L08108/5. | ||
| "Organic Trace Gases of Oceanic Origin Observed at South Pole during ISCAT 2000", Swanson AL, Davis DD, Arimoto R, Roberts P, Atlas EL, Flocke F, Meinardi S, Rowland FS, and Blake DR. Atmospheric Environment, 2004 38(32), 5463-5472. | ||
| "Extensive Regional Atmospheric Hydrocarbon Pollution in the Southwestern United States", Katzenstein AS, Doezema LA, Simpson IJ, Blake DR, and Rowland FS. Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, 2003, 100, 21, 11975-11979. | ||
| "Implications of the Recent Fluctuations in the Growth Rate of Tropospheric Methane." Simpson IJ, Blake, DR, Rowland FS. Geophysical Research Letters, 2002, 29, 10.1029/2001IGL014521. | ||
| "Impact of the Leakange of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) on Santiago Air Quality." Chen T-Y,Simpson IS, Blake, DR, and Rowland FS. Geophysical Research Letters, 2001, 28, (N11), 2193-2196. | ||
| "Compensation of Atmospheric CO2 Buildup through Engineered Chemical Sinkage." Elliott S, Lackner KS, Ziock JJ, Dubey MK, Hanson HP, Barr S, Ciszkowski NA, Blake DR. Geophysical Research Letters, 2001, 2828 (N7), 1,235-1,238. | ||
| "Large-scale Latitudinal and Vertical Distributions of NMHCs and Selected Halocarbons in the Tropsphere over the Pacific Ocean during the March-April 1999 Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM-Tropics B)." Blake NJ, Blake DR, Simpson IJ, Lopez JP, Johnston NAC, Swanson AL, Katzenstein AS, Meinardi S, Sive BC, Colman JJ, Atlas E, Flocke F, Vay SA, Avery MA, Rowland FS. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2001, 106 (D23), 32,627-32,644. | ||
| "Monoaromatic Compounds in Ambient Air of Various Cities: A Focus on Correlations between the Xylenes and Ethylbenzene." Monod A, Sive BC, Avino P, Chen T, Blake DR, Rowland FS. Atmospheric Environment, 2001, 35, (N1), 135-149. | ||
| "Description of the Analysis of a Wide Range of Volatile Organic Compounds in Whole Air Samples Collected during PEM-Tropics A and B." Colman JJ, Swanson AL, Meinardi S, Sive BC, Blake, DR, Rowland, FS. Analytical Chemistry, 2001, 73 (N15), 3723-3731. | ||
| "Estimation of Global Vehicular Methyl Bromide Emissions: Extrapolation from a Case Study in Santiago, Chile." Chen TY, Blake DR, Lopez, JP, Rowland, FS Geophysical Research Letters, 1999, 26, 283-286. | ||
| "The Atmospheric Residence Time of Methyl Bromide Estimated from the Junge Spatial Variability Relationship." Colman JJ, Blake DR, Rowland FS. Science, 1998, 281, 392-396. | ||
| Link to this profile | http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=4579 | |
| Last updated | 02/22/2005 | |
