The first of two field deployments of the MIRTHE Student Led Independent Project (SLIP) took place from October 24-November 2, 2011 at a site near the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Technology Research Center (TRC) in Baltimore, Maryland. This first deployment featured three quantum cascade laser (QCL)-based trace gas sensors and a Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) sensor --all developed by MIRTHE -- which were used to perform measurements of greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, CH4) and air quality relevant species (CO, NH3) alongside collocated meteorological and soil measurements. In addition to testing sensor performance in the field, the measurements provided information about atmospheric carbon and nitrogen fluxes in the urban environment of Baltimore. Methods for comparing soil fluxes of CO2, N2O and CH4 using laser-based sensors with conventional flux chamber methods were also explored. A more extensive field campaign is planned for spring 2012. This ongoing interdisciplinary and cross-institutional project features five graduate students and four post-doctoral fellows from four different research groups at Princeton University and Johns Hopkins University. Read more...

Graduate student (l-r) David Miller with post-doctoral researcher Dr. Lei Tao and fellow graduate student Kang Sun in front of the UMBC field site