August 13th, 2016Thunderstorms are powerful things: their churning circulation can stir gases from the lower atmosphere into the upper atmosphere and even the lower stratosphere. They can also scrub gases out of the air by dissolving them in raindrops, a process known as scavenging. In a new study, INSTAAR scientists in collaboration with other scientists at CU and NCAR found that scavenging is not nearly as effective as previously believed for some soluble and highly reactive trace gases, a result that may change our views of atmospheric chemistry in a warming climate.
November 20th, 2013The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded a team of scientists, including INSTAAR director James White, with the most recent Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Outstanding Scientific Paper Award for their work on atmospheric methane.
July 24th, 2002Research by David Anderson and colleagues indicates the Asian southwest monsoon, which affects the livelihood of millions of people, appears to have increased in intensity during the last four centuries, perhaps as a result of warming in the Northern Hemisphere.
November 29th, 2018Boulder County residents have been keeping a close eye on a website hosted by INSTAAR, which tracks levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, in the air at the Boulder Reservoir. VOCs that have been recorded include chemicals like methane and butane, which are harmful to our environment, as well as chemicals like benzene, which is a known carcinogen for humans. Dr. Detlev Helmig will discuss his findings.
November 27th, 2018Longmont likely experiences highest levels of volatile organic compounds, ozone caused by oil, gas drilling of Boulder County municipalities, suggests work from the Atmospheric Research Lab.
September 5th, 2018Alpine ecosystems struggle to recover from nitrogen deposition, shows a new study led by Bill Bowman.
August 29th, 2018Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley, National Geographic Explorer and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, blogs for National Geographic about starting a study seeking to determine whether the chemical signature of human development moves in rainwater to the wilds of BC, the US, Ecuador, and Patagonia down the American Cordillera.
June 8th, 2018For their first hands-on engineering project, a group of eight freshmen took on a big challenge – take air quality data and help turn it into art. Their section of the college’s First-Year Engineering Projects class (GEEN 1400) teamed with artist and CU alum Ken Bernstein to make a prototype for a large interactive sculpture he plans, which will make air quality data being collected by INSTAAR and other Colorado agencies more visual.