Instrument

GC-MS
Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometry

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) is an in situ measurement technique used to analyze volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. It employs gas chromatography to separate components of an air sample, and mass spectrometry to ionize, identify, and quantify gas species. GC-MS is utilized to detect VOCs, halocarbons, hydrocarbons, and various other pollutants. It can be used for ground-based or airborne operations.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Overview

Instrument Details

Measurement Type

Meter/Analyzer

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Non-methane Hydrocarbons/volatile Organic Compounds

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens > Halocarbons

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Air Quality > Volatile Organic Compounds

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds

Vertical Measurement Regions

Troposphere

Temporal Resolution

Variable

Spatial Resolution

Point

Measurement Frequency

N/A

Calibration Details

https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD003199

Online Information

Lead Investigator
Eric Apel
Technical Contact
Eric Apel
Instrument Maker
Currently unavailable
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repositories
- Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC (ORNL)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

DC-8

Douglas DC-8

45 Campaigns · 182 Instruments

SEAC4RS

Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys

2013

North America including portions of Canada, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico

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· 20 Data Products

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 21 Data Products

ARCTAS

Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites

2008

Alaska, Western Canada, California

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· 27 Data Products

FIREX-AQ

Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

2019

Northwestern and Southeastern US

view all deployment dates

· 27 Data Products

TRACE

Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator

1992—2001

Brazil, Southern Africa, Tropical Atlantic, Central & Western Regions of the Pacific Ocean Basin

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· 25 Data Products

PEM

Pacific Exploratory Mission

1991—1999

Pacific Ocean

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· 51 Data Products

Image of a FLUXNET tower in Harvard Forests, Maine

Permanent Land Site

Stationary

62 Campaigns · 101 Instruments

DISCOVER-AQ

Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality

2011—2014

Baltimore MD, San Joaquin Valley CA, Houston TX, Denver CO

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· 77 Data Products

C-23 Sherpa

Short Brothers C-23 Sherpa

4 Campaigns · 22 Instruments

OWLETS

Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study

2017—2018

Chesapeake Bay

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· 12 Data Products

Vehicle

21 Campaigns · 69 Instruments

LISTOS

Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study

2017—2019

New York City metropolitan and Long Island Sound area, Northeastern U.S.

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· 17 Data Products

MOOSE

Michigan-Ontario Ozone Source Experiment

2021

Southern Ontario, Southeastern Michigan

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· 2 Data Products

Cessna 402B

UMD Cessna 402B

5 Campaigns · 11 Instruments

LISTOS

Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study

2017—2019

New York City metropolitan and Long Island Sound area, Northeastern U.S.

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· 17 Data Products

Field Site

Stationary

74 Campaigns · 176 Instruments

LMOS

Lake Michigan Ozone Study

2017

Lake Michigan

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· 13 Data Products

CITE

Global Tropospheric Experiment - Chemical Instrument Test and Evaluation

1983—1989

Wallops Island, Hawaii, Central Pacific, California, Eastern Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic

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· 6 Data Products

AEROMMA

Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas

2023

Urban regions across the western and eastern United States

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· 0 Data Products

PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001

Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada

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· 8 Data Products

MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006

Mexico City Metropolitan Area

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· 0 Data Products

CARES

Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study

2010

Central Valley, California

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· 0 Data Products

CalNex

California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change

2010

California

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· 0 Data Products

KORUS-AQ

Korean United States - Air Quality

2016

South Korean peninsula, including surrounding seas

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· 20 Data Products

WB-57

NASA WB-57

17 Campaigns · 84 Instruments

TC4

Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling

2007

Costa Rica, tropical Eastern Pacific

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· 2 Data Products

CV-990

Convair CV-990

1 Campaign · 8 Instruments

CITE

Global Tropospheric Experiment - Chemical Instrument Test and Evaluation

1983—1989

Wallops Island, Hawaii, Central Pacific, California, Eastern Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic

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· 6 Data Products

Electra

Lockheed L-188C Electra

6 Campaigns · 37 Instruments

CITE

Global Tropospheric Experiment - Chemical Instrument Test and Evaluation

1983—1989

Wallops Island, Hawaii, Central Pacific, California, Eastern Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic

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· 6 Data Products

ABLE

Global Tropospheric Experiment - Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment

1984—1990

Tropical North Atlantic Ocean, Amazon Rainforest, Greenland, Eastern Canada, Alaska

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· 25 Data Products

P-3

P-3 Orion

30 Campaigns · 153 Instruments

PEM

Pacific Exploratory Mission

1991—1999

Pacific Ocean

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· 51 Data Products

TRACE

Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator

1992—2001

Brazil, Southern Africa, Tropical Atlantic, Central & Western Regions of the Pacific Ocean Basin

view all deployment dates

· 25 Data Products

C-130

C-130 Hercules

17 Campaigns · 97 Instruments

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 21 Data Products

MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006

Mexico City Metropolitan Area

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

CV-580

Convair-580

8 Campaigns · 45 Instruments

PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001

Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada

view all deployment dates

· 8 Data Products

Data Products

Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.

Campaigns

Platforms

Formats

TRACE-P DC-8 In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/TRACE-P/TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsTransport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsGTE

INTEXA_DC8_AIRCRAFT10.5067/ASDCDAAC/INTEXA/0008

CampaignsIntercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

LISTOS Surface Mobile Platform In-Situ Data10.5067/Suborbital/LISTOS/SurfaceMobile_InSitu_Data_1

CampaignsLong Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study

PlatformsVehicle, M/V Park City

LISTOS University of Maryland Cessna Aircraft In-Situ Data10.5067/Suborbital/LISTOS/AircraftInSitu_UMDAircraft_Data_1

CampaignsLong Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study

PlatformsUMD Cessna 402B

LMOS Zion Ground Site Data10.5067/Suborbital/LMOS/Ground_Zion_Data_1

CampaignsLake Michigan Ozone Study

PlatformsField Site

PEM Tropics A DC-8 In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/PEM-Tropics-A/TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsPacific Exploratory Mission

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsGTE

OWLETS-1 Sherpa Aircraft Data10.5067/Suborbital/OWLETS-1/SherpaAircraft_Data_1

CampaignsOzone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study

PlatformsShort Brothers C-23 Sherpa

INTEXB_C130_AIRCRAFT10.5067/ASDCDAAC/INTEXB/0011

CampaignsIntercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

PlatformsC-130 Hercules

PEM Tropics B P-3B In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/PEM-Tropics-B/TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_P3B_Data_1

CampaignsPacific Exploratory Mission

PlatformsP-3 Orion

FormatsGTE

TRACE-P P-3B In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/TRACE-P/TraceGas_InSitu_P3B_Data_1

CampaignsTransport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator

PlatformsP-3 Orion

FormatsGTE

DISCOVER-AQ California Deployment Analysis and Ancillary Ground Site Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DISCOVERAQ_California_Ground_Analysis_Ancillary_Data_1

CampaignsDeriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality

PlatformsPermanent Land Site

FormatsICARTT

FIREX-AQ DC-8 In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

SEAC4RS DC-8 Aircraft In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SEAC4RS_TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsStudies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FIREX-AQ Merge Data Files10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_Merge_Data_2

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

INTEXB_DC8_AIRCRAFT10.5067/ASDCDAAC/INTEXB/0008

CampaignsIntercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

NARSTO PAC2001 Langley Site Gaseous, Particle, and Meteorological Data10.5067/ASDCDAAC/NARSTO/0011

CampaignsPacific 2001 Air Quality Study

PlatformsField Site

FormatsASCII

NARSTO Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study (PAC2001) Slocan Park (SLPK) Slocan Park Site Gaseous, Partculate Matter (PM), and Meteorological Data10.5067/ASDCDAAC/NARSTO/0010

CampaignsPacific 2001 Air Quality Study

PlatformsField Site

FormatsASCII

NARSTO PAC2001 Sumas Eagle Ridge Gaseous, Particle, and Meteorological Data10.5067/ASDCDAAC/NARSTO/0009

CampaignsPacific 2001 Air Quality Study

PlatformsField Site

FormatsASCII

CITE-2 Electra In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/CITE-2/TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_Electra_Data_1

CampaignsGlobal Tropospheric Experiment - Chemical Instrument Test and Evaluation

PlatformsLockheed L-188C Electra

FormatsGTE

CITE-3 Electra In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/CITE-3/TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_Electra_Data_1