Open Path Carbon Dioxide Sensor

50942-98-I Open Path Carbon Dioxide Sensor--LI-COR, Inc., 4421 Superior Street, Lincoln, NE 68504-1327; (402) 467-3576 Dr. Jonathan M. Welles, Principal Investigator Dr. Gregory L. Biggs, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82607 Amount: $75,000 Long term measurements of the sequestration of carbon by vegetative and oceanic ecosystems are required on a wide scale to understand and quantify their role in the carbon balance of the atmosphere. Such measurements require carbon dioxide sensors that are both accurate and robust. This project will design and build an open path sensor for the measurement of carbon dioxide and water vapor that has the necessary response and resolution for measuring fluxes by eddy covariance. This would allow the use of battery and or solar sources, give longer time between manintenance, and permit standardization of sensors. In Phase I the necessary characteristics of such a sensor will be determined, the optics and electronics required to achieve or exceed those specifications will be designed, and a working test platform to verify the design will be built. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Networks of sites are being formed around the world to measure fluxes of trace gasses above natural ecosystems. This sensor would greatly enhance the viability and usefulness of these networks, by providing rapid, robust measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor._