Course-PM

SEE155 Environmental measurement techniques HT24 (7.5 hp)

This course is offered by the department of Space, Earth and Environment.

Useful links

• General instructions
• Lecture slides
• Experiments
• Writing a report
• Study visit: Onsala Space Observatory

Contact details

• Examiner and course responsible: Johan Mellqvist  (JM)
• Teachers:
  • Santiago Arellano (SA)
  • Vladimir Conde (VC)
• Guest (research) lecturers:
  
  • Samuel Brohede, FluxSense AB
  • Maxime Prignon, SEE-Chalmers
  • Åsa Hallquist, IVL-Swedish Environmental Research Institute 

Course purpose

  

Preliminary Schedule

Schedule on TimeEdit

The plan of the works will be as follows:

Course activities

Week 1 (week number 45):

Introduction and lectures.

• Tuesday 13:15-14:00: Introduction to the course and practical information Kemi L2 ( JM, SA & VC )
• Tuesday 14:15-15:00:  Lecture 1,  Main concepts in atmospheric science; ( JM), Kemi L2
• Tuesday 15:15-17:00:   Lecture 2, Important environmental problems (JM),Kemi L2
• Thursday 13:15-17:00: Lecture 3, Practical exercise on measurement uncertainties (JM)
  • 2 h lecture and 2 h class room laboration. Bring laptop, calculator, paper and pen. 
• Friday 13:15-15:00: Lecture 4, Spectroscopic methods (SA), Kemi L2

Week 2 (week number 46):

Work on experiments and lecture.

Students have been organized into four groups: 1, 2, 3, and 4 

• Experiment A: Measurement of atmospheric NO₂ in Gothenburg (groups 1, 2). This experiment takes place at room 4340, EDIT-building, floor 4, SEE department. The experiment is run with an open window, please bring warm clothes.

• • Monday 13.15-17.00:  Laboratory experiment A (group 1 ; SA)
  • Tuesday 13.15-17.00:  Laboratory experiment A (group 2; SA)
  • Thursday 15:15-16:15: Supervision (group 1; SA), Kemi L2
  • Thursday 16:15-17:15: Supervision (group 2; SA), Kemi L2
• Experiment B: Environmental measurements with gas particle sensor unit (groups 3, 4) 
  • Tuesday 13.15-17:00:   Introduction and assignment of experiment B (groups 3, 4; JM & VC). Kemi L2 
    • Bring your own computer for installation of logging software. 
  • Thursday 13:15-14:15:  Supervision laboratory experiment B (group 3; JM & VC), Kemi L2
  • Thursday 14:15-15:15:  Supervision laboratory experiment B (group 4; JM & VC), Kemi L2
• Friday 13:15-15:00:  Lecture 5,  Remote sensing of the environment (SA), Kemi L2 

Week 3 (week number 47):

Work on experiments and lecture.

• Experiment A (groups 1, 2) 
  • Tuesday 13:15-14:15: Supervision (group 1; SA), 4315, Kemi L2
  • Tuesday 14:15-15:15: Supervision (group 2; SA), 4315, Kemi L2
  • Thursday 15:15-16:15: Supervision (group 1; SA), Kemi L2
  • Thursday 16:15-17:15: Supervision (group 2; SA), Kemi L2
• Experiment B (groups 3, 4) Note that this experiment takes place in ORS lab (EDIT ,  building, floor 4, ED-4346, SEE department.
  • Tuesday 13:15-15:00: Calibrations (group 3; VC), ORS lab
  • Tuesday 15:15-17:00: Calibrations (group 4; VC), ORS-lab
  • Thursday 13:15-14:15:  Supervision laboratory experiment B (group 3; JM & VC) 4315, Kemi L2
  • Thursday 14:15-15:15:  Supervision laboratory experiment B (group 4; JM & VC) 4315, Kemi L2 
• Friday 13:15-15:00:  Lecture 6, In-situ environmental measurement techniques (all groups; JM) 

Week 4 (week number 48):

Work on experiments and lecture. 

• Experiment A: Measurement of atmospheric NO₂ in Gothenburg  (groups 3, 4; SA). This experiment takes place at room 4315, EDIT-building, floor 4, SEE department. The experiment is run with an open window, please bring warm clothes.

• • Monday 13.15-17.00: Laboratory experiment A (group 3; SA)
  • Tuesday 13.15-17.00: Laboratory experiment A (group 4; SA)
  • Thursday 15:15-16:15: Supervision (group 1; SA), Kemi L2
  • Thursday 16:15-17:15: Supervision (group 2; SA), Kemi L2
• Experiment B: Environmental measurements with gas particle sensor unit (groups 1, 2) 
  • Tuesday 13.15-17:00:  Introduction and assignment of experiment B (groups 1, 2; JM & VC). Kemi L2 
    • Bring your own computer for installation of logging software. 
  • Thursday 15:15-16:15:  Supervision laboratory experiment B (group 1; JM & VC) 4315, Kemi L2
  • Thursday 16:15-17:00:  Supervision laboratory experiment B (group 2; JM & VC) 4315, Kemi L2

• Friday 13:15-15:00: Lecture  7, Need and complexity of measurements (all groups; JM)

Week 5 (week number 49):

Work on experiments, practical exercise and guest lecture. 

• Experiment A (groups 3, 4) 
  • Tuesday 13:15-14:00: Supervision (group 3; SA). Kemi L2 
  • Tuesday 14:00-14:45: Supervision (group 4; SA), Kemi L2 
  • Friday 10:00-11:00: Supervision (group 3; SA), ED Big meeting room 
  • Friday 11:00-12:00: Supervision (group 4; SA), ED Big meeting room
• Experiment B (groups 1, 2) Note that this experiment takes place in  ORS- lab (EDIT ,  building, floor 4, ED-4346, SEE department). 
  • Tuesday 13:15-15:00: Calibrations (group 1; VC), ORS lab
  • Tuesday 15:15-17:00: Calibrations (group 2; VC), ORS-lab
  • Thursday 10:00-11:00: Supervision (groups 1; JM), ED Big meeting room 
  • Thursday 09:00-10:00: Supervision (groups 2; JM), ED Big meeting room  

• Thursday 13:00-17:00 Experiment C: Light-induced fluorescence of vegetation's chlorophyll (SA), 13-14 Group 1, 14-15 Group 2, 15-16 Group 3, 16-17 Group 4, room 4315, EDIT building, SEE department

• Friday 13:15-15:00: Guest lecture by Samuel Brohede (FluxSense AB) on measurements of VOC emissions from oil and gas industries (all groups; JM),  Kemi L2. 

Week 6 (week number 50):

Study visit and guest lectures. 

• Tuesday :  Deadline for report of experiments started in week 4
• Tuesday 13:15-17:00: Study visit to Onsala Space Observatory, Guest lecture by Maxime Prignon and Faustine Mascaut (TBD)  on atmospheric composition measurements using solar infrared measurements and passive microwave measurements (all groups; JM, SA, VC) 
• Friday 13:15-15:00:  Guest lecture by Åsa Hallquist (IVL-Swedish Environmental Research Institute) on measurements of emission from transport (all groups; JM), Kemi L2,  

Week 7 (week number 51):

Mini-workshop, quiz deadline and course wrap-up.

• Tuesday 13:15-17:00: Mini-workshop: presentations on final report (all groups; JM & VC), Kemi L2
• Thursday 13:15-15:00: Course wrap-up and preparations for exam, Kemi L2 

Calender week 2 

Thursday Jan 8, 13.15-1500, EXTRA Q&A  , Big meeting room (EDIT or 

https://chalmers.zoom.us/j/4178286748?omn=68284405958, Password: FTIR

Calender week 3

Thursday Jan 15, 8.30   Final exam 

Attendance and final exam

Experiments, study visit and guest lectures are compulsory.

The final exam will include questions about lectures, guest lectures, experiments and study visit.

Course design

This is an experimental course with less emphasis on the techniques, and more on the planning, execution, reporting, and use of experimental work.

The course starts with a series of general lectures on environmental problems, the principles of spectroscopy, uncertainty analysis, remote and in-situ measurement techniques. This is used as the foundation for the design and practice of experiments. Knowledge is completed through quizzes and active learning in the classroom.

Experiments are designed to promote the creativity and initiative of the students. The goal is to gain insight on the complexity of all stages of an experiment and how to make use of the results for modelling purposes. Three experiments will be done using in-situ methods and remote sensing of gases, particles, and biological material under natural conditions.

Reports are an important part of the course, they should be formulated clearly, completely, and accurately. They should allow another experimenter to reproduce the results.

Guest lectures and study visits will be offered to expand the views and share expertise related but not identical to what is learned through the experiments.

Supervision will be offered to plan, conduct, and analyze the results of experiments.

A seminar with presentations of results will be organized to compare and discuss the different findings.

The final exam will include questions from all lectures, experiments, and the study visit.

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives:

• Give examples of important environmental problems and explain the physical and chemical processes involved.
• List different measurement techniques that are commonly used to address these environmental problems and perform the corresponding measurements.
• Explain how geophysical information can be extracted from remote sensing and invasive/extractive measurements.
• Describe data evaluation, from measurement to geophysical product.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how uncertainties in measured data can affect model outputs.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.

Study plan

Course literature

No course textbook, but reading material will be distributed sequentially with the lectures, according to this table:

Lecture	Suggested reading	Comments
1, 2: Main concepts in atmospheric science and environmental problems	IPCC reports (https://www.ipcc.ch/), working group1, with focus on the scientific basis. Global carbon project (https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/). General on environmental change: Graedel, T.E. and Crutzen, P.J., Atmospheric Change: an earth system perspective, Freeman, 1993. Claes Bernes, en varmare värld, växthuseffekten och klimatets förändringar, 3:e upplagan.	Lecture 1 and 2  notes
3: Uncertainty	Overall description:  Uncertanty_calculations_v2.pdf GUM uncertainty calculation: https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/guides   p 44-5 23-24 Menditto,, Understanding Understanding the meaning of accuracy,trueness and precision  Understandingthemeaningofaccuracy....pdf	. Lecture 3 notes
4: Spectroscopy	Erwin Schanda, Physical Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, Chapter 2, 1986. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-48733-0_2 (free access through Chalmers network). This chapter is brushing through all the fundamental concepts of spectroscopy/quantum mechanics applied to atmospheric gases. You do not need to fully understand all mathematics, focus your reading on the concepts (different energy types, light/gas interaction, line broadening, application to atmosphere, ...	Lecture 4 notes
5: Remote sensing	W. G. Rees, Physical Principles of Remote Sensing, 2012. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/physical-principles-of-remote-sensing/DCAF651B9C09EBCA80843607D51478A9 (free access through Chalmers network, also available at the library). Chapter 1: Introduction Section 2.6 Thermal radiation (for remote sensing based on emission of radiation) Sections 3.4.1 and 3.4.2 offer an introduction on scattering Ulrich Platt & Jochen Stutz, Chapter 6 in Differential Absorption Spectroscopy , 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75776-4_6 (free access through Chalmers network) Focus your reading on sections 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5 Onsala lectures from Faustine and Maxime	Lecture 5 notes
6. In situ measurement techniques	https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-52171-4,  chapter 16 , p 475-483, chapter 18 p 535-541	Lecture 6 notes
7. Need and complexity of measurements	SOIL 1_187-205.pdf p 187-189   Eddy correlation egusphere-2023-1104.pdf   p 1-5    SOF measurements	Lecture 7 notes
Lab A	J. F. Noxon, Nitrogen Dioxide in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Measured by Ground-Based Absorption Spectroscopy, Science189, 547-549(1975), doi:10.1126/science.189.4202.547
Lab C	Lichtenthaler, H. K., & Miehé, J. A. (1997). Fluorescence imaging as a diagnostic tool for plant stress. Trends in Plant Science, 2(8), 316–320, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1360-1385(97)89954-2

Safety considerations

• The experiments of this course will not include the exposure to dangerous substances, nor the handling of dangerous equipment.
• All equipment should be used with the consent and following instructions of a supervisor.
• There is also room for creativity in the design of the experiments, but any potential risk must be discussed and approved by the teachers.

Technical information:

Appendixes - Lab A