Should Latitudinal Atmospheric Trace Vapor Concentrations Be Reported on a Mass Density Basis?
For the past several decades the issue of global atmospheric trace vapor migration has been of concern to environmental professionals concerned with global distillation/cold condensation of toxic compounds, contamination of remote ecosystems, global climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion. In response to this concern, experimental databases of latitudinal trace vapor concentrations and global atmospheric transport models have been developed. These experimental databases typically contain vapor concentration data in units of mass concentration (e.g., ng/m3), volume fraction (e.g., parts per million) and mole fraction (e.g., parts per million). In contrast to measurements reported in units of volume and mole fractions, we will demonstrate that mass concentration data are functionally dependent on tropospheric temperature. Hence, the value of atmospheric trace gas concentration data reported on a mass concentration basis is severely limited unless concurrent atmospheric temperatu
