Dr. Eric Apel heads the ACOM Experimental Science Section (ESS) and leads the VOC Measurement Group in the Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling laboratory at NCAR. His research interests focus on the atmospheric emissions and fate of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), both natural and anthropogenic. He received his Ph.D. working with Dr. Edward K. C. Lee at the University of California, Irvine, where he studied the photochemistry and photophysics of small molecules. He has over 30 years of experience in the measurement and analysis of gas-phase VOCs. Apel has led a largely successful global effort to harmonize VOC measurements from research groups worldwide. He has also led the development and deployment of state-of-the-art instrumentation to measure VOCs in the atmosphere, including the NCAR Trace Organic Gas Analyzer (TOGA). Recently he led the development of the TOGA-TOF, an advanced next generation instrument that uses a time-of-flight mass spectrometer as the detector. Apel and his group have participated in a large number of NSF and NASA-funded field campaigns, both airborne and ground-based, including OASIS-2009, BEACHON-ROCS, TORERO, DC3, NOMADSS, CONTRAST, FRAPPÉ, WINTER, ORCAS, ATom, WE-CAN, FIREX-AQ, ACCLIP, and ASIA-AQ. Recent efforts from his laboratory include the development of the WASPP, a drone-based platform for meteorological measurements coupled with the capability for collecting up to 15 whole air samples per flight for the subsequent analysis of a wide range of VOCs. Apel investigates the role of VOCs (non-methane hydrocarbons, oxygenated volatile organic compounds, and CFCs and HCFCs) that directly impact the chemistry of the troposphere and lower stratosphere with a special emphasis on the interpretation of these measurements with respect to their impact on cycles of NOx, HOx and halogens. Apel actively seeks opportunities to host undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral scholars.
