Infrared device for simultaneous measurement of fluctuations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and water vapor

An infrared device designed to measure simultaneous fluctuations of atmospheric CO2 and water vapor concentrations is described. The measuring frequency is 30 Hz. The sensing path length is 20 cm. It is compatible with the path length of the standard type of a sonic anemometer. The noise level of the device is equivalent to fluctuations of about 0.8 ppm peak-to-peak for CO2 and 0.02 g kg-1 peak-to-peak for water vapor. Field tests have showed that the device is suitable for simultaneous measurement of turbulent fluxes of CO2 and water vapor in conjunction with a sonic anemometer.