Role

Nick Allen is a Higher Research Scientist within the Gas Metrology and Trace Analysis group specialising in the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Currently his research is focused on the development of new methods and standards for the accurate measurement of VOCs in the atmosphere. There is growing scientific interest in the role VOCs play in the atmosphere due to the effect their emissions have on air quality. VOCs include a diverse range of species which have both anthropogenic and biogenic sources.

Nick's other research interests include the detection of halogenated trace gases using infrared spectroscopy.

Biography

Nick obtained his MChem degree from the University of Warwick in 2007, followed by a PhD in atmospheric chemistry at the University of York which he completed in 2011. His research included the retrieval and quantification of novel VOC and halogenated trace gas species measured by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite using Fourier transform spectroscopy.

His work to obtain the first atmospheric global distribution of carbon tetrachloride was included in the latest United Nations WMO report.

Selected publications

• Global carbon tetrachloride distributions obtained from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE)
  Allen, N. D. C., Bernath, P.F., Boone, C. D., Chipperfield, M. P.; Fu, D., Manney, G. L., Oram, D. E., Toon, G. C., Weisenstein, D. K.
  Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 9 (19), pp 7449-7459 (2009)
• Acetonitrile (CH3CN) infrared absorption cross sections in the 3 micron region
  Allen, N. D. C., Harrison, J. J., Bernath, P. F.
  Journal of Quantiative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 112 (12), pp 1961-1966
  DOI: 10.1016/j.jqsrt.2011.04.001 (2011)
• First remote sensing observations of trifluoromethane (HFC-23) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere
  Harrison, J. J., Boone, C. D., Brown, A. T., Allen, N. D. C., Toon, G. C., Bernath, P. F.
  Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 117 (D05308)
  DOI: 10.1029/2011JD016423 (2012)

Contact details

E-mail: nick.allen@npl.co.uk
Tel: 020 8943 6913