The effect of the novel HO 2 + NO → HNO 3 reaction channel at South Pole, Antarctica
Abstract It is well established that the reaction of HO 2 with NO plays a central role in atmospheric chemistry, by way of OH/HO 2 recycling and reduction of ozone depletion by HO x cycles in the stratosphere and through ozone production in the troposphere. Utilizing a photochemical box model, we in...
| Published in: | Antarctic Science |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102012000144 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102012000144 |
| Summary: | Abstract It is well established that the reaction of HO 2 with NO plays a central role in atmospheric chemistry, by way of OH/HO 2 recycling and reduction of ozone depletion by HO x cycles in the stratosphere and through ozone production in the troposphere. Utilizing a photochemical box model, we investigate the impact of the recently observed HNO 3 production channel (HO 2 +NO → HNO 3 ) on NO x (NO + NO 2 ), HO x (OH + HO 2 ), HNO 3 , and O 3 concentrations in the boundary layer at the South Pole, Antarctica. Our simulations exemplify decreases in peak O 3 , NO, NO 2 , and OH and an increase in HNO 3 . Also, mean OH is in better agreement with observations, while worsening the agreement with O 3 , HO 2 , and HNO 3 concentrations observed at the South Pole. The reduced concentrations of NO x are consistent with expected decreases in atmospheric NO x lifetime as a result of increased sequestration of NO x into HNO 3 . Although we show that the inclusion of the novel HNO 3 production channel brings better agreement of OH with field measurements, the modelled ozone and HNO 3 are worsened, and the changes in NO x lifetime imply that snowpack NO x emissions and snowpack nitrate recycling must be re-evaluated. |
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