A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements
The first airborne measurements of nitric oxide (NO) on the Antarctic plateau have demonstrated that the previously reported elevated levels of this species extend well beyond the immediate vicinity of South Pole. Although the current database is still relatively weak and critical laboratory experim...
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ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org/ark:/13030/qt4756j1mn 2023-05-15T14:02:59+02:00 A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements Davis, DD Seelig, J Huey, G Crawford, J Chen, G Wang, Y Buhr, M Helmig, D Neff, W Blake, D Arimoto, R Eisele, F 2831 - 2848 2008-04-01 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4756j1mn unknown eScholarship, University of California qt4756j1mn https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4756j1mn CC-BY CC-BY Atmospheric Environment, vol 42, iss 12 Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen nitric oxide airborne profiles nitrate recycling hydroxyl radicals oxidizing canopy ice core chemical proxies Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Engineering Atmospheric Sciences Statistics article 2008 ftcdlib 2021-06-20T14:23:20Z The first airborne measurements of nitric oxide (NO) on the Antarctic plateau have demonstrated that the previously reported elevated levels of this species extend well beyond the immediate vicinity of South Pole. Although the current database is still relatively weak and critical laboratory experiments are still needed, the findings here suggest that the chemical uniqueness of the plateau may be substantially greater than first reported. For example, South Pole ground-based findings have provided new evidence showing that the dominant process driving the release of nitrogen from the snowpack during the spring/summer season (post-depositional loss) is photochemical in nature with evaporative processes playing a lesser role. There is also new evidence suggesting that nitrogen, in the form of nitrate, may undergo multiple recycling within a given photochemical season. Speculation here is that this may be a unique property of the plateau and much related to its having persistent cold temperatures even during summer. These conditions promote the efficient adsorption of molecules like HNO3 (and very likely HO2NO2) onto snow-pack surface ice where we have hypothesized enhanced photochemical processing can occur, leading to the efficient release of NOx to the atmosphere. In addition, to these process-oriented tentative conclusions, the findings from the airborne studies, in conjunction with modeling exercises suggest a new paradigm for the plateau atmosphere. The near-surface atmosphere over this massive region can be viewed as serving as much more than a temporary reservoir or holding tank for imported chemical species. It defines an immense atmospheric chemical reactor which is capable of modifying the chemical characteristics of select atmospheric constituents. This reactor has most likely been in place over geological time, and may have led to the chemical modulation of some trace species now found in ice cores. Reactive nitrogen has played a critical role in both establishing and in maintaining this reactor. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic ice core South pole South pole University of California: eScholarship Antarctic South Pole The Antarctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen nitric oxide airborne profiles nitrate recycling hydroxyl radicals oxidizing canopy ice core chemical proxies Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Engineering Atmospheric Sciences Statistics |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen nitric oxide airborne profiles nitrate recycling hydroxyl radicals oxidizing canopy ice core chemical proxies Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Engineering Atmospheric Sciences Statistics Davis, DD Seelig, J Huey, G Crawford, J Chen, G Wang, Y Buhr, M Helmig, D Neff, W Blake, D Arimoto, R Eisele, F A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements |
topic_facet |
Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen nitric oxide airborne profiles nitrate recycling hydroxyl radicals oxidizing canopy ice core chemical proxies Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Engineering Atmospheric Sciences Statistics |
description |
The first airborne measurements of nitric oxide (NO) on the Antarctic plateau have demonstrated that the previously reported elevated levels of this species extend well beyond the immediate vicinity of South Pole. Although the current database is still relatively weak and critical laboratory experiments are still needed, the findings here suggest that the chemical uniqueness of the plateau may be substantially greater than first reported. For example, South Pole ground-based findings have provided new evidence showing that the dominant process driving the release of nitrogen from the snowpack during the spring/summer season (post-depositional loss) is photochemical in nature with evaporative processes playing a lesser role. There is also new evidence suggesting that nitrogen, in the form of nitrate, may undergo multiple recycling within a given photochemical season. Speculation here is that this may be a unique property of the plateau and much related to its having persistent cold temperatures even during summer. These conditions promote the efficient adsorption of molecules like HNO3 (and very likely HO2NO2) onto snow-pack surface ice where we have hypothesized enhanced photochemical processing can occur, leading to the efficient release of NOx to the atmosphere. In addition, to these process-oriented tentative conclusions, the findings from the airborne studies, in conjunction with modeling exercises suggest a new paradigm for the plateau atmosphere. The near-surface atmosphere over this massive region can be viewed as serving as much more than a temporary reservoir or holding tank for imported chemical species. It defines an immense atmospheric chemical reactor which is capable of modifying the chemical characteristics of select atmospheric constituents. This reactor has most likely been in place over geological time, and may have led to the chemical modulation of some trace species now found in ice cores. Reactive nitrogen has played a critical role in both establishing and in maintaining this reactor. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Davis, DD Seelig, J Huey, G Crawford, J Chen, G Wang, Y Buhr, M Helmig, D Neff, W Blake, D Arimoto, R Eisele, F |
author_facet |
Davis, DD Seelig, J Huey, G Crawford, J Chen, G Wang, Y Buhr, M Helmig, D Neff, W Blake, D Arimoto, R Eisele, F |
author_sort |
Davis, DD |
title |
A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements |
title_short |
A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements |
title_full |
A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements |
title_fullStr |
A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements |
title_full_unstemmed |
A reassessment of Antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on ANTCI 2003 airborne and ground based measurements |
title_sort |
reassessment of antarctic plateau reactive nitrogen based on antci 2003 airborne and ground based measurements |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4756j1mn |
op_coverage |
2831 - 2848 |
geographic |
Antarctic South Pole The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic South Pole The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic ice core South pole South pole |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic ice core South pole South pole |
op_source |
Atmospheric Environment, vol 42, iss 12 |
op_relation |
qt4756j1mn https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4756j1mn |
op_rights |
CC-BY |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
_version_ |
1766273432512626688 |