TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability
We present a comparison of chemistry-transport models (TransCom-N 2 O) to examine the importance of atmospheric transport and surface fluxes on the variability of N 2 O mixing ratios in the troposphere. Six different models and two model variants participated in the inter-comparison and simulations...
Published in: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4349-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e8c25c973b814b5cabadc34af0ff2580 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:e8c25c973b814b5cabadc34af0ff2580 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:e8c25c973b814b5cabadc34af0ff2580 2023-05-15T18:25:59+02:00 TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability R. L. Thompson P. K. Patra K. Ishijima E. Saikawa M. Corazza U. Karstens C. Wilson P. Bergamaschi E. Dlugokencky C. Sweeney R. G. Prinn R. F. Weiss S. O'Doherty P. J. Fraser L. P. Steele P. B. Krummel M. Saunois M. Chipperfield P. Bousquet 2014-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4349-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e8c25c973b814b5cabadc34af0ff2580 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/4349/2014/acp-14-4349-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7316 https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7324 1680-7316 1680-7324 doi:10.5194/acp-14-4349-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e8c25c973b814b5cabadc34af0ff2580 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 14, Iss 8, Pp 4349-4368 (2014) Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4349-2014 2022-12-31T10:50:16Z We present a comparison of chemistry-transport models (TransCom-N 2 O) to examine the importance of atmospheric transport and surface fluxes on the variability of N 2 O mixing ratios in the troposphere. Six different models and two model variants participated in the inter-comparison and simulations were made for the period 2006 to 2009. In addition to N 2 O, simulations of CFC-12 and SF 6 were made by a subset of four of the models to provide information on the models' proficiency in stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) and meridional transport, respectively. The same prior emissions were used by all models to restrict differences among models to transport and chemistry alone. Four different N 2 O flux scenarios totalling between 14 and 17 TgN yr −1 (for 2005) globally were also compared. The modelled N 2 O mixing ratios were assessed against observations from in situ stations, discrete air sampling networks and aircraft. All models adequately captured the large-scale patterns of N 2 O and the vertical gradient from the troposphere to the stratosphere and most models also adequately captured the N 2 O tropospheric growth rate. However, all models underestimated the inter-hemispheric N 2 O gradient by at least 0.33 parts per billion (ppb), equivalent to 1.5 TgN, which, even after accounting for an overestimate of emissions in the Southern Ocean of circa 1.0 TgN, points to a likely underestimate of the Northern Hemisphere source by up to 0.5 TgN and/or an overestimate of STE in the Northern Hemisphere. Comparison with aircraft data reveal that the models overestimate the amplitude of the N 2 O seasonal cycle at Hawaii (21° N, 158° W) below circa 6000 m, suggesting an overestimate of the importance of stratosphere to troposphere transport in the lower troposphere at this latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, most of the models that provided CFC-12 simulations captured the phase of the CFC-12, seasonal cycle, indicating a reasonable representation of the timing of STE. However, for N 2 O all models simulated a ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Southern Ocean Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 14 8 4349 4368 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 |
spellingShingle |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 R. L. Thompson P. K. Patra K. Ishijima E. Saikawa M. Corazza U. Karstens C. Wilson P. Bergamaschi E. Dlugokencky C. Sweeney R. G. Prinn R. F. Weiss S. O'Doherty P. J. Fraser L. P. Steele P. B. Krummel M. Saunois M. Chipperfield P. Bousquet TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability |
topic_facet |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 |
description |
We present a comparison of chemistry-transport models (TransCom-N 2 O) to examine the importance of atmospheric transport and surface fluxes on the variability of N 2 O mixing ratios in the troposphere. Six different models and two model variants participated in the inter-comparison and simulations were made for the period 2006 to 2009. In addition to N 2 O, simulations of CFC-12 and SF 6 were made by a subset of four of the models to provide information on the models' proficiency in stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) and meridional transport, respectively. The same prior emissions were used by all models to restrict differences among models to transport and chemistry alone. Four different N 2 O flux scenarios totalling between 14 and 17 TgN yr −1 (for 2005) globally were also compared. The modelled N 2 O mixing ratios were assessed against observations from in situ stations, discrete air sampling networks and aircraft. All models adequately captured the large-scale patterns of N 2 O and the vertical gradient from the troposphere to the stratosphere and most models also adequately captured the N 2 O tropospheric growth rate. However, all models underestimated the inter-hemispheric N 2 O gradient by at least 0.33 parts per billion (ppb), equivalent to 1.5 TgN, which, even after accounting for an overestimate of emissions in the Southern Ocean of circa 1.0 TgN, points to a likely underestimate of the Northern Hemisphere source by up to 0.5 TgN and/or an overestimate of STE in the Northern Hemisphere. Comparison with aircraft data reveal that the models overestimate the amplitude of the N 2 O seasonal cycle at Hawaii (21° N, 158° W) below circa 6000 m, suggesting an overestimate of the importance of stratosphere to troposphere transport in the lower troposphere at this latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, most of the models that provided CFC-12 simulations captured the phase of the CFC-12, seasonal cycle, indicating a reasonable representation of the timing of STE. However, for N 2 O all models simulated a ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
R. L. Thompson P. K. Patra K. Ishijima E. Saikawa M. Corazza U. Karstens C. Wilson P. Bergamaschi E. Dlugokencky C. Sweeney R. G. Prinn R. F. Weiss S. O'Doherty P. J. Fraser L. P. Steele P. B. Krummel M. Saunois M. Chipperfield P. Bousquet |
author_facet |
R. L. Thompson P. K. Patra K. Ishijima E. Saikawa M. Corazza U. Karstens C. Wilson P. Bergamaschi E. Dlugokencky C. Sweeney R. G. Prinn R. F. Weiss S. O'Doherty P. J. Fraser L. P. Steele P. B. Krummel M. Saunois M. Chipperfield P. Bousquet |
author_sort |
R. L. Thompson |
title |
TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability |
title_short |
TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability |
title_full |
TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability |
title_fullStr |
TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability |
title_full_unstemmed |
TransCom N 2 O model inter-comparison – Part 1: Assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric N 2 O variability |
title_sort |
transcom n 2 o model inter-comparison – part 1: assessing the influence of transport and surface fluxes on tropospheric n 2 o variability |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4349-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e8c25c973b814b5cabadc34af0ff2580 |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 14, Iss 8, Pp 4349-4368 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/4349/2014/acp-14-4349-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7316 https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7324 1680-7316 1680-7324 doi:10.5194/acp-14-4349-2014 https://doaj.org/article/e8c25c973b814b5cabadc34af0ff2580 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4349-2014 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
4349 |
op_container_end_page |
4368 |
_version_ |
1766207739811332096 |