Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere
We calculate the global mean atmospheric lifetime of elemental mercury (Hg0) against oxidation by atomic bromine (Br) in the troposphere by combining recent kinetic data for the Hg-Br system with modeled global concentrations of tropospheric Br. We obtain a lifetime of 0.5–1.7 years based on the ran...
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American Geophysical Union
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ftharvardudash:oai:dash.harvard.edu:1/3743671 2023-05-15T13:57:56+02:00 Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere Holmes, Christopher Jacob, Daniel J. Yang, Xin 2006 application/pdf http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3743671 https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027176 en_US eng American Geophysical Union doi:10.1029/2006GL027176 Geophysical Research Letters Holmes, Christopher D., Daniel J. Jacob, and Xin Yang. 2006. Global lifetime of elemental mercury against oxidation by atomic bromine in the free troposphere. Geophysical Research Letters 33: L20808. 0094-8276 http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3743671 Journal Article 2006 ftharvardudash https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027176 2022-04-04T12:42:21Z We calculate the global mean atmospheric lifetime of elemental mercury (Hg0) against oxidation by atomic bromine (Br) in the troposphere by combining recent kinetic data for the Hg-Br system with modeled global concentrations of tropospheric Br. We obtain a lifetime of 0.5–1.7 years based on the range of kinetic data, implying that oxidation of Hg0 by Br is a major, and possibly dominant, global sink for Hg0. Most of the oxidation takes place in the middle and upper troposphere, where Br concentrations are high and where cold temperatures suppress thermal decomposition of the HgBr intermediate. This oxidation mechanism is consistent with mercury observations, including in particular high gaseous Hg(II) concentrations in Antarctic summer. Better free-tropospheric measurements of bromine radicals and further kinetic study of the Hg-Br system are essential to more accurately assess the global importance of Br as an oxidant of atmospheric Hg0. Earth and Planetary Sciences Engineering and Applied Sciences Version of Record Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Harvard University: DASH - Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard Antarctic Geophysical Research Letters 33 20 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Harvard University: DASH - Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard |
op_collection_id |
ftharvardudash |
language |
English |
description |
We calculate the global mean atmospheric lifetime of elemental mercury (Hg0) against oxidation by atomic bromine (Br) in the troposphere by combining recent kinetic data for the Hg-Br system with modeled global concentrations of tropospheric Br. We obtain a lifetime of 0.5–1.7 years based on the range of kinetic data, implying that oxidation of Hg0 by Br is a major, and possibly dominant, global sink for Hg0. Most of the oxidation takes place in the middle and upper troposphere, where Br concentrations are high and where cold temperatures suppress thermal decomposition of the HgBr intermediate. This oxidation mechanism is consistent with mercury observations, including in particular high gaseous Hg(II) concentrations in Antarctic summer. Better free-tropospheric measurements of bromine radicals and further kinetic study of the Hg-Br system are essential to more accurately assess the global importance of Br as an oxidant of atmospheric Hg0. Earth and Planetary Sciences Engineering and Applied Sciences Version of Record |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Holmes, Christopher Jacob, Daniel J. Yang, Xin |
spellingShingle |
Holmes, Christopher Jacob, Daniel J. Yang, Xin Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere |
author_facet |
Holmes, Christopher Jacob, Daniel J. Yang, Xin |
author_sort |
Holmes, Christopher |
title |
Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere |
title_short |
Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere |
title_full |
Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere |
title_fullStr |
Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere |
title_full_unstemmed |
Global Lifetime of Elemental Mercury Against Oxidation by Atomic Bromine in the Free Troposphere |
title_sort |
global lifetime of elemental mercury against oxidation by atomic bromine in the free troposphere |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3743671 https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027176 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_relation |
doi:10.1029/2006GL027176 Geophysical Research Letters Holmes, Christopher D., Daniel J. Jacob, and Xin Yang. 2006. Global lifetime of elemental mercury against oxidation by atomic bromine in the free troposphere. Geophysical Research Letters 33: L20808. 0094-8276 http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3743671 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027176 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
33 |
container_issue |
20 |
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1766265868390498304 |