Global impacts of tropospheric halogens (Cl, Br, I) on oxidants and composition in GEOS-Chem

We present a simulation of the global present-day composition of the troposphere which includes the chemistry of halogens (Cl, Br, I). Building on previous work within the GEOS-Chem model we include emissions of inorganic iodine from the oceans, anthropogenic and biogenic sources of halogenated gase...

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Main Authors: Sherwen, Tomás (Author) , Großmann, Katja (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 29 September 2016
In: Atmospheric chemistry and physics
Year: 2016, Volume: 16, Issue: 18, Pages: 12239-12271
ISSN:1680-7324
DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12239-2016
Online Access:Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12239-2016
Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/12239/2016/
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Author Notes:Tomás Sherwen, Johan A. Schmidt, Mat J. Evans, Lucy J. Carpenter, Katja Großmann, Sebastian D. Eastham, Daniel J. Jacob, Barbara Dix, Theodore K. Koenig, Roman Sinreich, Ivan Ortega, Rainer Volkamer, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Cristina Prados-Roman, Anoop S. Mahajan, and Carlos Ordóñez
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Summary:We present a simulation of the global present-day composition of the troposphere which includes the chemistry of halogens (Cl, Br, I). Building on previous work within the GEOS-Chem model we include emissions of inorganic iodine from the oceans, anthropogenic and biogenic sources of halogenated gases, gas phase chemistry, and a parameterised approach to heterogeneous halogen chemistry. Consistent with Schmidt et al. (2016) we do not include sea-salt debromination. Observations of halogen radicals (BrO, IO) are sparse but the model has some skill in reproducing these. Modelled IO shows both high and low biases when compared to different datasets, but BrO concentrations appear to be modelled low. Comparisons to the very sparse observations dataset of reactive Cl species suggest the model represents a lower limit of the impacts of these species, likely due to underestimates in emissions and therefore burdens. Inclusion of Cl, Br, and I results in a general improvement in simulation of ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) concentrations, except in polar regions where the model now underestimates O<sub>3</sub> concentrations. Halogen chemistry reduces the global tropospheric O<sub>3</sub> burden by 18.6 %, with the O<sub>3</sub> lifetime reducing from 26 to 22 days. Global mean OH concentrations of 1.28 × 10<sup>6</sup> molecules cm<sup>−3</sup> are 8.2 % lower than in a simulation without halogens, leading to an increase in the CH<sub>4</sub> lifetime (10.8 %) due to OH oxidation from 7.47 to 8.28 years. Oxidation of CH<sub>4</sub> by Cl is small (∼ 2 %) but Cl oxidation of other VOCs (ethane, acetone, and propane) can be significant (∼ 15-27 %). Oxidation of VOCs by Br is smaller, representing 3.9 % of the loss of acetaldehyde and 0.9 % of the loss of formaldehyde.</p>
Item Description:Gesehen am 06.05.2020
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1680-7324
DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-12239-2016