Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐Chem
Abstract During polar spring, periods of elevated tropospheric bromine drive near complete removal of surface ozone. These events impact the tropospheric oxidative capacity and are an area of active research with multiple approaches for representing the underlying processes in global models. We pres...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003465 |
| _version_ | 1797332035393552384 |
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| author | P. A. Wales C. A. Keller K. E. Knowland S. Pawson S. Choi F. Hendrick M. VanRoozendael R. J. Salawitch R. Sulieman W. F. Swanson |
| author_facet | P. A. Wales C. A. Keller K. E. Knowland S. Pawson S. Choi F. Hendrick M. VanRoozendael R. J. Salawitch R. Sulieman W. F. Swanson |
| author_sort | P. A. Wales |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract During polar spring, periods of elevated tropospheric bromine drive near complete removal of surface ozone. These events impact the tropospheric oxidative capacity and are an area of active research with multiple approaches for representing the underlying processes in global models. We present a method for parameterizing emissions of molecular bromine (Br2) over the Arctic using satellite retrievals of bromine monoxide (BrO) from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). OMI retrieves column BrO with daily near global coverage, and we use the GEOS‐Chem chemical mechanism, run online within the Goddard Earth Observing System Earth System Model to identify hotspots of BrO likely associated with polar processes. To account for uncertainties in modeling background BrO, hotspots are only identified where the difference between OMI and modeled columns exceeds a statistical threshold. The resulting hotspot columns are a lower‐limit for the portion of OMI BrO attributable to bromine explosion events. While these hotspots are correlated with BrO measured in the lower troposphere over the Arctic Ocean, a case study of missing detections of near‐surface BrO is identified. Daily flux of Br2 is estimated from hotspot columns of BrO using internal model parameters. When the emissions are applied, BrO hotspots are modeled with a 5% low bias. The sensitivity of the resulting ozone simulations to the treatment of background uncertainties in the BrO column is demonstrated. While periods of isolated, large (>50%) decreases in surface ozone are modeled, this technique does not simulate the low ozone observed at coastal stations and consistently underestimates ozone loss during March. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:43:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45fe26a54f41422eb58a0b7d93d4227c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1942-2466 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:43:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-45fe26a54f41422eb58a0b7d93d4227c2024-02-02T16:41:18ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems1942-24662023-08-01158n/an/a10.1029/2022MS003465Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐ChemP. A. Wales0C. A. Keller1K. E. Knowland2S. Pawson3S. Choi4F. Hendrick5M. VanRoozendael6R. J. Salawitch7R. Sulieman8W. F. Swanson9Global Modeling and Assimilation Office NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAGlobal Modeling and Assimilation Office NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAGlobal Modeling and Assimilation Office NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAGlobal Modeling and Assimilation Office NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USARoyal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA‐IASB) Brussels BelgiumRoyal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA‐IASB) Brussels BelgiumDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences University of Maryland College Park MD USAHarvard‐Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge MA USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Geophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USAAbstract During polar spring, periods of elevated tropospheric bromine drive near complete removal of surface ozone. These events impact the tropospheric oxidative capacity and are an area of active research with multiple approaches for representing the underlying processes in global models. We present a method for parameterizing emissions of molecular bromine (Br2) over the Arctic using satellite retrievals of bromine monoxide (BrO) from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). OMI retrieves column BrO with daily near global coverage, and we use the GEOS‐Chem chemical mechanism, run online within the Goddard Earth Observing System Earth System Model to identify hotspots of BrO likely associated with polar processes. To account for uncertainties in modeling background BrO, hotspots are only identified where the difference between OMI and modeled columns exceeds a statistical threshold. The resulting hotspot columns are a lower‐limit for the portion of OMI BrO attributable to bromine explosion events. While these hotspots are correlated with BrO measured in the lower troposphere over the Arctic Ocean, a case study of missing detections of near‐surface BrO is identified. Daily flux of Br2 is estimated from hotspot columns of BrO using internal model parameters. When the emissions are applied, BrO hotspots are modeled with a 5% low bias. The sensitivity of the resulting ozone simulations to the treatment of background uncertainties in the BrO column is demonstrated. While periods of isolated, large (>50%) decreases in surface ozone are modeled, this technique does not simulate the low ozone observed at coastal stations and consistently underestimates ozone loss during March.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003465background ozonehalogensArcticatmospheric chemistrymodeling |
| spellingShingle | P. A. Wales C. A. Keller K. E. Knowland S. Pawson S. Choi F. Hendrick M. VanRoozendael R. J. Salawitch R. Sulieman W. F. Swanson Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐Chem Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems background ozone halogens Arctic atmospheric chemistry modeling |
| title | Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐Chem |
| title_full | Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐Chem |
| title_fullStr | Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐Chem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐Chem |
| title_short | Application of Satellite‐Based Detections of Arctic Bromine Explosion Events Within GEOS‐Chem |
| title_sort | application of satellite based detections of arctic bromine explosion events within geos chem |
| topic | background ozone halogens Arctic atmospheric chemistry modeling |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003465 |
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