A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010
The Pico Mountain Observatory, located at 2225 m a.s.l. in the Azores Islands, was established in 2001 to observe long-range transport from North America to the central North Atlantic. In previous research conducted at the observatory, ozone enhancement (> 55 ppbv) in North American outflows was...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-03-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/2267/2014/acp-14-2267-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818008472995758080 |
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| author | B. Zhang R. C. Owen J. A. Perlinger A. Kumar S. Wu M. Val Martin L. Kramer D. Helmig R. E. Honrath |
| author_facet | B. Zhang R. C. Owen J. A. Perlinger A. Kumar S. Wu M. Val Martin L. Kramer D. Helmig R. E. Honrath |
| author_sort | B. Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Pico Mountain Observatory, located at 2225 m a.s.l. in the Azores
Islands, was established in 2001 to observe long-range transport from North
America to the central North Atlantic. In previous research conducted at the
observatory, ozone enhancement (> 55 ppbv) in North American outflows was
observed, and efficient ozone production in these outflows was postulated.
This study is focused on determining the causes for high
<i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] values (~1 ppbv ppbv<sup>−1</sup>) observed in the
summers of 2009 and 2010. The folded retroplume technique, developed by
Owen and Honrath (2009), was applied to combine upwind FLEXPART transport pathways
with GEOS-Chem chemical fields. The folded result provides a semi-Lagrangian
view of polluted North American outflow in terms of physical properties and
chemical processes, including production/loss rate of ozone and
NO<sub>x</sub> produced by lightning and thermal decomposition of peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN). Two
transport events from North America were identified for detailed analysis.
High <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] was observed in both events, but due to differing
transport mechanisms, ozone production tendency differed between the two.
A layer of net ozone production was found at 2 km a.s.l. over the Azores in
the first event plume, apparently driven by PAN decomposition during
subsidence of air mass in the Azores–Bermuda High. In the second event, net
ozone loss occurred during transport in the lower free troposphere, yet
observed <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] was high. We estimate that in both events,
CO loss through oxidation contributed significantly to
<i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] enhancement. Thus, it is not appropriate to use
CO as a passive tracer of pollution in these events. In general, use
of <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] as an indicator of net ozone
production/loss may be invalid for any situation in which oxidants are
elevated. Based on our analysis, use of <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] to diagnose
ozone enhancement without verifying the assumption of negligible CO loss is
not advisable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:29:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4085a58eb5d4dfa88ca8c9d3f492188 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:29:39Z |
| publishDate | 2014-03-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
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| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4085a58eb5d4dfa88ca8c9d3f4921882022-12-22T02:09:52ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242014-03-011452267228710.5194/acp-14-2267-2014A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010B. Zhang0R. C. Owen1J. A. Perlinger2A. Kumar3S. Wu4M. Val Martin5L. Kramer6D. Helmig7R. E. Honrath8Atmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USAAtmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USAAtmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USAAtmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USAAtmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USADepartment of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USAAtmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USAInstitute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USAAtmospheric Sciences Program, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USAThe Pico Mountain Observatory, located at 2225 m a.s.l. in the Azores Islands, was established in 2001 to observe long-range transport from North America to the central North Atlantic. In previous research conducted at the observatory, ozone enhancement (> 55 ppbv) in North American outflows was observed, and efficient ozone production in these outflows was postulated. This study is focused on determining the causes for high <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] values (~1 ppbv ppbv<sup>−1</sup>) observed in the summers of 2009 and 2010. The folded retroplume technique, developed by Owen and Honrath (2009), was applied to combine upwind FLEXPART transport pathways with GEOS-Chem chemical fields. The folded result provides a semi-Lagrangian view of polluted North American outflow in terms of physical properties and chemical processes, including production/loss rate of ozone and NO<sub>x</sub> produced by lightning and thermal decomposition of peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN). Two transport events from North America were identified for detailed analysis. High <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] was observed in both events, but due to differing transport mechanisms, ozone production tendency differed between the two. A layer of net ozone production was found at 2 km a.s.l. over the Azores in the first event plume, apparently driven by PAN decomposition during subsidence of air mass in the Azores–Bermuda High. In the second event, net ozone loss occurred during transport in the lower free troposphere, yet observed <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] was high. We estimate that in both events, CO loss through oxidation contributed significantly to <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] enhancement. Thus, it is not appropriate to use CO as a passive tracer of pollution in these events. In general, use of <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] as an indicator of net ozone production/loss may be invalid for any situation in which oxidants are elevated. Based on our analysis, use of <i>d</i>[O<sub>3</sub>] / <i>d</i>[CO] to diagnose ozone enhancement without verifying the assumption of negligible CO loss is not advisable.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/2267/2014/acp-14-2267-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | B. Zhang R. C. Owen J. A. Perlinger A. Kumar S. Wu M. Val Martin L. Kramer D. Helmig R. E. Honrath A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010 |
| title_full | A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010 |
| title_fullStr | A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010 |
| title_full_unstemmed | A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010 |
| title_short | A semi-Lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in North American outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010 |
| title_sort | semi lagrangian view of ozone production tendency in north american outflow in the summers of 2009 and 2010 |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/2267/2014/acp-14-2267-2014.pdf |
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