A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons
Large and effective reductions in emissions of long-lived ozone-depleting substance (ODS) are being achieved through the Montreal Protocol, the effectiveness of which can be seen in the declining atmospheric abundances of many ODSs. An important remaining uncertainty concerns the role of very short-...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Geosciences Union
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.um.edu.my/19068/1/A_growing_threat_to_the_ozone_layer_from_short-lived_anthropogenic_chlorocarbons.pdf |
| _version_ | 1825721227426136064 |
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| author | Oram, David E. Ashfold, Matthew J. Laube, Johannes C. Gooch, Lauren J. Humphrey, Stephen Sturges, William T. Leedham-Elvidge, Emma Forster, Grant L. Harris, Neil R.P. Mead, Mohammed Iqbal Samah, Azizan Abu Phang, Siew Moi Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng Lin, Neng-Huei Wang, Jia-Lin Baker, Angela K. Brenninkmeijer, Carl A.M. Sherry, David |
| author_facet | Oram, David E. Ashfold, Matthew J. Laube, Johannes C. Gooch, Lauren J. Humphrey, Stephen Sturges, William T. Leedham-Elvidge, Emma Forster, Grant L. Harris, Neil R.P. Mead, Mohammed Iqbal Samah, Azizan Abu Phang, Siew Moi Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng Lin, Neng-Huei Wang, Jia-Lin Baker, Angela K. Brenninkmeijer, Carl A.M. Sherry, David |
| author_sort | Oram, David E. |
| collection | UM |
| description | Large and effective reductions in emissions of long-lived ozone-depleting substance (ODS) are being achieved through the Montreal Protocol, the effectiveness of which can be seen in the declining atmospheric abundances of many ODSs. An important remaining uncertainty concerns the role of very short-lived substances (VSLSs) which, owing to their relatively short atmospheric lifetimes (less than 6 months), are not regulated under the Montreal Protocol. Recent studies have found an unexplained increase in the global tropospheric abundance of one VSLS, dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), which has increased by around 60% over the past decade. Here we report dramatic enhancements of several chlorine-containing VSLSs (Cl-VSLSs), including CH2Cl2 and CH2ClCH2Cl (1,2-dichloroethane), observed in surface and upper-tropospheric air in East and South East Asia. Surface observations were, on occasion, an order of magnitude higher than previously reported in the marine boundary layer, whilst upper-tropospheric data were up to 3 times higher than expected. In addition, we provide further evidence of an atmospheric transport mechanism whereby substantial amounts of industrial pollution from East Asia, including these chlorinated VSLSs, can rapidly, and regularly, be transported to tropical regions of the western Pacific and subsequently uplifted to the tropical upper troposphere. This latter region is a major provider of air entering the stratosphere, and so this mechanism, in conjunction with increasing emissions of Cl-VSLSs from East Asia, could potentially slow the expected recovery of stratospheric ozone. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T05:47:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | um.eprints-19068 |
| institution | Universiti Malaya |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T05:47:10Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | European Geosciences Union |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | um.eprints-190682019-12-03T11:35:42Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/19068/ A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons Oram, David E. Ashfold, Matthew J. Laube, Johannes C. Gooch, Lauren J. Humphrey, Stephen Sturges, William T. Leedham-Elvidge, Emma Forster, Grant L. Harris, Neil R.P. Mead, Mohammed Iqbal Samah, Azizan Abu Phang, Siew Moi Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng Lin, Neng-Huei Wang, Jia-Lin Baker, Angela K. Brenninkmeijer, Carl A.M. Sherry, David Q Science (General) Large and effective reductions in emissions of long-lived ozone-depleting substance (ODS) are being achieved through the Montreal Protocol, the effectiveness of which can be seen in the declining atmospheric abundances of many ODSs. An important remaining uncertainty concerns the role of very short-lived substances (VSLSs) which, owing to their relatively short atmospheric lifetimes (less than 6 months), are not regulated under the Montreal Protocol. Recent studies have found an unexplained increase in the global tropospheric abundance of one VSLS, dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), which has increased by around 60% over the past decade. Here we report dramatic enhancements of several chlorine-containing VSLSs (Cl-VSLSs), including CH2Cl2 and CH2ClCH2Cl (1,2-dichloroethane), observed in surface and upper-tropospheric air in East and South East Asia. Surface observations were, on occasion, an order of magnitude higher than previously reported in the marine boundary layer, whilst upper-tropospheric data were up to 3 times higher than expected. In addition, we provide further evidence of an atmospheric transport mechanism whereby substantial amounts of industrial pollution from East Asia, including these chlorinated VSLSs, can rapidly, and regularly, be transported to tropical regions of the western Pacific and subsequently uplifted to the tropical upper troposphere. This latter region is a major provider of air entering the stratosphere, and so this mechanism, in conjunction with increasing emissions of Cl-VSLSs from East Asia, could potentially slow the expected recovery of stratospheric ozone. European Geosciences Union 2017 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://eprints.um.edu.my/19068/1/A_growing_threat_to_the_ozone_layer_from_short-lived_anthropogenic_chlorocarbons.pdf Oram, David E. and Ashfold, Matthew J. and Laube, Johannes C. and Gooch, Lauren J. and Humphrey, Stephen and Sturges, William T. and Leedham-Elvidge, Emma and Forster, Grant L. and Harris, Neil R.P. and Mead, Mohammed Iqbal and Samah, Azizan Abu and Phang, Siew Moi and Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng and Lin, Neng-Huei and Wang, Jia-Lin and Baker, Angela K. and Brenninkmeijer, Carl A.M. and Sherry, David (2017) A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17 (19). pp. 11929-11941. ISSN 1680-7324, DOI https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11929-2017 <https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11929-2017>. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11929-2017 doi:10.5194/acp-17-11929-2017 |
| spellingShingle | Q Science (General) Oram, David E. Ashfold, Matthew J. Laube, Johannes C. Gooch, Lauren J. Humphrey, Stephen Sturges, William T. Leedham-Elvidge, Emma Forster, Grant L. Harris, Neil R.P. Mead, Mohammed Iqbal Samah, Azizan Abu Phang, Siew Moi Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng Lin, Neng-Huei Wang, Jia-Lin Baker, Angela K. Brenninkmeijer, Carl A.M. Sherry, David A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons |
| title | A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons |
| title_full | A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons |
| title_fullStr | A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons |
| title_full_unstemmed | A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons |
| title_short | A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons |
| title_sort | growing threat to the ozone layer from short lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons |
| topic | Q Science (General) |
| url | http://eprints.um.edu.my/19068/1/A_growing_threat_to_the_ozone_layer_from_short-lived_anthropogenic_chlorocarbons.pdf |
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