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Perturbation to global tropospheric oxidizing capacity due to latitudinal redistribution of surface sources of NO x , CH 4 and CO
Author(s) -
Gupta Mohan L.,
Cicerone Ralph J.,
Elliott Scott
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1998gl900099
Subject(s) - troposphere , latitude , atmospheric sciences , redistribution (election) , environmental science , oxidizing agent , methane , climatology , tropics , perturbation (astronomy) , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geology , physics , ecology , geodesy , biology , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , politics , political science , law
Economic and social projections indicate that during next several decades there will be major geographical redistribution of surface emissions of O 3 precursors, such as NO x , CH 4 and CO. A net decrease in their emissions from northern hemispheric mid‐latitudes will be accompanied by substantial increases from the tropics. We have investigated a hypothetical scenario of currently underway transition of such emission patterns using a global two‐dimensional photochemical model. With overall O 3 precursor releases held constant, a simultaneous transfer of their emissions by 25% from the latitude belt 75°N–35°N to 5°S–35°N increases tropospheric oxidizing capacity such that the methane global lifetime and concentrations fall by more than 3%. Seasonally dependent changes in surface O 3 concentrations are also calculated. In influencing OH concentration, redistribution of surface NO x emissions is 2–3 orders of magnitude more efficient per unit mass than CO emissions. Shifts in methane sources have insignificant effects on global photochemistry, but lead to a decrease in its interhemispheric gradient.