Open AccessIn situ measurements of bromine oxide at two high‐latitude boundary layer sites: Implications of variability
Author(s) -
Avallone Linnea M.,
Toohey Darin W.,
Fortin Tara J.,
McKinney Karena A.,
Fuentes Jose D.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2002jd002843
Subject(s) - sunrise , ozone , ozone depletion , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , bromine , troposphere , latitude , arctic , differential optical absorption spectroscopy , ozone layer , in situ , atmosphere (unit) , stratosphere , climatology , absorption (acoustics) , meteorology , geology , oceanography , chemistry , geography , materials science , organic chemistry , geodesy , composite material
Bromine oxide (BrO) was measured in situ during the Arctic Tropospheric Ozone Chemistry (ARCTOC) '96 campaign in Ny Ålesund, Spitsbergen (April–May 1996), and during the Alert 2000 Polar Sunrise Experiment in Alert, Nunavut, Canada (April–May 2000). Measurements were made in near‐surface air during low‐ozone events in early May at both sites. The average of the in situ concentrations of BrO at Ny Ålesund is consistent with the path average of near‐simultaneous long‐path differential optical absorption spectroscopy measurements, but there is considerable scatter in a point‐by‐point comparison. The differences between these observations are consistent with a strong surface influence on reactive bromine. We see similar variability of the in situ measurements at Alert, which reflects the real variability of both surface sources and sinks. The fluctuations of BrO abundances are used to assess the expected loss rates and associated lifetimes of ozone during depletion events. We show that ozone loss will be underpredicted by any temporal or spatial average of BrO.