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First composition measurements of stratospheric negative ions and inferred gaseous sulfuric acid in the winter Arctic vortex: Implications for aerosols and hydroxyl radical formation
Author(s) -
Krieger A.,
Arnold F.
Publication year - 1994
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 - 10.1029/93gl01999
Subject(s) - stratosphere , sulfuric acid , arctic , atmospheric sciences , ion , quadrupole mass analyzer , atmospheric chemistry , middle latitudes , nitric acid , environmental science , cosmic ray , ozone , oceanography , chemistry , geology , meteorology , astrophysics , physics , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry
Negative ion composition measurements and inferred gaseous sulfuric acid concentrations were for the first time obtained in the winter arctic vortex. The observations were made by a balloon‐borne quadrupole mass spectrometer, between 24 and 30 km altitude, on 18 January 1992. The H 2 SO 4 data provide strong evidence for an additional OH source, other than photochemical OH‐production from O(¹D), operative in the winter arctic stratosphere. The additional OH source might be due to ion‐molecule reactions involving ambient ions, formed by galactic cosmic rays. This mechanism seems to explain the presence of gaseous sulfuric acid in the winter arctic vortex and may even influence H 2 SO 4 abundances at midlatitudes during nighttime.