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An improved estimate of the oceanic lifetime of atmospheric CH 3 Br
Author(s) -
Yvon Shari A.,
Butler James H.
Publication year - 1996
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 - 10.1029/95gl03022
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , environmental science , range (aeronautics) , atmospheric sciences , atmospheric models , planetary boundary layer , atmospheric model , climatology , boundary layer , meteorology , geology , physics , materials science , thermodynamics , composite material
Previous estimates of the partial atmospheric lifetime of CH 3 Br with respect to degradation in the ocean have not fully accounted for co‐variation of sea‐surface and boundary layer properties. Here we substantially reduce uncertainty in this calculation by using a coupled, ocean‐atmosphere box model and a tightly gridded data set of oceanic and atmospheric properties. The best estimate of the partial atmospheric lifetime of CH 3 Br with respect to the ocean is 2.7 y with a possible range, due mainly to the choice of computational procedures for critical terms, of 2.4 to 6.5 y. This range is about one‐third of that estimated previously. The total atmospheric lifetime, based upon oceanic, atmospheric, and proposed soil losses with all of their uncertainties, is 0.8 (0.6 to 1.4) y. Only 28% of this total uncertainty is attributable to the uncertainty in oceanic loss.