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Night‐time peroxy radical chemistry in the remote marine boundary layer over the Southern Ocean
Author(s) -
Monks Paul S.,
Carpenter Lucy J.,
Penkett Smart A.,
Ayers Gregory P.
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 - 10.1029/96gl00306
Subject(s) - radical , boundary layer , hydroxyl radical , planetary boundary layer , chemical reaction , photochemistry , chemistry , physics , thermodynamics , organic chemistry
Peroxy radical measurements were made in the remote marine boundary layer over the Southern Ocean at Cape Grim, Tasmania during January and February 1995. From the experimental peroxy radical data it is clearly demonstrated that there is little night‐time oxidation chemistry taking place. In such an environment at night the sole type of peroxy radical that persists is CH 3 O 2 (τ > 12 hours) and the only nocturnal chemical process involving peroxy radicals appear to be the self‐reaction of CH 3 O 2 coupled to either a small but finite deposition velocity (k d ∼ 0.003 m s−1) or a slow reaction with O 3 (k(CH 3 O 2 + O 3 )≤8 × 10 −18 cm³ molecule −1 s −1 ). A deviation between experimentally determined peroxy radical levels and J(O¹D) in the late afternoon is discussed and modelled in terms of the peroxy radical self‐reactions.