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Ozone production efficiencies of acetone and peroxides in the upper troposphere
Author(s) -
Folkins Ian,
Chatfield R.,
Singh H.,
Chen Y.,
Heikes B.
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 - 10.1029/98gl01030
Subject(s) - troposphere , ozone , acetone , atmospheric sciences , tropospheric ozone , hydrogen peroxide , atmosphere (unit) , environmental science , chemistry , photochemistry , meteorology , geology , physics , organic chemistry
HO x concentrations in the upper tropical troposphere can be enhanced by the presence of acetone and the convective injection of peroxides. These enhancements in HO x might be expected to increase ozone production by increasing the rate of the HO 2 +NO reaction. We show however that the convective enhancements of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and methyl hydroperoxide (CH 3 OOH) above steady state during the PEM West B campaign were largely restricted to air parcels of marine boundary layer origin in which the mean NO concentration was 8 pptv. The ozone production efficiencies of the two peroxides at such low NO concentrations are very small. Their impact on the ozone budget of the upper tropical troposphere during PEM West B was therefore probably modest. Unlike the peroxides, acetone in the upper tropical troposphere during PEM West B exhibited a positive correlation with NO. It also has a much larger ozone production efficiency than either H 2 O 2 or CH 3 OOH. It therefore has a much greater potential for significantly increasing ozone production rates in the upper tropical troposphere.