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Observations of methyl nitrate in the lower stratosphere during STRAT: Implications for its gas phase production mechanisms
Author(s) -
Flocke F.,
Atlas E.,
Madronich S.,
Schauffler S. M.,
Aikin K.,
Margitan J. J.,
Bui T. P.
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 - 10.1029/98gl01417
Subject(s) - stratosphere , troposphere , nitrate , altitude (triangle) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , atmospheric chemistry , radical , gas phase , environmental chemistry , chemistry , meteorology , ozone , physics , organic chemistry , geometry , mathematics
Methyl nitrate has been measured for the first time in the lower stratosphere at altitudes to 20.5 km during the December 1996 NASA Stratospheric Tracers of Atmospheric Transport (STRAT) deployment. Whole air samples were taken on board the NASA ER2 aircraft and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Methyl nitrate was present at measurable levels throughout the entire altitude range covered. Taking advantage of the rather simple chemistry in the lower stratosphere compared to the troposphere, and considering the known in‐situ photochemical sources for methyl nitrate, the yield of methyl nitrate from the reaction of methyl peroxy radicals with NO was estimated.