Open AccessMultiphase chemistry of NO 3 in the remote troposphere
Author(s) -
Rudich Y.,
Talukdar R. K.,
Ravishankara A. R.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/98jd01280
Subject(s) - aerosol , troposphere , sulfur , dimethyl sulfide , sea salt , atmospheric sciences , mixing (physics) , sulfur cycle , kinetics , atmospheric chemistry , planetary boundary layer , sea salt aerosol , environmental science , chemistry , ozone , boundary layer , geology , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , physics , quantum mechanics
The effect of NO 3 uptake at night into marine aerosol and cloud droplets on (1) sulfur oxidation, (2) NO 3 ambient concentrations, and (3) NO 3 atmospheric lifetime is examined using a simple chemical kinetics model. It is shown that the atmospheric lifetime toward multiphase removal of NO 3 is < 10 min in presence of cloud droplets. We also show that at low mixing ratios of H 2 O 2 (<150 pmol/mol), NO 3 can enhance sulfur oxidation in clouds via a catalytic cycle with a chain length of ∼8. Finally, in presence of sea‐salt aerosol, the uptake of NO 3 leads to low ambient concentrations of NO 3 , efficient S(IV) oxidation, and possibly, to release of halogens from the aerosol. The results of this study imply that the multiphase reaction of NO 3 may be important in the remote marine boundary layer.