Atmospheric reactive chlorine and bromine at the Great Salt Lake, Utah

Journal Article · Wed May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2002 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL014812· OSTI ID:15002950

Stutz, Jochen ^[1]; Ackermann, Ralf ^[1]; Fast, Jerome D. ^[2]; Barrie, Leonard ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

The presence of reactive chlorine in the lower troposphere has been postulated in literature but thus far only indirect measurements have been reported. Here we present the first direct observations of chlorine oxide (ClO). During the Vertical Transport and MiXing (VTMX) study in Salt Lake City in October 2000 we observed mixing ratios of 15 ppt ClO and 6 ppt of BrO downwind of salt flats and upwind from the urban area of Salt Lake City. The observed levels lead to a doubling of the atmospheric oxidation capacity. The ozone concentrations observed simulataneously appear to be anticorrelated to the halogen oxide levels, indicating that ozone depletion by catalytic cycles may have occurred.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 15002950
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-37406; KP1202010
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 29, Issue 10; ISSN 0094-8276
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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