skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Wet scavenging of soluble gases in DC3 deep convective storms using WRF-Chem simulations and aircraft observations

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD024623· OSTI ID:1327086
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [4];  [6];  [7];  [7];  [8];  [7];  [9];  [10];  [10];  [10];  [11] more »;  [11];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [12] « less
  1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  3. Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)
  4. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
  5. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
  6. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  7. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
  8. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States); California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States); Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, MD (United States)
  9. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD (United States)
  10. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
  11. Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)
  12. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

In this work, we examine wet scavenging of soluble trace gases in storms observed during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) field campaign. We conduct high-resolution simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) of a severe storm in Oklahoma. The model represents well the storm location, size, and structure as compared with Next Generation Weather Radar reflectivity, and simulated CO transport is consistent with aircraft observations. Scavenging efficiencies (SEs) between inflow and outflow of soluble species are calculated from aircraft measurements and model simulations. Using a simple wet scavenging scheme, we simulate the SE of each soluble species within the error bars of the observations. The simulated SEs of all species except nitric acid (HNO3) are highly sensitive to the values specified for the fractions retained in ice when cloud water freezes. To reproduce the observations, we must assume zero ice retention for formaldehyde (CH2O) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and complete retention for methyl hydrogen peroxide (CH3OOH) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), likely to compensate for the lack of aqueous chemistry in the model. We then compare scavenging efficiencies among storms that formed in Alabama and northeast Colorado and the Oklahoma storm. Significant differences in SEs are seen among storms and species. More scavenging of HNO3 and less removal of CH3OOH are seen in storms with higher maximum flash rates, an indication of more graupel mass. Graupel is associated with mixed-phase scavenging and lightning production of nitrogen oxides (NOx ), processes that may explain the observed differences in HNO3 and CH3OOH scavenging.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830; ACCDAMNNX14AR56G; AGS-1261559; NNX12AMO8G; AGS-1522910; 1063479; 1522551; NNX12AC06G; NNX14AP46G-ACCDAM; ATM1063467; NNX12AB77G; NNX12AB76G
OSTI ID:
1327086
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-119123; KP1701000
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 121, Issue 8; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 28 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (101)

Combined Satellite- and Surface-Based Estimation of the Intracloud–Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Ratio over the Continental United States journal January 2001
A New Vertical Diffusion Package with an Explicit Treatment of Entrainment Processes journal September 2006
Effects of Horizontal and Vertical Grid Spacing on Mixing in Simulated Squall Lines and Implications for Convective Strength and Structure journal November 2015
Atmospheric oxalic acid and SOA production from glyoxal: Results of aqueous photooxidation experiments journal November 2007
Formation of the Enhanced-V Infrared Cloud-Top Feature from High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Radar Observations journal January 2014
Nitric acid in cirrus clouds journal January 2006
A cloud chemistry module for the 3-D cloud-resolving mesoscale model Meso-NH with application to idealized cases journal January 2013
The WSR-88D and the WSR-88D Operational Support Facility journal September 1993
A Small High-Sensitivity, Medium-Response Ozone Detector Suitable for Measurements from Light Aircraft journal April 1992
Catalyzed oxidation of sulfur dioxide in solution: The iron-manganese synergism journal January 1991
Cloud-scale model intercomparison of chemical constituent transport in deep convection journal January 2007
Open-path airborne tunable diode laser hygrometer
  • Diskin, Glenn S.; Podolske, James R.; Sachse, Glen W.
  • International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, SPIE Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1117/12.453736
conference September 2002
The effects of microphysical parameterization on model predictions of sulfate production in clouds journal July 1990
Formaldehyde, glyoxal, and methylglyoxal in air and cloudwater at a rural mountain site in central Virginia journal January 1995
The effect of freezing on the composition of supercooled droplets—I. Retention of HCl, HNO3, NH3 and H2O2 journal January 1990
Hydrogen peroxide, methyl hydroperoxide, and formaldehyde over North America and the North Atlantic journal January 2007
Chemistry of OH in remote clouds and its role in the production of formic acid and peroxymonosulfate journal January 1986
The Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) Field Campaign journal August 2015
Convective transport and scavenging of peroxides by thunderstorms observed over the central U.S. during DC3: Convective Transport of Peroxides journal April 2016
The Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN): a high resolution global model to estimate the emissions from open burning journal January 2011
Sources of HO x and production of ozone in the upper troposphere over the United States journal May 1998
Trapping of trace gases in growing ice crystals: GAS TRAPPING IN ICE CRYSTALS journal November 2004
Mass-Transport Considerations Pertinent to Aqueous Phase Reactions of Gases in Liquid-Water Clouds book January 1986
Evaluation of modeled cloud properties against aircraft observations for air quality applications: EVALUATION OF MODELED CLOUD PROPERTIES journal April 2007
Transport of ozone to the surface by convective downdrafts at night journal January 2002
Simulations of the redistribution of formaldehyde, formic acid, and peroxides in the 10 July 1996 Stratospheric-Tropospheric Experiment: Radiation, Aerosols, and Ozone deep convection storm: SIMULATION OF MIDLATITUDE THUNDERSTORM AND CHEMISTRY journal July 2007
Radar and Lightning Observations of Deep Moist Convection across Northern Alabama during DC3: 21 May 2012 journal July 2015
Surface and lightning sources of nitrogen oxides over the United States: Magnitudes, chemical evolution, and outflow journal January 2007
Aerosol transport and wet scavenging in deep convective clouds: A case study and model evaluation using a multiple passive tracer analysis approach journal August 2015
Sensitivity of a Simulated Squall Line to Horizontal Resolution and Parameterization of Microphysics journal January 2012
Evolution of ozone, particulates, and aerosol direct radiative forcing in the vicinity of Houston using a fully coupled meteorology-chemistry-aerosol model journal January 2006
Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry (MOSAIC) journal January 2008
A Theoretical Method for Computing Vertical Distributions of Acidity and Sulfate Production within Cumulus Clouds journal February 1986
Convective injection and photochemical decay of peroxides in the tropical upper troposphere: Methyl iodide as a tracer of marine convection journal March 1999
Resolution Requirements for the Simulation of Deep Moist Convection journal October 2003
An improved lightning flash rate parameterization developed from Colorado DC3 thunderstorm data for use in cloud‐resolving chemical transport models journal September 2015
Chemical retention during dry growth riming journal January 2004
Interaction of HNO 3 with water-ice surfaces at temperatures of the free troposphere journal June 1997
Chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometer for the in situ measurement of methyl hydrogen peroxide journal September 2010
Description and evaluation of the Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers, version 4 (MOZART-4) journal January 2010
The importance of cloud drop representation on cloud photochemistry journal November 2006
Burial of gas-phase HNO3 by growing ice surfaces under tropospheric conditions journal January 2005
An efficient photolysis system for fast-response NO 2 measurements journal November 2000
An improved fast-response vacuum-UV resonance fluorescence CO instrument journal January 1999
Impact of Cloud Microphysics on the Development of Trailing Stratiform Precipitation in a Simulated Squall Line: Comparison of One- and Two-Moment Schemes journal March 2009
Thunderstorms: An Important Mechanism in the Transport of Air Pollutants journal January 1987
Influences of cloud photochemical processes on tropospheric ozone journal January 1990
Role of convection in redistributing formaldehyde to the upper troposphere over North America and the North Atlantic during the summer 2004 INTEX campaign journal January 2008
Scavenging of acidic gases (HCOOH, CH 3 COOH, HNO 3 , HCl, and SO 2 ) and ammonia in mixed liquid-solid water clouds at the Puy de Dôme mountain (France) journal March 2000
Wind tunnel experiments on the retention of trace gases during riming: nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen peroxide journal January 2011
Lightning-generated NO X and its impact on tropospheric ozone production: A three-dimensional modeling study of a Stratosphere-Troposphere Experiment: Radiation, Aerosols and Ozone (STERAO-A) thunderstorm : LIGHTNING NO journal July 2005
Compact highly sensitive multi-species airborne mid-IR spectrometer journal February 2015
Measurement of Gas-Phase Hydroperoxides by Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry journal October 2006
A Small, Low Flow, High Sensitivity Reaction Vessel for NO Chemiluminescence Detectors journal April 1990
Water droplet calibration of the Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP) and in-flight performance in liquid, ice and mixed-phase clouds during ARCPAC journal January 2010
A simple lightning parameterization for calculating global lightning distributions journal June 1992
Phase-partitioning and chemical reactions of low molecular weight organic compounds in fog journal November 1992
Reactions of CF 3 O - with Atmospheric Trace Gases journal January 1996
Fully coupled “online” chemistry within the WRF model journal December 2005
Small Ice Particles in Tropospheric Clouds: Fact or Artifact? Airborne Icing Instrumentation Evaluation Experiment journal August 2011
Photodissociation in the atmosphere: 1. Actinic flux and the effects of ground reflections and clouds journal January 1987
Direct Measurements of the Convective Recycling of the Upper Troposphere journal February 2007
Numerical simulations of the July 10, 1996, Stratospheric-Tropospheric Experiment: Radiation, Aerosols, and Ozone (STERAO)-Deep Convection experiment storm: Redistribution of soluble tracers journal June 2001
Tropospheric Aerosol Optical Thickness from the GOCART Model and Comparisons with Satellite and Sun Photometer Measurements journal February 2002
Gas phase reactions of CF3O− and CF3O−H2O with nitric, formic, and acetic acid journal December 2000
Thunderstorms and upper troposphere chemistry during the early stages of the 2006 North American Monsoon journal January 2012
A cloud chemistry sensitivity study and comparison of explicit and bulk cloud model performance journal October 1993
A surface chemistry model for nonreactive trace gas adsorption on ice: Implications for nitric acid scavenging by cirrus journal July 1999
Vertical cavity laser hygrometer for the National Science Foundation Gulfstream-V aircraft journal January 2010
Influence of summertime deep convection on formaldehyde in the middle and upper troposphere over Europe journal January 2006
Optimizing model performance: variable size resolution in cloud chemistry modeling journal September 2001
Large upper tropospheric ozone enhancements above midlatitude North America during summer: In situ evidence from the IONS and MOZAIC ozone measurement network journal January 2006
Ultra-high-precision mid-IR spectrometer II: system description and spectroscopic performance journal June 2006
Sensitivity analysis of a chemical mechanism for aqueous-phase atmospheric chemistry journal January 1989
Toward a more physical representation of precipitation scavenging in global chemistry models: cloud overlap and ice physics and their impact on tropospheric ozone journal January 2012
Measurement of trace atmospheric species by chemical ionization mass spectrometry: Speciation of reactive nitrogen and future directions journal January 2007
Factors influencing the retention of hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen in rime ice journal January 1998
Microphysical Characteristics of Overshooting Convection from Polarimetric Radar Observations journal February 2015
Radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases: Calculations with the AER radiative transfer models journal January 2008
Isotopic constraints on the formation pathways of sulfate aerosol in the marine boundary layer of the subtropical northeast Atlantic Ocean: MBL SULFATE FORMATION journal March 2012
Fast-response, high-precision carbon monoxide sensor using a tunable diode laser absorption technique journal January 1987
Application of a Lightning Data Assimilation Technique in the WRF-ARW Model at Cloud-Resolving Scales for the Tornado Outbreak of 24 May 2011 journal August 2012
Measurement of HO 2 NO 2 in the free troposphere during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment–North America 2004 journal January 2007
Sulfur dioxide in remote oceanic air: Cloud transport of reactive precursors journal January 1984
Upper tropospheric ozone production from lightning NO x -impacted convection: Smoke ingestion case study from the DC3 campaign journal March 2015
Summary of the cloud chemistry modeling intercomparison: Photochemical box model simulation journal January 2003
Transport and chemistry of formaldehyde by mesoscale convective systems in West Africa during AMMA 2006: FORMALDEHYDE IN WEST AFRICA journal June 2012
Carboxylic acids in clouds at a high-elevation forested site in central Virginia journal January 1995
NMHCs and halocarbons in Asian continental outflow during the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) Field Campaign: Comparison With PEM-West B journal January 2003
Uptake of HNO 3 on ice under upper tropospheric conditions journal June 1997
A parameterization of snowpack and frozen ground intended for NCEP weather and climate models journal August 1999
First demonstration of a high performance difference frequency spectrometer on airborne platforms journal January 2007
Hydrogen peroxide retention in rime ice journal January 1992
Transition metal-catalyzed oxidation of atmospheric sulfur: Global implications for the sulfur budget journal January 2009
Estimates of global terrestrial isoprene emissions using MEGAN (Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature) journal January 2006
Phase-partitioning and chemical reactions of low molecular weight organic compounds in fog journal November 1992
A cloud chemistry sensitivity study and comparison of explicit and bulk cloud model performance journal October 1993
Phase-partitioning and chemical reactions of low molecular weight organic compounds in fog journal January 1992
Estimates of global terrestrial isoprene emissions using MEGAN (Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature) journal January 2006
The Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN) – a high resolution global model to estimate the emissions from open burning journal January 2010
Cloud-scale model intercomparison of chemical constituent transport in deep convection posted_content June 2007

Cited By (6)

Examination of in-cloud sulfate chemistry using a different model initialization journal December 2018
Wet Scavenging in WRF‐Chem Simulations of Parameterized Convection for a Severe Storm During the DC3 Field Campaign journal July 2019
Introduction to the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) 2012 Studies journal July 2019
The influence of deep convection on HCHO and H2O2 in the upper troposphere over Europe journal January 2017
Measurement of formic acid, acetic acid and hydroxyacetaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and methyl peroxide in air by chemical ionization mass spectrometry: airborne method development journal January 2018
The influence of deep convection on HCHO and H2O2 in the upper troposphere over Europe journal March 2017

Similar Records

Effects of Scavenging, Entrainment, and Aqueous Chemistry on Peroxides and Formaldehyde in Deep Convective Outflow Over the Central and Southeast United States
Journal Article · Thu Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres · OSTI ID:1327086
+13 more
Effects of Scavenging, Entrainment, and Aqueous Chemistry on Peroxides and Formaldehyde in Deep Convective Outflow Over the Central and Southeast United States
Journal Article · Fri Jul 27 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres · OSTI ID:1327086
+13 more
Atmospheric oxidation in the presence of clouds during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) study
Journal Article · Wed Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online) · OSTI ID:1327086
+18 more

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
deep convective storms
wet scavenging
ice retention
trace gases
WRF‐Chem