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Denitrification mechanisms in the polar stratospheres

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA)
  2. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)
  3. San Jose State Univ., CA (USA)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Microphysical simulations suggest that the time required for nitric acid particles to sediment from the stratosphere is comparable to the time required for falling ice particles to incorporate nitric acid vapor from the vapor phase. Since nitric acid particles form earlier in the winter than ice particles these simulations favor denitrification being a separate process from dehydration, with denitrification being due to nitric acid particles and dehydration due to ice particles. In our simulations, the column abundance of nitric acid is only depleted if temperatures low enough for nitric acid particles to exist extend to the altitude above which the column is measured. Such low temperatures are infrequent in the Arctic lower stratosphere, which may be the main reason that the Arctic stratospheric column shows little loss of nitric acid during winter, while the colder Antarctic stratospheric column shows a substantial loss of nitric acid. In order to learn more about denitrification mechanisms further observational and laboratory studies are needed.

OSTI ID:
5397319
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 17:4; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ANTARCTICA
ARCTIC REGIONS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLIMATE MODELS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DEHYDRATION
DENITRIFICATION
DEPOSITION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVALUATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ICE
INFORMATION NEEDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
KINETICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NITRIC ACID
POLAR REGIONS
REACTION KINETICS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SIMULATION
STRATOSPHERE
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
VAPOR CONDENSATION
VARIATIONS