General circulation model study of atmospheric carbon monoxide

Journal Article · Wed Apr 20 04:00:00 EST 1983 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC088iC06p03691· OSTI ID:5861343

Pinto, J P; Yung, Y L; Rind, D; Russell, G L; Lerner, J A; Hansen, J E; Hameed, S

The carbon monoxide cycle is studied by incorporating the known and hypothetical sources and sinks in a tracer model that uses the winds generated by a general circulation model. Photochemical production and loss terms, which depend on OH radical concentrations, are calculated in an interactive fashion. The computed global distribution and seasonal variations of CO are compared with observations to obtain constraints on the distribution and magnitude of the sources and sinks of CO, and on the tropospheric abundance of OH. The simplest model that accounts for available observations requires a low latitude plant source of about 1.3 x 10/sup 15/ g yr/sup -1/, in addition to sources from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and oxidation of methane. The globally averaged OH concentration calculated in the model is 7 x 10/sup 5/ cm/sup -3/. Models that calculate globally averaged OH concentrations much lower than our nominal value are not consistent with the observed variability of CO. Such models are also inconsistent with measurements of CO isotopic abundances, which imply the existence of plant sources.

• Research Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York 10025
• OSTI ID: 5861343
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 88:C6; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS
HYDROXYL RADICALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADICALS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
STRATOSPHERE
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TROPOSPHERE
VARIATIONS
WIND