Heterogeneous chemistry on Antarctic Polar Stratospheric Clouds: A microphysical estimate of the extent of chemical processing
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles (United States)
- Los Alamos National Laboratories, NM (United States)
The authors have presented model calculations which consider the detailed role of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) in the atmospheric chemistry processes which occur in the Antarctic winter, prior to the start of photochemical reactions in late winter and spring which result in ozone depletion. Rather than treat these clouds as a boundary condition to such calculations, the authors have tried to model the microphysical processes which occur in the clouds, and which contribute to the chemical processing which occurs in the winter. This can include processes which denoxify the stratosphere, by conversion of nitrogen oxides to nitric acid followed by particle precipitation. It also involves questions related to a number of heterogeneous chemical reactions, some of which are known to occur on particle surfaces. The model studies the nucleation and growth of type 1 and type 2 polar stratospheric clouds. It looks at the time dependent growth of ice and nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles, and the concentrations of gases involved in the heterogeneous chemical reactions. The results of the simulations show a strong dependence upon the concentration of the reactants involved in the heterogeneous reactions in the PSC's, as well as the relative sticking coefficients of these reactants on PSC particles.
- OSTI ID:
- 6458835
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 98:D5; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540110*
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CLOUDS
CONVERSION
CRYOSPHERE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ICE
INORGANIC ACIDS
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NUCLEATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
POLAR REGIONS
STRATOSPHERE
SURFACES