DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Impact of biogenic very short-lived bromine on the Antarctic ozone hole during the 21st century

Journal Article · · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, Madrid (Spain); National Research Council (CONICET); Mendoza (Argentina); CSIC, Spain
  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  3. Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, Madrid (Spain)

Active bromine released from the photochemical decomposition of biogenic very short-lived bromocarbons (VSLBr) enhances stratospheric ozone depletion. Based on a dual set of 1960–2100 coupled chemistry–climate simulations (i.e. with and without VSLBr), we show that the maximum Antarctic ozone hole depletion increases by up to 14 % when natural VSLBr are considered, which is in better agreement with ozone observations. The impact of the additional 5 pptv VSLBr on Antarctic ozone is most evident in the periphery of the ozone hole, producing an expansion of the ozone hole area of ~5 million km2, which is equivalent in magnitude to the recently estimated Antarctic ozone healing due to the implementation of the Montreal Protocol. We find that the inclusion of VSLBr in CAM-Chem (Community Atmosphere Model with Chemistry, version 4.0) does not introduce a significant delay of the modelled ozone return date to 1980 October levels, but instead affects the depth and duration of the simulated ozone hole. Our analysis further shows that total bromine-catalysed ozone destruction in the lower stratosphere surpasses that of chlorine by the year 2070 and indicates that natural VSLBr chemistry would dominate Antarctic ozone seasonality before the end of the 21st century. As a result, this work suggests a large influence of biogenic bromine on the future Antarctic ozone layer.

Research Organization:
Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0009988
OSTI ID:
1358422
Journal Information:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online), Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 17; ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
European Geosciences UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (60)

Simulating the impact of emissions of brominated very short lived substances on past stratospheric ozone trends journal April 2015
On the formation of tropical rings of atomic halogens: Causes and implications journal March 2016
Simulation of polar ozone depletion: An update journal August 2015
The effect of representing bromine from VSLS on the simulation and evolution of Antarctic ozone: VSLS Br Impact on Ozone journal September 2016
Climate impact of stratospheric ozone recovery: CLIMATE AND STRATOSPHERIC OZONE RECOVERY journal June 2013
Simulation of polar stratospheric clouds in the specified dynamics version of the whole atmosphere community climate model: POLAR STRATOSPHERIC CLOUDS IN SD-WACCM 4 journal May 2013
Global Modelling of the Atmospheric Methyl Bromide Budget journal June 2006
Reductions of Antarctic ozone due to synergistic interactions of chlorine and bromine journal January 1986
Stratospheric ozone destruction: The importance of bromine relative to chlorine journal October 1999
Stratospheric ozone depletion: A review of concepts and history journal August 1999
Diagnosing ozone loss in the extratropical lower stratosphere: DIAGNOSING OZONE LOSS journal June 2002
Sensitivity of ozone to bromine in the lower stratosphere journal January 2005
Oceanic distributions and emissions of short-lived halocarbons: OCEANIC EMISSIONS OF SHORT-LIVED HALOCARBONS journal March 2007
Sensitivity of chemical tracers to meteorological parameters in the MOZART-3 chemical transport model journal January 2007
Multimodel projections of stratospheric ozone in the 21st century journal January 2007
Simulated lower stratospheric trends between 1970 and 2005: Identifying the role of climate and composition changes journal January 2008
Chemistry-climate model simulations of spring Antarctic ozone journal January 2010
A new interpretation of total column BrO during Arctic spring: FRONTIER journal November 2010
Sensitivity of 21st century stratospheric ozone to greenhouse gas scenarios: SENSITIVITY OF OZONE TO GHG SCENARIOS journal August 2010
Modelling future changes to the stratospheric source gas injection of biogenic bromocarbons journal October 2012
Stratospheric sink for chlorofluoromethanes: chlorine atom-catalysed destruction of ozone journal June 1974
Large losses of total ozone in Antarctica reveal seasonal ClOx/NOx interaction journal May 1985
Reductions of Antarctic ozone due to synergistic interactions of chlorine and bromine journal June 1986
Quantifying the ozone and ultraviolet benefits already achieved by the Montreal Protocol journal May 2015
Correction for Navarro et al., Airborne measurements of organic bromine compounds in the Pacific tropical tropopause layer journal December 2015
Emergence of healing in the Antarctic ozone layer journal June 2016
A multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (TransCom-VSLS): Linking oceanic emissions and tropospheric transport for a reconciled estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection of bromine text January 2016
Multi-model assessment of stratospheric ozone return dates and ozone recovery in CCMVal-2 models text January 2010
Bromine and iodine chemistry in a global chemistry-climate model: description and evaluation of very short-lived oceanic sources text January 2012
Multi-model assessment of stratospheric ozone return dates and ozone recovery in CCMVal-2 models journal January 2010
Impact of deep convection and dehydration on bromine loading in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere journal January 2011
Bromine and iodine chemistry in a global chemistry-climate model: description and evaluation of very short-lived oceanic sources journal January 2012
Estimating the climate significance of halogen-driven ozone loss in the tropical marine troposphere journal January 2012
Circulation anomalies in the Southern Hemisphere and ozone changes journal January 2013
Contribution of very short-lived substances to stratospheric bromine loading: uncertainties and constraints journal January 2013
How sensitive is the recovery of stratospheric ozone to changes in concentrations of very short-lived bromocarbons? journal January 2014
Iodine chemistry in the troposphere and its effect on ozone journal January 2014
Bromine partitioning in the tropical tropopause layer: implications for stratospheric injection journal January 2014
Convective transport of very short lived bromocarbons to the stratosphere journal January 2014
A multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (TransCom-VSLS): linking oceanic emissions and tropospheric transport for a reconciled estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection of bromine journal January 2016
A multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (TransCom-VSLS): linking oceanic emissions and tropospheric transport for a reconciled estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection of bromine journal January 2016
Indicators of Antarctic ozone depletion journal January 2005
Mid-latitude ozone changes: studies with a 3-D CTM forced by ERA-40 analyses journal January 2007
Consistent simulation of bromine chemistry from the marine boundary layer to the stratosphere – Part 2: Bromocarbons journal January 2008
The contribution of anthropogenic bromine emissions to past stratospheric ozone trends: a modelling study journal January 2009
Multi-model assessment of stratospheric ozone return dates and ozone recovery in CCMVal-2 models journal May 2010
Impact of deep convection and dehydration on bromine loading in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere journal January 2011
Contribution of very short-lived substances to stratospheric bromine loading: uncertainties and constraints journal November 2012
Bromine partitioning in the tropical tropopause layer: implications for stratospheric injection journal January 2014
Iodine chemistry in the troposphere and its effect on ozone journal January 2014
Indicators of Antarctic ozone depletion journal June 2005
The contribution of anthropogenic bromine emissions to past stratospheric ozone trends: a modelling study journal July 2006
Consistent simulation of bromine chemistry from the marine boundary layer to the stratosphere – Part 2: Bromocarbons journal May 2008
Emission of atmospherically significant halocarbons by naturally occurring and farmed tropical macroalgae journal January 2013
Emission of atmospherically significant halocarbons by naturally occurring and farmed tropical macroalgae journal January 2013
CAM-chem: description and evaluation of interactive atmospheric chemistry in the Community Earth System Model journal January 2012
Description and evaluation of tropospheric chemistry and aerosols in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1.2) journal January 2015
Representation of the Community Earth System Model (CESM1) CAM4-chem within the Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) journal January 2016
How sensitive is the recovery of stratospheric ozone to changes in concentrations of very short-lived bromocarbons? text January 2014
Circulation anomalies in the Southern Hemisphere and ozone changes text January 2013

Cited By (21)

Delay in recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole from unexpected CFC-11 emissions. text January 2019
Seasonal impact of biogenic very short-lived bromocarbons on lowermost stratospheric ozone between 60° N and 60° S during the 21st century journal July 2020
Interactive comment on “Simulations of anthropogenic bromoform indicate high emissions at the coast of East Asia” by Josefine Maas et al. journal September 2020
Simulating the spread of disinfection by-products and anthropogenic bromoform emissions from ballast water discharge in Southeast Asia journal January 2019
A climatology of polar stratospheric cloud composition between 2002 and 2012 based on MIPAS/Envisat observations text January 2018
Stratospheric Injection of Brominated Very Short-Lived Substances: Aircraft Observations in the Western Pacific and Representation in Global Models journal May 2018
Modeling the Effect of Potential Nitric Acid Removal During Convective Injection of Water Vapor Over the Central United States on the Chemical Composition of the Lower Stratosphere journal August 2019
Modeling the Sources and Chemistry of Polar Tropospheric Halogens (Cl, Br, and I) Using the CAM‐Chem Global Chemistry‐Climate Model journal July 2019
Rapid increase in atmospheric iodine levels in the North Atlantic since the mid-20th century journal April 2018
Delay in recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole from unexpected CFC-11 emissions journal December 2019
Natural halogens buffer tropospheric ozone in a changing climate journal January 2020
The relevance of reactions of the methyl peroxy radical (CH 3 O 2 ) and methylhypochlorite (CH 3 OCl) for Antarctic chlorine activation and ozone loss journal January 2018
Delay in recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole from unexpected CFC-11 emissions. text January 2019
Delay in recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole from unexpected CFC-11 emissions text January 2019
Brominated VSLS and their influence on ozone under a changing climate journal January 2017
Impacts of stratospheric sulfate geoengineering on tropospheric ozone journal January 2017
The maintenance of elevated active chlorine levels in the Antarctic lower stratosphere through HCl null cycles journal January 2018
A climatology of polar stratospheric cloud composition between 2002 and 2012 based on MIPAS/Envisat observations journal January 2018
Simulating the spread of disinfection by-products and anthropogenic bromoform emissions from ballast water discharge in Southeast Asia journal January 2019
Simulating the spread of disinfection by-products and anthropogenic bromoform emissions from ballast water discharge in Southeast Asia journal January 2019
Brominated VSLS and their influence on ozone under a changing climate text January 2017