Balloon profiles of stratospheric NO[sub 2] and HNO[sub 3] for testing the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N[sub 2]O[sub 5] on sulfate aerosols

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL03213· OSTI ID:5034454

Webster, C R; May, R D; Allen, M; Jaegle, L ^[1]; McCormick, M P ^[2]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)
2. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (United States)

Simultaneous in situ measurements of stratospheric NO[sub 2], HNO[sub 3], HCl, and CH[sub 4] from 34 to 24 km were made in August 1992 from Palestine, Texas, using the Balloon-borne Laser In-Situ Sensor (BLISS) tunable diode laser spectrometer. Although the measurements of NO[sub 2], HNO[sub 3], and NO[sub 2]/HNO[sub 3] agree well with gas-phase model calculations near 34 km where SAGE II data show little sulfate aerosol, this is not true at the lower altitudes where SAGE II shows high aerosol loadings. At 24 km the BLISS NO[sub 2] and HNO[sub 3] measurements are 70% lower, and 50% higher, respectively, than the gas phase model predictions, with a measured NO[sub 2]/HNO[sub 3] ratio 5 times smaller. When the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N[sub 2]O[sub 5] and ClONO[sub 2] on sulfate aerosol of surface area densities matching the SAGE II measurements is added to the model, good agreement with the BLISS measurements is found over the whole altitude range. 24 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 5034454
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Vol. 21:1; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
METHANE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
NITRIC ACID
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
ALTITUDE
STRATOSPHERE
ALKANES
CHALCOGENIDES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)