Ozone production efficiencies of acetone and peroxides in the upper troposphere

Authors

Ian Folkins
R. Chatfield
H. Singh
Y. Chen
Brian G. Heikes, University of Rhode IslandFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1998

Department

Oceanography

Abstract

HO_x concentrations in the upper tropical troposphere can be enhanced by the presence of acetone and the convective injection of peroxides. These enhancements in HO_x might be expected to increase ozone production by increasing the rate of the HO₂+NO reaction. We show however that the convective enhancements of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and methyl hydroperoxide (CH₃OOH) above steady state during the PEM West B campaign were largely restricted to air parcels of marine boundary layer origin in which the mean NO concentration was 8 pptv. The ozone production efficiencies of the two peroxides at such low NO concentrations are very small. Their impact on the ozone budget of the upper tropical troposphere during PEM West B was therefore probably modest. Unlike the peroxides, acetone in the upper tropical troposphere during PEM West B exhibited a positive correlation with NO. It also has a much larger ozone production efficiency than either H₂O₂ or CH₃OOH. It therefore has a much greater potential for significantly increasing ozone production rates in the upper tropical troposphere.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Folkins, I., Chatfield, R., Singh, H., Chen, Y., & Heikes, B. (1998). Citation for: Ozone production efficiencies of acetone and peroxides in the upper troposphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 25(9), 1305-1308. doi: 10.1029/98GL01030.

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1029/98GL01030