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Abstract Reaction with the hydroxyl radical (OH) is often the first step in the removal of many atmospheric pollutants. The nitrogen oxides (NOx) generated by lightning can increase the amount of HOx(HOx = OH + HO2) present in the atmosphere, but direct HOxproduction from lightning has never been quantitatively investigated in the laboratory. In this laboratory study, prodigious amounts of HOxwere generated by both visible and subvisible electrical discharges over ranges of pressure and water vapor mixing ratios relevant to the troposphere. Also measured were NO, total nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), and OH exposure, which is the integral of the hydroxyl radical concentration over time since the discharge. HOxand OH exposure were approximately independent of pressure from 360 to 970 hPa and increased only slightly as water vapor increased from 1,000 to 8,000 parts per million volume (ppmv), while NOxwas approximately independent of both pressure and water vapor over the same ranges. These laboratory measurements of excessive HOxand OH exposure are similar to measurements of electrically generated HOxdiscovered in electrified anvil clouds during a 2012 airborne study, thus demonstrating the relevance of these laboratory results to the atmosphere and the importance of understanding the electrically generated HOxcontribution to atmospheric oxidation.
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Extreme oxidant amounts produced by lightning in storm clouds
Lightning increases the atmosphere’s ability to cleanse itself by producing nitric oxide (NO), leading to atmospheric chemistry that forms ozone (O3) and the atmosphere’s primary oxidant, the hydroxyl radical (OH). Our analysis of a 2012 airborne study of deep convection and chemistry demonstrates that lightning also directly generates the oxidants OH and the hydroperoxyl radical (HO2). Extreme amounts of OH and HO2were discovered and linked to visible flashes occurring in front of the aircraft and to subvisible discharges in electrified anvil regions. This enhanced OH and HO2is orders of magnitude greater than any previous atmospheric observation. Lightning-generated OH in all storms happening at the same time globally can be responsible for a highly uncertain, but substantial, 2 to 16% of global atmospheric OH oxidation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1834711
- PAR ID:
- 10228116
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Science
- Volume:
- 372
- Issue:
- 6543
- ISSN:
- 0036-8075
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 711-715
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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