Convective transport and scavenging of peroxides by thunderstorms observed over the central U.S. during DC3
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Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2016-04-29
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Citation of Original Publication
Barth, M. C., et al. (2016), Convectivetransport and scavenging of peroxidesby thunderstorms observed over thecentral U.S. during DC3, J. Geophys. Res.Atmos., 121, 4272–4295, doi:10.1002/2015JD024570.
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Public Domain Mark 1.0
This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
Public Domain Mark 1.0
This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
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Abstract
One of the objectives of the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) field experiment was to determine the scavenging of soluble trace gases by thunderstorms. We present an analysis of scavenging of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and methyl hydrogen peroxide (CH₃OOH) from six DC3 cases that occurred in Oklahoma and northeast Colorado. Estimates of H₂O₂ scavenging efficiencies are comparable to previous studies ranging from 79 to 97% with relative uncertainties of 5–25%. CH₃OOH scavenging efficiencies ranged from 12 to 84% with relative uncertainties of 18–558%. The wide range of CH₃OOH scavenging efficiencies is surprising, as previous studies suggested that CH₃OOH scavenging efficiencies would be <10%. Cloud chemistry model simulations of one DC3 storm produced CH₃OOH scavenging efficiencies of 26–61% depending on the ice retention factor of CH₃OOH during cloud drop freezing, suggesting ice physics impacts CH₃OOH scavenging. The highest CH₃OOH scavenging efficiencies occurred in two severe thunderstorms, but there is no obvious correlation between the CH₃OOH scavenging efficiency and the storm thermodynamic environment. We found a moderate correlation between the estimated entrainment rates and CH₃OOH scavenging efficiencies. Changes in gas‐phase chemistry due to lightning production of nitric oxide and aqueous‐phase chemistry have little effect on CH₃OOH scavenging efficiencies. To determine why CH₃OOH can be substantially removed from storms, future studies should examine effects of entrainment rate, retention of CH₃OOH in frozen cloud particles during drop freezing, and lightning‐NOₓ production.