Extreme oxidant amounts produced by lightning in storm clouds

Brune, W. H.; McFarland, P. J.; Bruning, E.; Waugh, S.; MacGorman, D.; Miller, D. O.; Jenkins, J. M.; Ren, X.; Mao, J.; Peischl, J.

doi:10.1126/science.abg0492

Advanced Search

Select up to three search categories and corresponding keywords using the fields to the right. Refer to the Help section for more detailed instructions.

Search our Collections & Repository

Advanced Search
Custom Query

All these words:

For very narrow results

This exact word or phrase:

When looking for a specific result

Any of these words:

Best used for discovery & interchangable words

None of these words:

Recommended to be used in conjunction with other fields

Language:

Dates

Publication Date Range:

to

Document Data

Title:

Document Type:

Library

Collection:

Series:

People

Author:

Clear All

Query Builder

Query box

Clear All

For additional assistance using the Custom Query please check out our Help Page

i

Extreme oxidant amounts produced by lightning in storm clouds

2021
By Brune, W. H. ; McFarland, P. J. ; Bruning, E. ; ...
Source: Science, 372(6543), 711-715

[PDF-1.18 MB]

Details You May Also Like

Details:

Journal Title:

Science
Personal Author:

Brune, W. H. ; McFarland, P. J. ; Bruning, E. ; Waugh, S. ; MacGorman, D. ; ... More +

Brune, W. H. ; McFarland, P. J. ; Bruning, E. ; Waugh, S. ; MacGorman, D. ; Miller, D. O. ; Jenkins, J. M. ; Ren, X. ; Mao, J. ; Peischl, J. Less -
NOAA Program & Office:

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; CSL (Chemical Sciences Laboratory) ; ARL (Air Resources Laboratory) ; NSSL (National Severe Storms Laboratory) ; CIMMS (Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies) ; ... More +

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; CSL (Chemical Sciences Laboratory) ; ARL (Air Resources Laboratory) ; NSSL (National Severe Storms Laboratory) ; CIMMS (Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies) ; CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences) Less -
Description:

Hydroxyl radicals (OH) are the most important oxidizing species in the atmosphere and provide much of its ability to cleanse itself. It is known that nitric oxide production by lightning leads to the formation of OH and other atmospheric oxidants, such as ozone and hydroperoxyl radicals (HO2), through a variety of chemical reactions. Brune et al. used airborne measurements of OH and HO2 to show that lightning also produces them directly and in amounts much greater than expected. They found that this mechanism may be responsible for as much as one-sixth of the oxidizing capacity of Earth's atmosphere. Science, this issue p. 711 Hydroxyl radicals generated by lightning are an important source of global atmospheric oxidation capacity. 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 HO2 were discovered and linked to visible flashes occurring in front of the aircraft and to subvisible discharges in electrified anvil regions. This enhanced OH and HO2 is 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.
Keywords:

[+]

Lightning
Source:

Science, 372(6543), 711-715
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg0492
Document Type:

Journal Article
Rights Information:

Accepted Manuscript
Compliance:

Submitted
Main Document Checksum:

[+]

urn:sha256:fd9aa2316a5b4f73efeccb3d020832da78c13b8973e161944a2906d97ddb4043
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/32870/noaa_32870_DS1.pdf
File Type:

No Additional Files

More +

Extreme oxidant amounts produced by lightning in storm clouds

Details:

Supporting Files

You May Also Like