N2O production during high energy auroral precipitation

Details N2O production during high energy auroral precipitation N2O production during high energy auroral precipitation

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007agufmsa23a1132m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #SA23A-1132

Other

0341 Middle Atmosphere: Constituent Transport And Chemistry (3334)

Scientific paper

The ACE instrument on SCISAT-I observed very high values of NOx in the lower polar mesosphere in February of 2004. It also measured unusually high mesospheric values of N2O as adduced by both absolute amount and by comparison with simultaneously measured CH4 data. GOMOS data for the same period have revealed high polar NO2 values. Anomalous N2O values in the mesosphere have also been seen by ACE in other years. We suggest that the excess N2O is produced by the reaction of N with NO2. Atomic N is critical to the production and questions arise as to whether N produced by solar radiation of NO is adequate to drive the process is there are high mixing ratios of NO. Thus we have used the CMAM chemistry climate model to examine whether the N2O production is driven by NOx transport from above and photolysis or by in-situ production of N and NO by high energy electron ionization. Our results suggest that N produced by auroral ionization is essential for the production of N2O and, given the short lifetime of N, that N2O is produced locally where NO2 is present below around 80 km. The ionization rate is inferred from observations of electron fluxes and energies by the MEPED instruments on NOAA polar orbiting environmental satellites.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

N2O production during high energy auroral precipitation does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with N2O production during high energy auroral precipitation, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and N2O production during high energy auroral precipitation will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1411857