Hydrocarbon Removal in Power Plant Plumes Shows Nitrogen Oxide Dependence of Hydroxyl Radicals

J. A. de Gouw; D. D. Parrish; S. S. Brown; P. Edwards; J. B. Gilman; M. Graus; T. F. Hanisco; J. Kaiser; F. N. Keutsch; S. W. Kim; B. M. Lerner; J. A. Neuman; J. B. Nowak; I. B. Pollack; J. M. Roberts; T. B. Ryerson; P. R. Veres; C. Warneke; G. M. Wolfe

doi:10.1029/2019GL083044

Hydrocarbon Removal in Power Plant Plumes Shows Nitrogen Oxide Dependence of Hydroxyl Radicals

J. A. de Gouw
, D. D. Parrish
, S. S. Brown
, P. Edwards
, J. B. Gilman
, M. Graus
, T. F. Hanisco
, J. Kaiser
, F. N. Keutsch
, S. W. Kim
, B. M. Lerner
, J. A. Neuman
, J. B. Nowak
, I. B. Pollack
, J. M. Roberts
, T. B. Ryerson
, P. R. Veres
, C. Warneke
, G. M. Wolfe

Earth Observing Lab

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
University of Colorado Boulder
University of York
University of Innsbruck
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Harvard University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Yonsei University
Aerodyne Research, Inc.
NASA Langley Research Center
Colorado State University
University of Maryland, College Park

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

During an airborne study in the Southeast United States, measured mixing ratios of biogenic hydrocarbons were systematically lower in air masses containing enhanced nitrogen oxides from power plants, which we attribute to increased concentrations of hydroxyl (OH) radicals within the power plant plumes. Plume transects at successively further downwind distances provide a decreasing gradient of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) concentrations, which together with the implied loss rates of isoprene, constrains the OH dependence on NO_x. We find that OH concentrations were highest at nitrogen dioxide concentrations near 1–2 ppbv and decreased at higher and at lower concentrations. These findings agree with the dependence of OH on NO_x concentrations expected from known chemical reactions but are not consistent with some studies reporting direct OH measurements higher than expected in regions of the atmosphere with low NO_x (NO < 0.08 and NO₂ < 0.46 ppbv) and high biogenic hydrocarbon emissions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	7752-7760
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	46
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083044
State	Published - Jul 16 2019

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de Gouw, J. A., Parrish, D. D., Brown, S. S., Edwards, P., Gilman, J. B., Graus, M., Hanisco, T. F., Kaiser, J., Keutsch, F. N., Kim, S. W., Lerner, B. M., Neuman, J. A., Nowak, J. B., Pollack, I. B., Roberts, J. M., Ryerson, T. B., Veres, P. R., Warneke, C., & Wolfe, G. M. (2019). Hydrocarbon Removal in Power Plant Plumes Shows Nitrogen Oxide Dependence of Hydroxyl Radicals. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(13), 7752-7760. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083044

@article{959056a354094dc489e4755ba494167a,

title = "Hydrocarbon Removal in Power Plant Plumes Shows Nitrogen Oxide Dependence of Hydroxyl Radicals",

abstract = "During an airborne study in the Southeast United States, measured mixing ratios of biogenic hydrocarbons were systematically lower in air masses containing enhanced nitrogen oxides from power plants, which we attribute to increased concentrations of hydroxyl (OH) radicals within the power plant plumes. Plume transects at successively further downwind distances provide a decreasing gradient of nitrogen oxides (NOx) concentrations, which together with the implied loss rates of isoprene, constrains the OH dependence on NOx. We find that OH concentrations were highest at nitrogen dioxide concentrations near 1–2 ppbv and decreased at higher and at lower concentrations. These findings agree with the dependence of OH on NOx concentrations expected from known chemical reactions but are not consistent with some studies reporting direct OH measurements higher than expected in regions of the atmosphere with low NOx (NO < 0.08 and NO2 < 0.46 ppbv) and high biogenic hydrocarbon emissions.",

author = "\{de Gouw\}, \{J. A.\} and Parrish, \{D. D.\} and Brown, \{S. S.\} and P. Edwards and Gilman, \{J. B.\} and M. Graus and Hanisco, \{T. F.\} and J. Kaiser and Keutsch, \{F. N.\} and Kim, \{S. W.\} and Lerner, \{B. M.\} and Neuman, \{J. A.\} and Nowak, \{J. B.\} and Pollack, \{I. B.\} and Roberts, \{J. M.\} and Ryerson, \{T. B.\} and Veres, \{P. R.\} and C. Warneke and Wolfe, \{G. M.\}",

year = "2019",

month = jul,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1029/2019GL083044",

language = "English",

volume = "46",

pages = "7752--7760",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Inc.",

number = "13",

}

de Gouw, JA, Parrish, DD, Brown, SS, Edwards, P, Gilman, JB, Graus, M, Hanisco, TF, Kaiser, J, Keutsch, FN, Kim, SW, Lerner, BM, Neuman, JA, Nowak, JB, Pollack, IB, Roberts, JM, Ryerson, TB, Veres, PR, Warneke, C & Wolfe, GM 2019, 'Hydrocarbon Removal in Power Plant Plumes Shows Nitrogen Oxide Dependence of Hydroxyl Radicals', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 46, no. 13, pp. 7752-7760. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083044

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hydrocarbon Removal in Power Plant Plumes Shows Nitrogen Oxide Dependence of Hydroxyl Radicals

AU - de Gouw, J. A.

AU - Parrish, D. D.

AU - Brown, S. S.

AU - Edwards, P.

AU - Gilman, J. B.

AU - Graus, M.

AU - Hanisco, T. F.

AU - Kaiser, J.

AU - Keutsch, F. N.

AU - Kim, S. W.

AU - Lerner, B. M.

AU - Neuman, J. A.

AU - Nowak, J. B.

AU - Pollack, I. B.

AU - Roberts, J. M.

AU - Ryerson, T. B.

AU - Veres, P. R.

AU - Warneke, C.

AU - Wolfe, G. M.

PY - 2019/7/16

Y1 - 2019/7/16

N2 - During an airborne study in the Southeast United States, measured mixing ratios of biogenic hydrocarbons were systematically lower in air masses containing enhanced nitrogen oxides from power plants, which we attribute to increased concentrations of hydroxyl (OH) radicals within the power plant plumes. Plume transects at successively further downwind distances provide a decreasing gradient of nitrogen oxides (NOx) concentrations, which together with the implied loss rates of isoprene, constrains the OH dependence on NOx. We find that OH concentrations were highest at nitrogen dioxide concentrations near 1–2 ppbv and decreased at higher and at lower concentrations. These findings agree with the dependence of OH on NOx concentrations expected from known chemical reactions but are not consistent with some studies reporting direct OH measurements higher than expected in regions of the atmosphere with low NOx (NO < 0.08 and NO2 < 0.46 ppbv) and high biogenic hydrocarbon emissions.

AB - During an airborne study in the Southeast United States, measured mixing ratios of biogenic hydrocarbons were systematically lower in air masses containing enhanced nitrogen oxides from power plants, which we attribute to increased concentrations of hydroxyl (OH) radicals within the power plant plumes. Plume transects at successively further downwind distances provide a decreasing gradient of nitrogen oxides (NOx) concentrations, which together with the implied loss rates of isoprene, constrains the OH dependence on NOx. We find that OH concentrations were highest at nitrogen dioxide concentrations near 1–2 ppbv and decreased at higher and at lower concentrations. These findings agree with the dependence of OH on NOx concentrations expected from known chemical reactions but are not consistent with some studies reporting direct OH measurements higher than expected in regions of the atmosphere with low NOx (NO < 0.08 and NO2 < 0.46 ppbv) and high biogenic hydrocarbon emissions.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85068515032

U2 - 10.1029/2019GL083044

DO - 10.1029/2019GL083044

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85068515032

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 46

SP - 7752

EP - 7760

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 13

ER -

Hydrocarbon Removal in Power Plant Plumes Shows Nitrogen Oxide Dependence of Hydroxyl Radicals

Abstract

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