Atmospheric oxidation capacity

Lelieveld, J, T. M. Butler, J N. Crowley, T. J Dillon, H. Fischer, L. Ganzeveld, H. Harder, M. G. Lawrence, M. Martinez, D. Taraborrelli and J Williams (2008) Atmospheric oxidation capacity sustained by a tropical forest. Nature 452, I il-IAQ... 

Frey MM, Stewart RW, McCormell JR, Bales RC (2005) Atmospheric hydroperoxides in West Antarctica lirtks to stratospheric ozone and atmospheric oxidation capacity. J Geophys Res Atmos 110 D23301... 

Figure 8.3(b) shows that the fraction of CH4 that is oxidized before reaching the atmosphere is a sensitive function of ky and Increasing ky reduces the fraction oxidized, presumably because the oxidation potential Vq is held constant in these simulations and increased production simply overwhelms the oxidation capacity increasing kj increases the fraction oxidized where transmissivity is low and decreases it where transmissivity is high, presumably reflecting... 

P. Matuska, R. Schmitt, D. Mihelcic, P. Muesgen, H.-W. Paetz, M. Schultz, and A. Volz-Thomas, Trace Gas Measurements during the Oxidizing Capacity of the Tropospheric Atmosphere Campaign 1993 at Izana, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 13505-13518 (1998). 

J. O. Nriagu and M. S. Simmons (eds.), Environmental Oxidants. Wiley, New York, 1994 A. M. Thompson, The oxidizing capacity of the Earth s atmosphere probable past and future changes. Science 256, 1157-1165 (1992). 

Kourtidis K., I. Ziomas, C. Zerefos, D. Balis, P. Suppan, A. Vasaras, V. Kosmidis and A. Kentarchos (1997) On the background ozone values in Greece, In Proceedings of the 7th European Symposium on Physico-Chemical Behaviour of Atmospheric Pollutants the Oxidizing Capacity of the Troposphere, B. Larsen, B. Versino, and G. Angeletti (eds.), European Commission, Brussels, p. 387-390. 

Formaldehyde is formed in the atmospheric degradation of virtually all hydrocarbons. Its photolysis has an important effect on the atmosphere s oxidation capacity since it is a significant source of HOx radicals in the middle and upper troposphere, and in polluted regions [135] ... 

Oxidation became an important atmospheric reaction on Earth once molecular oxygen (O2) from photosynthesis had reached sufficiently high levels. This O2 could then photodissociate in the atmosphere to give oxygen atoms, which combine with O2 to form ozone (O3). When O3 absorbs UV light at wavelengths less than 310 nm, it produces excited oxygen atoms (0( D)) which can attack water vapor to produce the hydroxyl free radical (OH). It is the hydroxyl radical that, above all, defines the oxidative capacity of our O2- and... 

This chapter reviews the possible evolution of oxidizing capacity over geologic time, the fundamental chemical reactions involved, and the influences of meteorology and human activity on atmospheric oxidation. The measurement of oxidation rates (i.e., oxidative capacity), and the complex interactive models of chemistry, transport, and human and other biospheric activities that are now being developed to help understand atmospheric oxidation as a key process in the Earth system are also discussed. 

The above results make it very clear that forecasts of the future oxidation capacity of the atmosphere depend critically on the assumed emissions. The IPCC did not assign probabilities to its emission scenarios but it is apparent that some of these scenarios are highly improbable for oxidant precursor emissions. Integrated assessment models, which couple global economic and technological development models with natural Earth system models provide an alternative approach to the IPCC scenario approach with the added advantage that objective estimates of individual model uncertainties can be combined with Monte Carlo approaches to provide more objective ways of defining means and errors in... 

Thompson A. M. (1992) The oxidizing capacity of the Earth s atmosphere probable past and future changes. Science 256, 1157-1165. 

CO is an important atmospheric gas due to its role in the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. It is known to be produced photochemically... 

However, in this process a significant cycle involving hydrocarbons and ozone has important implications for the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and human and ecosystem health. 

Morgan, J. J. (1982) Factors Affecting the pH, Availability of H, and Oxidation Capacity of Rain. In Atmospheric Chemistry, E. D. Goldberg, Ed., Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 

Methane is highly flammable and is therefore an explosion and fire hazard the lower explosive limit is 5-15% by volume. Extreme care must be taken to keep areas of high concentration free from ignition sources, such as sparks from static electricity. Explosion-proof equipment should be used in these areas. Many people believe that methane is an important greenhouse gas, and that the apparent threefold increase in atmospheric concentrations over the last 200 years affects the stratospheric ozone layer and the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere. 

One effect of introducing hydrocarbons, therefore, is accelerated oxidation of nitric oxide to N02, which in turns reacts in the light to produce more ozone. Atmospheric oxygen is the source of oxidation capacity for both this reaction and the transformation of propene to more oxidized compounds. Although the ultimate fate of the hydrocarbon is oxidation to carbon dioxide,... 

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