Sensitivity of climate–chemistry model simulated atmospheric composition to the application of an inverse relationship between NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> emission and lightning flash frequency
<p>Lightning-produced nitrogen oxides (<span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> <span class="inline-formula">=</span> <span class="inline-formula">LNO</span> <span class="inline-...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/5557/2025/acp-25-5557-2025.pdf |
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| Summary: | <p>Lightning-produced nitrogen oxides (<span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> <span class="inline-formula">=</span> <span class="inline-formula">LNO</span> <span class="inline-formula">+</span> <span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub>2</sub></span>) are an important source of upper-tropospheric ozone. Typical parameterizations of <span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> in climate–chemistry models introduce a constant amount of <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> per flash or per flash type. However, recent satellite-based <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub>2</sub></span> measurements suggest that the production of <span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> per flash depends on the lightning flash frequency. In this study, we implement a new parameterization of <span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> production per flash based on the lightning flash frequency in a climate–chemistry model to investigate the upper-limit implications for the chemical composition of the atmosphere. We find that a larger production of <span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> in weak thunderstorms leads to a larger mixing ratio of <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> in the lower and middle troposphere, as well as to a lower mixing ratio of <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> in the upper troposphere. The mixing ratios of <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span>, CO, <span class="inline-formula">HO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span>, <span class="inline-formula">HNO<sub>3</sub></span>, and <span class="inline-formula">HNO<sub>4</sub></span> in the troposphere are influenced by the simulated changes in <span class="inline-formula">LNO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span>. Our findings indicate a larger release of nitrogen oxides from lightning in the lower and middle atmosphere, producing a slightly better agreement with the measurements of tropospheric ozone at a global scale. In turn, we obtain a small decrease in the lifetime of methane and carbon monoxide, ranging between 0.7 % and 3.4 %.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |