Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified Convection

Abstract Lightning is the most important source of nitric oxide (NO) in the tropical upper troposphere and controls the formation of tropospheric ozone (O3). It is associated with deep convection and occurs mostly over continents. The Chemistry of the Atmosphere Field Experiment in the Pacific (CAFE...

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Main Authors: Clara M. Nussbaumer, Andrea Pozzer, Michael Hewson, Linda Ort, Bianca Krumm, Joseph Byron, Jonathan Williams, Philipp Joppe, Florian Obersteiner, Andreas Zahn, Jos Lelieveld, Horst Fischer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112788
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author Clara M. Nussbaumer
Andrea Pozzer
Michael Hewson
Linda Ort
Bianca Krumm
Joseph Byron
Jonathan Williams
Philipp Joppe
Florian Obersteiner
Andreas Zahn
Jos Lelieveld
Horst Fischer
author_facet Clara M. Nussbaumer
Andrea Pozzer
Michael Hewson
Linda Ort
Bianca Krumm
Joseph Byron
Jonathan Williams
Philipp Joppe
Florian Obersteiner
Andreas Zahn
Jos Lelieveld
Horst Fischer
author_sort Clara M. Nussbaumer
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Lightning is the most important source of nitric oxide (NO) in the tropical upper troposphere and controls the formation of tropospheric ozone (O3). It is associated with deep convection and occurs mostly over continents. The Chemistry of the Atmosphere Field Experiment in the Pacific (CAFE Pacific) was conducted in early 2024 from Cairns, Australia, taking airborne measurements across the Australian continent and the surrounding maritime regions. Based on cloud top properties, lightning data and in situ observations of NO, O3 and carbon monoxide, we show that deep convection occurs over Northern Australia and the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool. While we identify strong lightning activity over Australia, we observe deep convection in the Warm Pool that is not electrified. Our observations of low O3 in the Warm Pool can be attributed to O3‐poor air from the marine boundary layer, which is not replenished by photochemical production from NO at high altitudes.
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institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-9ffb72e46e0b474391509f3374403bef2025-08-20T02:16:05ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-03-01525n/an/a10.1029/2024GL112788Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified ConvectionClara M. Nussbaumer0Andrea Pozzer1Michael Hewson2Linda Ort3Bianca Krumm4Joseph Byron5Jonathan Williams6Philipp Joppe7Florian Obersteiner8Andreas Zahn9Jos Lelieveld10Horst Fischer11Department of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanySchool of Education and the Arts Central Queensland University Rockhampton QLD AustraliaDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyDepartment of Particle Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyInstitute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe GermanyInstitute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe GermanyDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz GermanyAbstract Lightning is the most important source of nitric oxide (NO) in the tropical upper troposphere and controls the formation of tropospheric ozone (O3). It is associated with deep convection and occurs mostly over continents. The Chemistry of the Atmosphere Field Experiment in the Pacific (CAFE Pacific) was conducted in early 2024 from Cairns, Australia, taking airborne measurements across the Australian continent and the surrounding maritime regions. Based on cloud top properties, lightning data and in situ observations of NO, O3 and carbon monoxide, we show that deep convection occurs over Northern Australia and the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool. While we identify strong lightning activity over Australia, we observe deep convection in the Warm Pool that is not electrified. Our observations of low O3 in the Warm Pool can be attributed to O3‐poor air from the marine boundary layer, which is not replenished by photochemical production from NO at high altitudes.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112788tropospheric ozonedeep convectionlightningIndo‐Pacific warm PoolAustraliain situ observations
spellingShingle Clara M. Nussbaumer
Andrea Pozzer
Michael Hewson
Linda Ort
Bianca Krumm
Joseph Byron
Jonathan Williams
Philipp Joppe
Florian Obersteiner
Andreas Zahn
Jos Lelieveld
Horst Fischer
Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified Convection
Geophysical Research Letters
tropospheric ozone
deep convection
lightning
Indo‐Pacific warm Pool
Australia
in situ observations
title Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified Convection
title_full Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified Convection
title_fullStr Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified Convection
title_full_unstemmed Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified Convection
title_short Low Tropospheric Ozone Over the Indo‐Pacific Warm Pool Related to Non‐Electrified Convection
title_sort low tropospheric ozone over the indo pacific warm pool related to non electrified convection
topic tropospheric ozone
deep convection
lightning
Indo‐Pacific warm Pool
Australia
in situ observations
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112788
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