Chemical Gradient and Inter-hemispheric Distribution of Selected Organic Trace Gases in the Tropical Tropopause Layer Over the Western Pacific

Abstract:

Hydrocarbons and short-lived species play an important role in the chemistry of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) region. Their distribution, vertical structure and variability provide information about emission sources and transport. Furthermore, the characterization of short-lived organic halogens defines the reactive halogen budget and the conditions for the stratospheric chemistry that affects ozone depletion rates. The chemical composition of the air masses entering the stratosphere depends on the chemical and physical processes that occur during their transitions through the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL). It is well known that convective systems effectively transport short-lived trace gases to the UT. However, the overall impact of these processes on the distribution and budget of trace gases is not well known since only high altitude aircraft can reach this region of the atmosphere (>13-14 Km)

During the recent field campaign of the Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment (ATTREX) and the Convective Transport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST), carried out in Guam during January-March 2014, the Whole Air Samplers (GWAS and AWAS) collected approximately 1200 samples to examine the tropical convection of the west pacific and its influence on the distribution of the short-lived species from the bottom of the TTL to the lower stratosphere. Measurement of a wide range of hydrocarbons, halocarbons, organic nitrates and solvents were carried out in the field using a combination of gas chromatography with mass selective, flame ionization, and electron capture detectors. In addition, model simulations of selected hydrocarbon and organic trace gases were performed with the chemistry climate model CAM-Chem to evaluate the chemical gradients and inter-hemispheric distributions. In this presentation we will show the gradients and inter-hemispheric distributions from the measurements and compare them with the model results.