Assessing Ozone Chemistry Using Observations of Alkyl Nitrates during Summer in Colorado

Abstract:

The oxidation of NO_x to form alkyl and multifunctional nitrates (RONO₂) also terminates the catalytic cycles that lead to ozone production. Although RONO₂ and ozone are produced in parallel processes, they are removed from the troposphere by separate processes. To study these production and loss mechanisms, we obtained measurements of an array of nitrogen oxides, VOCs and ozone during the summer of 2014 as part of two concurrent aircraft-based field measurement campaigns, FRAPPÉ and DISCOVER-AQ, that took place in the Colorado Front Range. We describe analyses of the observations to provide empirical constraints on the processes controlling the production and loss of ozone in the region.