Short-term variations in the oxidizing power of the atmosphere

The hydroxyl radical is the predominant atmospheric oxidant, responsible for removing a wide range of trace gases, including greenhouse gases, from the atmosphere. Determination of trends and variability in hydroxyl radical concentrations is critical to understanding whether the 'cleansing' properties of the atmosphere are changing. The variability in hydroxyl radical concentrations on annual to monthly timescales, however, is difficult to quantify. Here we show records of carbon monoxide containing radiocarbon (14CO), which is oxidized by hydroxyl radicals, from clean-air sites at Baring Head, New Zealand, and Scott Base, Antarctica, spanning 13 years. Using a model study, we correct for known variations in production of 14CO (refs 6, 7), allowing us to exploit this species as a diagnostic for short term changes in hydroxyl radical concentrations. We find no significant long-term trend in hydroxyl radical concentrations but provide evidence for recurring short-term variations of around ten per cent persisting for a few months. We also find decreases in hydroxyl radical concentrations of up to 20 per cent, apparently triggered by the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in 1991 and by the occurrence of extensive fires in Indonesia in 1997.     

Atmospheric oxidation capacity sustained by a tropical forest

Terrestrial vegetation, especially tropical rain forest, releases vast quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the atmosphere, which are removed by oxidation reactions and deposition of reaction products. The oxidation is mainly initiated by hydroxyl radicals (OH), primarily formed through the photodissociation of ozone. Previously it was thought that, in unpolluted air, biogenic VOCs deplete OH and reduce the atmospheric oxidation capacity. Conversely, in polluted air VOC oxidation leads to noxious oxidant build-up by the catalytic action of nitrogen oxides (NO(x) = NO + NO2). Here we report aircraft measurements of atmospheric trace gases performed over the pristine Amazon forest. Our data reveal unexpectedly high OH concentrations. We propose that natural VOC oxidation, notably of isoprene, recycles OH efficiently in low-NO(x) air through reactions of organic peroxy radicals. Computations with an atmospheric chemistry model and the results of laboratory experiments suggest that an OH recycling efficiency of 40-80 per cent in isoprene oxidation may be able to explain the high OH levels we observed in the field. Although further laboratory studies are necessary to explore the chemical mechanism responsible for OH recycling in more detail, our results demonstrate that the biosphere maintains a remarkable balance with the atmospheric environment.     

Strong correlation between levels of tropospheric hydroxyl radicals and solar ultraviolet radiation

The most important chemical cleaning agent of the atmosphere is the hydroxyl radical, OH. It determines the oxidizing power of the atmosphere, and thereby controls the removal of nearly all gaseous atmospheric pollutants. The atmospheric supply of OH is limited, however, and could be overcome by consumption due to increasing pollution and climate change, with detrimental feedback effects. To date, the high variability of OH concentrations has prevented the use of local observations to monitor possible trends in the concentration of this species. Here we present and analyse long-term measurements of atmospheric OH concentrations, which were taken between 1999 and 2003 at the Meteorological Observatory Hohenpeissenberg in southern Germany. We find that the concentration of OH can be described by a surprisingly linear dependence on solar ultraviolet radiation throughout the measurement period, despite the fact that OH concentrations are influenced by thousands of reactants. A detailed numerical model of atmospheric reactions and measured trace gas concentrations indicates that the observed correlation results from compensations between individual processes affecting OH, but that a full understanding of these interactions may not be possible on the basis of our current knowledge of atmospheric chemistry. As a consequence of the stable relationship between OH concentrations and ultraviolet radiation that we observe, we infer that there is no long-term trend in the level of OH in the Hohenpeissenberg data set.     

Long-term decline of global atmospheric ethane concentrations and implications for methane

After methane, ethane is the most abundant hydrocarbon in the remote atmosphere. It is a precursor to tropospheric ozone and it influences the atmosphere's oxidative capacity through its reaction with the hydroxyl radical, ethane's primary atmospheric sink. Here we present the longest continuous record of global atmospheric ethane levels. We show that global ethane emission rates decreased from 14.3 to 11.3 teragrams per year, or by 21 per cent, from 1984 to 2010. We attribute this to decreasing fugitive emissions from ethane's fossil fuel source--most probably decreased venting and flaring of natural gas in oil fields--rather than a decline in its other major sources, biofuel use and biomass burning. Ethane's major emission sources are shared with methane, and recent studies have disagreed on whether reduced fossil fuel or microbial emissions have caused methane's atmospheric growth rate to slow. Our findings suggest that reduced fugitive fossil fuel emissions account for at least 10-21 teragrams per year (30-70 per cent) of the decrease in methane's global emissions, significantly contributing to methane's slowing atmospheric growth rate since the mid-1980s.     

Recent decreases in fossil-fuel emissions of ethane and methane derived from firn air

Methane and ethane are the most abundant hydrocarbons in the atmosphere and they affect both atmospheric chemistry and climate. Both gases are emitted from fossil fuels and biomass burning, whereas methane (CH(4)) alone has large sources from wetlands, agriculture, landfills and waste water. Here we use measurements in firn (perennial snowpack) air from Greenland and Antarctica to reconstruct the atmospheric variability of ethane (C(2)H(6)) during the twentieth century. Ethane levels rose from early in the century until the 1980s, when the trend reversed, with a period of decline over the next 20?years. We find that this variability was primarily driven by changes in ethane emissions from fossil fuels; these emissions peaked in the 1960s and 1970s at 14-16 teragrams per year (1?Tg = 10(12)?g) and dropped to 8-10?Tg yr(-1) by the turn of the century. The reduction in fossil-fuel sources is probably related to changes in light hydrocarbon emissions associated with petroleum production and use. The ethane-based fossil-fuel emission history is strikingly different from bottom-up estimates of methane emissions from fossil-fuel use, and implies that the fossil-fuel source of methane started to decline in the 1980s and probably caused the late twentieth century slow-down in the growth rate of atmospheric methane.     

Volcanically emitted sodium chloride as a source for Io's neutral clouds and plasma torus

The atmosphere of Jupiter's satellite Io is extremely tenuous, time variable and spatially heterogeneous. Only a few molecules--SO2, SO and S2--have previously been identified as constituents of this atmosphere, and possible sources include frost sublimation, surface sputtering and active volcanism. Io has been known for almost 30 years to be surrounded by a cloud of Na, which requires an as yet unidentified atmospheric source of sodium. Sodium chloride has been recently proposed as an important atmospheric constituent, based on the detection of chlorine in Io's plasma torus and models of Io's volcanic gases. Here we report the detection of NaCl in Io's atmosphere; it constitutes only approximately 0.3% when averaged over the entire disk, but is probably restricted to smaller regions than SO2 because of its rapid photolysis and surface condensation. Although the inferred abundance of NaCl in volcanic gases is lower than predicted, those volcanic emissions provide an important source of Na and Cl in Io's neutral clouds and plasma torus.     

Atmospheric oxygenation caused by a change in volcanic degassing pressure

The Precambrian history of our planet is marked by two major events: a pulse of continental crust formation at the end of the Archaean eon and a weak oxygenation of the atmosphere (the Great Oxidation Event) that followed, at 2.45?billion years ago. This oxygenation has been linked to the emergence of oxygenic cyanobacteria and to changes in the compositions of volcanic gases, but not to the composition of erupting lavas--geochemical constraints indicate that the oxidation state of basalts and their mantle sources has remained constant since 3.5?billion years ago. Here we propose that a decrease in the average pressure of volcanic degassing changed the oxidation state of sulphur in volcanic gases, initiating the modern biogeochemical sulphur cycle and triggering atmospheric oxygenation. Using thermodynamic calculations simulating gas-melt equilibria in erupting magmas, we suggest that mostly submarine Archaean volcanoes produced gases with SO(2)/H(2)S?相似文献   

全球卫星大气成分遥感探测应用进展及其展望

 随着全球变化的加剧,科学家和各国政府对大气环境日益关注,尤其是大气中的化学成分,不仅影响区域的空气质量,而且对全球气候变化产生不可估量的影响。卫星遥感探测大气中的化学成分是近年来全球对地观测领域的一个新兴分支。本文阐述全球及中国在卫星大气成分遥感探测领域的发展,以及目前已经和正在开展的各类卫星大气成分探测进展,综述大气气溶胶、主要痕量气体、主要温室气体的卫星遥感探测国际和国内现状,以及掩星和临边探测大气成分垂直廓线的进展,展望未来全球在该领域的发展方向。     

Early geochemical environment of Mars as determined from thermodynamics of phyllosilicates

Images of geomorphological features that seem to have been produced by the action of liquid water have been considered evidence for wet surface conditions on early Mars. Moreover, the recent identification of large deposits of phyllosilicates, associated with the ancient Noachian terrains suggests long-timescale weathering of the primary basaltic crust by liquid water. It has been proposed that a greenhouse effect resulting from a carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere sustained the temperate climate required to maintain liquid water on the martian surface during the Noachian. The apparent absence of carbonates and the low escape rates of carbon dioxide, however, are indicative of an early martian atmosphere with low levels of carbon dioxide. Here we investigate the geochemical conditions prevailing on the surface of Mars during the Noachian period using calculations of the aqueous equilibria of phyllosilicates. Our results show that Fe3+-rich phyllosilicates probably precipitated under weakly acidic to alkaline pH, an environment different from that of the following period, which was dominated by strongly acid weathering that led to the sulphate deposits identified on Mars. Thermodynamic calculations demonstrate that the oxidation state of the martian surface was already high, supporting early escape of hydrogen. Finally, equilibrium with carbonates implies that phyllosilicate precipitation occurs preferentially at a very low partial pressure of carbon dioxide. We suggest that the possible absence of Noachian carbonates more probably resulted from low levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, rather than primary acidic conditions. Other greenhouse gases may therefore have played a part in sustaining a warm and wet climate on the early Mars.     

大气中二羰基化合物及其生成的二次有机气溶胶

二次有机气溶胶(secondary organic aerosol, SOA)对大气灰霾的贡献是当前大气化学研究的热点. 二羰基化合物(乙二醛和甲基乙二醛)是大气光化学反应的中间产物, 可以通过多种途径形成SOA, 对SOA的形成和总量增加有重要的贡献. 大气中二羰基化合物主要来源于生物源(如异戊二烯)和人为源(如乙炔)等挥发性有机物的氧化. 二羰基化合物可通过气粒分配(可逆过程)形成SOA, 也可被云、雾或水相气溶胶吸收, 发生水合、聚合、氧化等反应,生成的低挥发性产物留在颗粒相中生成SOA(不可逆过程). 目前常用的二羰基化合物检测方法是利用衍生化试剂与二羰基化合物反应生成衍生物, 经溶剂洗脱后再用气相色谱-质谱(gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC/MS)仪进行分析.     

Heterogeneous reactions on the surface of fine particles in the atmosphere

Fine particles play an important role in the atmosphere. Research on heterogeneous reactions on the surface of fine particles is one of the frontier areas of atmospheric science. In this paper, physical and chemical characteristics of fine particles in the atmosphere and the interactions between trace gases and fine particles are described, methods used in heterogeneous reactions research are discussed in detail, progress in the study of heterogeneous reactions on the surface of fine particles in the atmosphere is summarized, existing important questions are pointed out and future research directions are suggested.     

亚铁离子活化过二硫酸钠降解亚甲基蓝研究?

通过亚铁离子活化过二硫酸钠的方法产生强氧化性的活性物质,本文研究其降解亚甲基蓝的特性和相关机制.结果表明,在亚铁离子/过二硫酸钠体系中,亚甲基蓝能被降解,降解效率随亚铁离子浓度增大而增大;随着过二硫酸钠浓度的增加,降解效率先增加后减少.通过考察叔丁醇和甲醇淬灭实验中亚甲基蓝降解效率的变化,得出硫酸根自由基和羟基自由基是降解亚甲基蓝的活性物质.研究还发现,常用的亚铁离子螯合剂并没有提高降解效率,这是因为在和自由基的反应中,螯合剂和亚甲基蓝产生了竞争反应.最后通过紫外可见光光谱实验,验证了亚甲基蓝能在亚铁离子/过二硫酸钠体系中被有效的降解.在查阅文献基础上,文章还比较了该体系降解亚甲基蓝和其他污染物不同的特点和共同的规律,并提出相应的机制.该成果可以对过二硫酸类高级氧化技术的发展有一定的促进作用.     

羟基自由基致死小新月菱形藻的生化机制

 船舶压载水中悬浮微藻的去除一直是一个难题。本文以小新月菱形藻（Nitzschia closterium minutissima）为压载水代表生物,研究了羟基自由基致死小新月菱形藻的生化机制。结果表明,当小新月菱形藻的浓度为1.2×106/mL时,致死小新月菱形藻的羟基溶液浓度范围为0.81~0.91mg/L。羟基自由基对小新月菱形藻的致死机制是对细胞蛋白质、藻糖和叶绿素等大分子的破坏,使其无法再生,从而达到压载水排放的生物量要求。     

The search for signs of recovery of the ozone layer

Evidence of mid-latitude ozone depletion and proof that the Antarctic ozone hole was caused by humans spurred policy makers from the late 1980s onwards to ratify the Montreal Protocol and subsequent treaties, legislating for reduced production of ozone-depleting substances. The case of anthropogenic ozone loss has often been cited since as a success story of international agreements in the regulation of environmental pollution. Although recent data suggest that total column ozone abundances have at least not decreased over the past eight years for most of the world, it is still uncertain whether this improvement is actually attributable to the observed decline in the amount of ozone-depleting substances in the Earth's atmosphere. The high natural variability in ozone abundances, due in part to the solar cycle as well as changes in transport and temperature, could override the relatively small changes expected from the recent decrease in ozone-depleting substances. Whatever the benefits of the Montreal agreement, recovery of ozone is likely to occur in a different atmospheric environment, with changes expected in atmospheric transport, temperature and important trace gases. It is therefore unlikely that ozone will stabilize at levels observed before 1980, when a decline in ozone concentrations was first observed.     

The presence of methane in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet

Molecules present in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets are expected to influence strongly the balance of atmospheric radiation, to trace dynamical and chemical processes, and to indicate the presence of disequilibrium effects. As molecules have the potential to reveal atmospheric conditions and chemistry, searching for them is a high priority. The rotational-vibrational transition bands of water, carbon monoxide and methane are anticipated to be the primary sources of non-continuum opacity in hot-Jupiter planets. As these bands can overlap in wavelength, and the corresponding signatures from them are weak, decisive identification requires precision infrared spectroscopy. Here we report a near-infrared transmission spectrum of the planet HD 189733b that shows the presence of methane. Additionally, a resolved water vapour band at 1.9 mum confirms the recent claim of water in this object. On thermochemical grounds, carbon monoxide is expected to be abundant in the upper atmosphere of hot-Jupiter planets, but is not identifiable here; therefore the detection of methane rather than carbon monoxide in such a hot planet could signal the presence of a horizontal chemical gradient away from the permanent dayside, or it may imply an ill-understood photochemical mechanism that leads to an enhancement of methane.     

Effects of gravity waves on the distributions of O3 and OH in the mesopause region

A dynamical-photochemical model of atmospheric gravity waves is used to study the influences of gravity waves on distributions of atmospheric minor species through transportation and photochemical reactions. We mainly study the effect of gravity waves on the distributions of atmospheric trace gases through the nonlinear photochemical reactions. O₃ and OH are taken as examples in this note. The calculations indicate that the effect of gravity waves on the distributions of atmospheric trace gases is mainly through the nonlinear photochemical reactions in the mesopause region. The contribution of the nonlinear photochemical reaction caused by gravity waves can exceed the nonlinear transportation and the eddy diffusion.     

多羟基二苯甲酮的抗氧化性能研究

采用Friedel-Crafts反应合成18个多羟基二苯甲酮系列化合物,并从清除羟基自由基和超氧阴离子自由基能力两个方面研究了该系列化合物的体外抗氧化活性。结果表明,该系列化合物对上述两种自由基有较好的清除效果,其中羟基自由基的清除能力比Vc强,而超氧阴离子自由基的清除能力比Vc稍弱。本文的研究填补了多羟基二苯甲酮系列化合物在抗氧化性能研究的空白,为该类抗氧化剂的设计合成提供了有益参考。     

Aerobic respiration in the Archaean?

The Earth's atmosphere during the Archaean era (3,800-2,500 Myr ago) is generally thought to have been anoxic, with the partial pressure of atmospheric oxygen about 10(-12) times the present value. In the absence of aerobic consumption of oxygen produced by photosynthesis in the ocean, the major sink for this oxygen would have been oxidation of dissolved Fe(II). Atmospheric oxygen would also be removed by the oxidation of biogenic methane. But even very low estimates of global primary productivity, obtained from the amounts of organic carbon preserved in Archaean rocks, seem to require the sedimentation of an unrealistically large amount of iron and the oxidation of too much methane if global anoxia was to be maintained. I therefore suggest that aerobic respiration must have developed early in the Archaean to prevent a build-up of atmospheric oxygen before the Proterozoic. An atmosphere that contained a low (0.2-0.4%) but stable proportion of oxygen is required.     

Redox evolution of a degassing magma rising to the surface

Volatiles carried by magmas, either dissolved or exsolved, have a fundamental effect on a variety of geological phenomena, such as magma dynamics and the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. In particular, the redox state of volcanic gases emanating at the Earth's surface is widely believed to mirror that of the magma source, and is thought to have exerted a first-order control on the secular evolution of atmospheric oxygen. Oxygen fugacity (f(O2) estimated from lava or related gas chemistry, however, may vary by as much as one log unit, and the reason for such differences remains obscure. Here we use a coupled chemical-physical model of conduit flow to show that the redox state evolution of an ascending magma, and thus of its coexisting gas phase, is strongly dependent on both the composition and the amount of gas in the reservoir. Magmas with no sulphur show a systematic f(O2) increase during ascent, by as much as 2 log units. Magmas with sulphur show also a change of redox state during ascent, but the direction of change depends on the initial f(O2) in the reservoir. Our calculations closely reproduce the H2S/SO2 ratios of volcanic gases observed at convergent settings, yet the difference between f(O2) in the reservoir and that at the exit of the volcanic conduit may be as much as 1.5 log units. Thus, the redox state of erupted magmas is not necessarily a good proxy of the redox state of the gases they emit. Our findings may require re-evaluation of models aimed at quantifying the role of magmatic volatiles in geological processes.     

Indication of drier periods on Mars from the chemistry and mineralogy of atmospheric dust

The ubiquitous atmospheric dust on Mars is well mixed by periodic global dust storms, and such dust carries information about the environment in which it once formed and hence about the history of water on Mars. The Mars Exploration Rovers have permanent magnets to collect atmospheric dust for investigation by instruments on the rovers. Here we report results from M?ssbauer spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence of dust particles captured from the martian atmosphere by the magnets. The dust on the magnets contains magnetite and olivine; this indicates a basaltic origin of the dust and shows that magnetite, not maghemite, is the mineral mainly responsible for the magnetic properties of the dust. Furthermore, the dust on the magnets contains some ferric oxides, probably including nanocrystalline phases, so some alteration or oxidation of the basaltic dust seems to have occurred. The presence of olivine indicates that liquid water did not play a dominant role in the processes that formed the atmospheric dust.