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A new interpretation of total column BrO during Arctic spring

  1. R. J. Salawitch1,2,3,
  2. T. Canty1,
  3. T. Kurosu4,
  4. K. Chance4,
  5. Q. Liang5,
  6. A. da Silva6,
  7. S. Pawson6,
  8. J. E. Nielsen7,
  9. J. M. Rodriguez6,
  10. P. K. Bhartia6,
  11. X. Liu4,5,
  12. L. G. Huey8,
  13. J. Liao8,
  14. R. E. Stickel8,
  15. D. J. Tanner8,
  16. J. E. Dibb9,
  17. W. R. Simpson10,
  18. D. Donohoue10,
  19. A. Weinheimer11,
  20. F. Flocke11,
  21. D. Knapp11,
  22. D. Montzka11,
  23. J. A. Neuman12,13,
  24. J. B. Nowak12,13,
  25. T. B. Ryerson13,
  26. S. Oltmans13,
  27. D. R. Blake14,
  28. E. L. Atlas15,
  29. D. E. Kinnison11,
  30. S. Tilmes11,
  31. L. L. Pan11,
  32. F. Hendrick16,
  33. M. Van Roozendael16,
  34. K. Kreher17,
  35. P. V. Johnston17,
  36. R. S. Gao13,
  37. B. Johnson13,
  38. T. P. Bui18,
  39. G. Chen19,
  40. R. B. Pierce20,
  41. J. H. Crawford19,
  42. D. J. Jacob21

Article first published online: 3 NOV 2010

DOI: 10.1029/2010GL043798

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Salawitch, R. J., et al. (2010), A new interpretation of total column BrO during Arctic spring, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L21805, doi:10.1029/2010GL043798.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

  3. 3

    Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

  4. 4

    Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

  5. 5

    GEST, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

  6. 6

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

  7. 7

    Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, Maryland, USA

  8. 8

    School of Earth and Atmospheric Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

  9. 9

    Complex Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA

  10. 10

    Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

  11. 11

    National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA

  12. 12

    CIRES, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA

  13. 13

    Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, Boulder, Colorado, USA

  14. 14

    Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA

  15. 15

    RSMAS, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA

  16. 16

    Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium

  17. 17

    NIWA Lauder, Omakau, New Zealand

  18. 18

    NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA

  19. 19

    NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, USA

  20. 20

    NESDIS, NOAA, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

  21. 21

    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 NOV 2010
  2. Article first published online: 3 NOV 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 27 AUG 2010
  4. Manuscript Revised: 24 AUG 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 30 APR 2010

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Keywords:

  • atmospheric chemistry;
  • bromine;
  • Arctic

[1] Emission of bromine from sea-salt aerosol, frost flowers, ice leads, and snow results in the nearly complete removal of surface ozone during Arctic spring. Regions of enhanced total column BrO observed by satellites have traditionally been associated with these emissions. However, airborne measurements of BrO and O3 within the convective boundary layer (CBL) during the ARCTAS and ARCPAC field campaigns at times bear little relation to enhanced column BrO. We show that the locations of numerous satellite BrO “hotspots” during Arctic spring are consistent with observations of total column ozone and tropopause height, suggesting a stratospheric origin to these regions of elevated BrO. Tropospheric enhancements of BrO large enough to affect the column abundance are also observed, with important contributions originating from above the CBL. Closure of the budget for total column BrO, albeit with significant uncertainty, is achieved by summing observed tropospheric partial columns with calculated stratospheric partial columns provided that natural, short-lived biogenic bromocarbons supply between 5 and 10 ppt of bromine to the Arctic lowermost stratosphere. Proper understanding of bromine and its effects on atmospheric composition requires accurate treatment of geographic variations in column BrO originating from both the stratosphere and troposphere.

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