Chlorine activation and enhanced ozone depletion induced by wildfire aerosol.
Nature
; 615(7951): 259-264, 2023 03.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36890371
ABSTRACT
Remarkable perturbations in the stratospheric abundances of chlorine species and ozone were observed over Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes following the 2020 Australian wildfires1,2. These changes in atmospheric chemical composition suggest that wildfire aerosols affect stratospheric chlorine and ozone depletion chemistry. Here we propose that wildfire aerosol containing a mixture of oxidized organics and sulfate3-7 increases hydrochloric acid solubility8-11 and associated heterogeneous reaction rates, activating reactive chlorine species and enhancing ozone loss rates at relatively warm stratospheric temperatures. We test our hypothesis by comparing atmospheric observations to model simulations that include the proposed mechanism. Modelled changes in 2020 hydrochloric acid, chlorine nitrate and hypochlorous acid abundances are in good agreement with observations1,2. Our results indicate that wildfire aerosol chemistry, although not accounting for the record duration of the 2020 Antarctic ozone hole, does yield an increase in its area and a 3-5% depletion of southern mid-latitude total column ozone. These findings increase concern2,12,13 that more frequent and intense wildfires could delay ozone recovery in a warming world.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Ozônio
/
Cloro
/
Aerossóis
/
Perda de Ozônio
/
Incêndios Florestais
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
País/Região como assunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nature
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos