A model study of ATMOS observations and the heterogeneous loss of N2O5 by the sulphate aerosol layer

Abstract

The heterogeneous removal of N2O5 by sulphuric acid aerosols as been invoked to explain the decline of mid-latitude ozone in the last decade. We have used a photochemical model to study measurements of odd-nitrogen made by Spacelab 3. The gas-phase photochemical model overestimates the amount of N2O5 present. The loss of N2O5 by aerosols does reduce N2O5, but is likely to be slower than assumed in WMO (1992). The sunset measurements at 25.5 km cannot be explained by heterogeneous loss of N2O5 and is more likely to be due to a faster photolysis than assumed. New absorption cross-sections of HNO3 reduce the photolysis of HNO3 so that the model with gas-phase chemistry only gives better agreement at 19 km, than a model including heterogeneous chemistry.