Evaluating the importance of innovative heterogeneous chemistry to explain observed stratospheric ozone depletion

Abstract

Currently, there is a widespread search for additional heterogeneous reactions or combination of heterogeneous and homogeneous (gas-phase) reactions that could catalytically reduce ozone to observed levels. In 1992, Burley and Johnston proposed that nitrosyl sulfuric acid (NSA) NOHSO{sub 4}, is a promising heterogeneous reactant for activating HCl in sulfuric acid particles. They list several sources for producing it in the stratosphere and they carried out thermodynamic and chemical kinetic calculations at one stratospheric altitude and at one latitude. NSA has been overlooked in all previous stratospheric model calculations, even though it has been observed in stratospheric sulfate aerosols. This study makes large scale atmospheric model calculations to test the proposal by Burley and Johnston that a promising heterogeneous process for activating HCl in sulfuric acid particles is a catalytic coupled based on nitrosyl sulfuric acid (NSA). This mechanism is examined under non-volcanic and volcanic conditions representative of the recent eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. The calculations set firm limits on the range of kinetic parameters over which this heterogeneous processes would be important in the global ozone balance, and thus is a guide for where laboratory work is needed. In addition, they have derived a preliminary time-dependent integration (1980--1994) to representmore » the observed trend in ozone. Comparison between model-derived and the observed ozone trend will be compared.« less