High-Latitude Springtime Photochemistry. Part I: NOx, PAN and Ozone Relationships

Abstract

Springtime measurements of NOx, ozone, PAN,J(NO2), and other compounds were made near Ny-Alesund,Svalbard (78°54′N, 11°53′E), in 1994 and Poker Flat,Alaska (65°08′N, 147°29′W), in 1995. At Svalbard medianmixing ratios for PAN and NOx of 237 and 23.7 pptv,respectively, were observed. The median mixing ratios at Poker Flat for PANand NOx were 79.5 and 85.9 pptv, respectively. These data areused to estimate thermal PAN decomposition using several differentapproaches. At Svalbard PAN decomposition was very small, while at PokerFlat up to 30 pptv/h PAN decomposed. At both sites the NOx/PANratio increased with temperature between –10 and 20°C implyingthat PAN decomposition is an important NOx source. In-situozone production was calculated from the measured NO, NO2,O3, J(NO2), and temperature data, using thesteady state assumption Median ozone production was 605 pptv/h at PokerFlat, and one order of magnitude smaller at Svalbard during the daytime.Only at Poker Flat could a direct influence on the diurnal ozone cycle beobserved from in-situ production. These results imply that PAN decompositionis a major source of NOx in the high latitude troposphere, andthat this contributes to the observed spring maximum in surface ozone.