The Perturbation of Ozone and Nitrogen Oxides Impacted by Blue Jet Considering the Molecular Diffusion

Abstract

This study investigated the diffusion impact on the chemical perturbation of NOx and O3 caused by the streamer and leader parts of a blue jet in the low stratosphere (18–30 km), using the coupling of a detailed stratospheric chemistry model and a typical diffusion model. The study found that diffusion significantly impacted the evolution of chemical perturbations at both short-term and long-term time scales after the blue jet discharge, with changes in NOx and O3 concentrations observed at different altitudes (18–28 km). At 18 km, the concentrations of NOx and N2O that account for diffusion start to decrease after 1 s, whereas those without diffusion remain at their peak concentrations. Meanwhile, O3 is slowly destroyed with less NOx, rather than dropping to an unrealistic low value immediately after the discharge without diffusion. The perturbation caused by the blue jet discharge disappears within a few tens of seconds at 18 km when molecular diffusion is considered. At 30 km, the chemical perturbation from four point sources was observed through changes in NO2 concentrations. However, the total concentration of NO2 perturbed by the streamer part discharge at the given surface was negligible when considering diffusion. Overall, this study provided a useful model tool for a more accurate assessment of the chemical effects of individual blue jets.