Seasonal measurements of OH, NOx, and J(O1D) at Mace Head, Ireland. Issue 8 (28th April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berresheim, H.; McGrath, J.; Adam, M.; Mauldin, R.L.; Bohn, B.; Rohrer, F.
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 40:Issue 8(2013:Apr.)
• Page Start: 1659
• Page End: 1663
• Publication Date: 2013-04-28
• Subjects: Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/grl.50345
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p id="grl50345-para-0001">[1] Measurements of atmospheric OH concentrations were conducted between August 2010 and July 2011 at Mace Head showing maximum daytime values of 0.21 (±0.25) × 10⁶ cm⁻³ in winter and 2.26 (±1.37) × 10⁶ cm⁻³ in summer. Plots of OH versus ozone photolysis frequency, J(O¹D), exhibited strong linear correlations with slopes of 1.06 (±0.05) × 10¹¹ cm⁻³ s (R = 0.75) in clean marine air and 1.31 (±0.04) × 10¹¹ cm⁻³ s (R = 0.79) in mixed marine/continental air. Surprisingly, no significant difference in the former correlation was found between low and high tide periods. NO and NO₂ levels in air from the marine sector (190–300°) were typically below the detection limit (30 pptv and &lt;200 pptv, respectively). In the land sector, NO mixing ratios &lt;50 pptv dominated most of the time, suggesting that the atmospheric oxidation efficiency in this region is predominantly characterized by primary OH sources in a low NO<italic>_x</italic> environment.</p> </abstract>