Mountain wave polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) were detected on 8 February 2003 above the Scandinavian Mountains by in-situ instruments onboard the M55 Geophysica aircraft. PSC particle composition, backscatter and chlorine activation for this case are studied with a recently developed non-equilibrium microphysical box model for liquid aerosol. Results from the microphysical model, run on quasi-lagrangian trajectories, show that the PSC observed was composed of supercooled ternary (H2O/HNO3/H2SO4) solution (STS) particles, which are out of equilibrium with the gas phase. The measured condensed nitric acid and aerosol backscatter of the PSC can well be simulated with the model. Up to 0.15 ppbv Cl2 can be released by the PSC within 2 h, showing the propensity of these small-scale clouds for chlorine activation. Equilibrium calculations – of the sort commonly used in large scale chemistry transport models – overestimate the measured condensed nitrate by up to a factor of 3, and overestimates chlorine activation by 10%, in this mountain wave cloud


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Liquid particle composition and heterogeneous reactions in a mountain wave Polar Stratospheric Cloud


    Contributors:
    Lowe, D. (author) / MacKenzie, A.R. (author) / Schlager, H. (author) / Voigt, C. (author) / Dörnbrack, A. (author) / Mahoney, M.J. (author) / Cairo, F. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2006-09-06


    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




    Mountain Wave Induced Polar Stratospheric Cloud Forecasts for Aircraft Science Flights during SOLVE/THESEO 2000

    Eckermann, Stephen D. / Dörnbrack, Andreas / Vosper, Simon B. et al. | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | 2006

    Free access

    Background stratospheric aerosol and polar stratospheric cloud reference models

    Mccormick, M. P. / Wang, P.-H. / Pitts, M. C. | NTRS | 1993



    Background stratospheric aerosol and polar stratospheric cloud reference models

    McCormick, M.P. / Wang, P.-H. / Pitts, M.C. | Elsevier | 1992


    Polar stratospheric ice cloud above Spitsbergen

    Maturilli, M. / Dörnbrack, A. | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | 2006

    Free access