Management of tropospheric ozone by reducing methane emissions

Background concentrations of tropospheric ozone are increasing and are sensitive to methane emissions, yet methane mitigation is currently considered only for climate change. Methane control is shown here to be viable for ozone management. Identified global abatement measures can reduce approximately 10% of anthropogenic methane emissions at a cost-savings, decreasing surface ozone by 0.4-0.7 ppb. Methane controls produce ozone reductions that are widespread globally and are realized gradually (approximately 12 yr). In contrast, controls on nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nonmethane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) target high-ozone episodes in polluted regions and affect ozone rapidly but have a smaller climate benefit. A coarse estimate of the monetized global benefits of ozone reductions for agriculture, forestry, and human health (neglecting ozone mortality) justifies reducing approximately 17% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. If implemented, these controls would decrease ozone by -1 ppb and radiative forcing by approximately 0.12 W m(-2). We also find that climate-motivated methane reductions have air quality-related ancillary benefits comparable to those for CO2. Air quality planning should consider reducing methane emissions alongside NOx and NMVOCs, and because the benefits of methane controls are shared internationally, industrialized nations should consider emphasizing methane in the further development of climate change or ozone policies.

Increasing Ozone over the Atlantic Ocean

Ship-borne ozone (O3) measurements over the Atlantic Ocean during the period from 1977 to 2002 show that O3 trends in the northern mid-latitudes are small. In contrast, remarkably large O3 trends occur at low latitudes and in the Southern Hemisphere, where near-surface O3 has increased by up to a factor of 2. The likely cause is the substantial increase of anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) associated with energy use in Africa, which has added to NOx from biomass burning and natural sources.

Global air quality and pollution

The impact of global air pollution on climate and the environment is a new focus in atmospheric science. Intercontinental transport and hemispheric air pollution by ozone jeopardize agricultural and natural ecosystems worldwide and have a strong effect on climate. Aerosols, which are spread globally but have a strong regional imbalance, change global climate through their direct and indirect effects on radiative forcing. In the 1990s, nitrogen oxide emissions from Asia surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. International initiatives to mitigate global air pollution require participation from both developed and developing countries.

Continuing emissions of methyl chloroform from Europe

The consumption of methyl chloroform (1,1,1-trichloroethane), an industrial solvent, has been banned by the 1987 Montreal Protocol because of its ozone-depleting potential. During the 1990s, global emissions have decreased substantially and, since 1999, near-zero emissions have been estimated for Europe and the United States. Here we present measurements of methyl chloroform that are inconsistent with the assumption of small emissions. Using a tracer transport model, we estimate that European emissions were greater than 20 Gg in 2000. Although these emissions are not significant for stratospheric ozone depletion, they have important implications for estimates of global tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations, deduced from measurements of methyl chloroform. Ongoing emissions therefore cast doubt upon recent reports of a strong and unexpected negative trend in OH during the 1990s and a previously calculated higher OH abundance in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the Northern Hemisphere.

Global air pollution crossroads over the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Intensive Oxidant Study, performed in the summer of 2001, uncovered air pollution layers from the surface to an altitude of 15 kilometers. In the boundary layer, air pollution standards are exceeded throughout the region, caused by West and East European pollution from the north. Aerosol particles also reduce solar radiation penetration to the surface, which can suppress precipitation. In the middle troposphere, Asian and to a lesser extent North American pollution is transported from the west. Additional Asian pollution from the east, transported from the monsoon in the upper troposphere, crosses the Mediterranean tropopause, which pollutes the lower stratosphere at middle latitudes.

The global distribution of acidifying wet deposition

The acid-base status of precipitation is a result of a balance between acidifying compounds--mainly oxides of sulfur and nitrogen--and alkaline compounds--mainly ammonia and alkaline material in windblown soil dust. We use current models of the global atmospheric distribution of such compounds to estimate the geographical distribution of pH in precipitation and of the rate of deposition of hydrogen ion or bicarbonate ion. The lowest pH values--mainly due to high concentration of sulfuric acid--occur in eastern parts of North America, Europe, and China. A comparison with observed pH values shows fair agreement in most parts of the world. However, in some areas, e.g. western North America, southwestern Europe, and northern China the estimated pH is too low, indicating that we have underestimated the deposition flux of alkaline material, probably mainly CaCO3. Our neglect of organic acids may have contributed to an overestimate of pH especially in certain tropical areas. To illustrate the potential effects of acidifying deposition on nitrogen saturated terrestrial ecosystems we also calculate the deposition of "potential acidity" that takes into account the microbial transformation of ammonium to nitrate in such ecosystems, resulting in the release of hydrogen ion. Compared to the deposition of acidity, with its maxima over Europe, eastern North America, and southern China, the deposition of potential acidity exhibits an additional maximum in India and Bangladesh and in several other smaller hot spots where the cycling of ammonia is enhanced by a dense cattle population. To the extent that soils in these areas of high potential acidity deposition actually become nitrogen saturated a depletion of base cations and other changes in soil chemistry and biology should be expected. Potential problem areas forfuture soil acidification include several regions with sensitive soils in southern, southeastern, and eastern Asia as well as in central parts of South America.