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Wolfe GM, Kaiser J, Hanisco TF, Keutsch FN, de Gouw JA, Gilman JB, Graus M, Hatch CD, Holloway J, Horowitz LW, Lee BH, Lerner BM, Lopez-Hilifiker F, Mao J, Marvin MR, Peischl J, Pollack IB, Roberts JM, Ryerson TB, Thornton JA, Veres PR, Warneke C. Formaldehyde production from isoprene oxidation across NO x regimes. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 2016; 16:2597-2610. [PMID: 29619046 PMCID: PMC5879783 DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-2597-2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The chemical link between isoprene and formaldehyde (HCHO) is a strong, non-linear function of NOx (= NO + NO2). This relationship is a linchpin for top-down isoprene emission inventory verification from orbital HCHO column observations. It is also a benchmark for overall photochemical mechanism performance with regard to VOC oxidation. Using a comprehensive suite of airborne in situ observations over the Southeast U.S., we quantify HCHO production across the urban-rural spectrum. Analysis of isoprene and its major first-generation oxidation products allows us to define both a "prompt" yield of HCHO (molecules of HCHO produced per molecule of freshly-emitted isoprene) and the background HCHO mixing ratio (from oxidation of longer-lived hydrocarbons). Over the range of observed NOx values (roughly 0.1 - 2 ppbv), the prompt yield increases by a factor of 3 (from 0.3 to 0.9 ppbv ppbv-1), while background HCHO increases by a factor of 2 (from 1.6 to 3.3 ppbv). We apply the same method to evaluate the performance of both a global chemical transport model (AM3) and a measurement-constrained 0-D steady state box model. Both models reproduce the NOx dependence of the prompt HCHO yield, illustrating that models with updated isoprene oxidation mechanisms can adequately capture the link between HCHO and recent isoprene emissions. On the other hand, both models under-estimate background HCHO mixing ratios, suggesting missing HCHO precursors, inadequate representation of later-generation isoprene degradation and/or under-estimated hydroxyl radical concentrations. Detailed process rates from the box model simulation demonstrate a 3-fold increase in HCHO production across the range of observed NOx values, driven by a 100% increase in OH and a 40% increase in branching of organic peroxy radical reactions to produce HCHO.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. M. Wolfe
- Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - J. Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - T. F. Hanisco
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - F. N. Keutsch
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - J. A. de Gouw
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - J. B. Gilman
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - M. Graus
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - C. D. Hatch
- Department of Chemistry, Hendrix College, Conway, AR, USA
| | - J. Holloway
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - L. W. Horowitz
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - B. H. Lee
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - B. M. Lerner
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - F. Lopez-Hilifiker
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - J. Mao
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
| | - M. R. Marvin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - J. Peischl
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - I. B. Pollack
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - J. M. Roberts
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - T. B. Ryerson
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - J. A. Thornton
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - P. R. Veres
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - C. Warneke
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
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Wolfe GM, Kaiser J, Hanisco TF, Keutsch FN, de Gouw JA, Gilman JB, Graus M, Hatch CD, Holloway J, Horowitz LW, Lee BH, Lerner BM, Lopez-Hilifiker F, Mao J, Marvin MR, Peischl J, Pollack IB, Roberts JM, Ryerson TB, Thornton JA, Veres PR, Warneke C. Formaldehyde production from isoprene oxidation across NO x regimes. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 2016. [PMID: 29619046 DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-2597-] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The chemical link between isoprene and formaldehyde (HCHO) is a strong, non-linear function of NOx (= NO + NO2). This relationship is a linchpin for top-down isoprene emission inventory verification from orbital HCHO column observations. It is also a benchmark for overall photochemical mechanism performance with regard to VOC oxidation. Using a comprehensive suite of airborne in situ observations over the Southeast U.S., we quantify HCHO production across the urban-rural spectrum. Analysis of isoprene and its major first-generation oxidation products allows us to define both a "prompt" yield of HCHO (molecules of HCHO produced per molecule of freshly-emitted isoprene) and the background HCHO mixing ratio (from oxidation of longer-lived hydrocarbons). Over the range of observed NOx values (roughly 0.1 - 2 ppbv), the prompt yield increases by a factor of 3 (from 0.3 to 0.9 ppbv ppbv-1), while background HCHO increases by a factor of 2 (from 1.6 to 3.3 ppbv). We apply the same method to evaluate the performance of both a global chemical transport model (AM3) and a measurement-constrained 0-D steady state box model. Both models reproduce the NOx dependence of the prompt HCHO yield, illustrating that models with updated isoprene oxidation mechanisms can adequately capture the link between HCHO and recent isoprene emissions. On the other hand, both models under-estimate background HCHO mixing ratios, suggesting missing HCHO precursors, inadequate representation of later-generation isoprene degradation and/or under-estimated hydroxyl radical concentrations. Detailed process rates from the box model simulation demonstrate a 3-fold increase in HCHO production across the range of observed NOx values, driven by a 100% increase in OH and a 40% increase in branching of organic peroxy radical reactions to produce HCHO.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Wolfe
- Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - J Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - T F Hanisco
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - F N Keutsch
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - J A de Gouw
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - J B Gilman
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - M Graus
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - C D Hatch
- Department of Chemistry, Hendrix College, Conway, AR, USA
| | - J Holloway
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - L W Horowitz
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - B H Lee
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - B M Lerner
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - F Lopez-Hilifiker
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - J Mao
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
| | - M R Marvin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - J Peischl
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - I B Pollack
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - J M Roberts
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - T B Ryerson
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - J A Thornton
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - P R Veres
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - C Warneke
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
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