Warning message

Member access has been temporarily disabled. Please try again later.
The website is undergoing a major upgrade. Until that is complete, the current site will be visible but logins are disabled.

On the sources and sinks of atmospheric VOCs: an integrated analysis of recent...

Chen, X., D. Millet, H. Singh, A. Wisthaler, E. Apel, E. Atlas, D. R. Blake, I. Bourgeois, S. Brown, J. D. Crounse, J. A. de Gouw, F. Flocke, A. Fried, B. Heikes, R. S. Hornbrook, T. Mikoviny, K. Min, M. Müller, J. A. Neuman, D. O'Sullivan, J. Peischl, G. Pfister, D. Richter, J. Roberts, T. B. Ryerson, S. Shertz, C. Thompson, V. A. Treadaway, P. Veres, J. G. Walega, C. Warneke, R. Washenfelder, P. Weibring, and B. Yuan (2019), On the sources and sinks of atmospheric VOCs: an integrated analysis of recent aircraft campaigns over North America, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 9097-9123, doi:10.5194/acp-19-9097-2019.
Abstract: 

We apply a high-resolution chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem CTM) with updated treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and a comprehensive suite of airborne datasets over North America to (i) characterize the VOC budget and (ii) test the ability of current models to capture the distribution and reactivity of atmospheric VOCs over this region. Biogenic emissions dominate the North American VOC budget in the model, accounting for 70 % and 95 % of annually emitted VOC carbon and reactivity, respectively. Based on current inventories anthropogenic emissions have declined to the point where biogenic emissions are the dominant summertime source of VOC reactivity even in most major North American cities. Methane oxidation is a 2× larger source of nonmethane VOCs (via production of formaldehyde and methyl hydroperoxide) over North America in the model than are anthropogenic emissions. However, anthropogenic VOCs account for over half of the ambient VOC loading over the majority of the region owing to their longer aggregate lifetime. Fires can be a significant VOC source episodically but are small on average. In

PDF of Publication: 
Download from publisher's website.
Research Program: 
Atmospheric Composition
Tropospheric Composition Program (TCP)
Mission: 
ATom