Nitrous oxide in the atmosphere: First measurements of a lower thermospheric source

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, as well as one of the most significant anthropogenic ozone‐depleting substances in the stratosphere. The satellite‐based instrument Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment‐Fourier Transform Spectrometer has been observing the Earth's li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2016-03, Vol.43 (6), p.2866-2872
Main Authors: Sheese, Patrick E., Walker, Kaley A., Boone, Chris D., Bernath, Peter F., Funke, Bernd
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACE‐FTS
Air pollution
Anthropogenic factors
Atmosphere
Atmospheric chemistry
atmospheric N2O production
Atmospheric precipitations
Chemistry
Climatology
Earth atmosphere
Earth limb
Energetic particles
Fourier transform spectrometers
Fourier transforms
Greenhouse gases
Lightning
Low energy
Lower thermosphere
Mixing ratio
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxides
NOx descent
Ozone
Ozone depletion
Particle precipitation
Precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
Profiles
Satellites
Seasons
Spectrometers
Stratosphere
Thermosphere
Troposphere
Upper atmosphere
Upper troposphere
Winter
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Summary:Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, as well as one of the most significant anthropogenic ozone‐depleting substances in the stratosphere. The satellite‐based instrument Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment‐Fourier Transform Spectrometer has been observing the Earth's limb since 2004 and derives profiles of N2O volume mixing ratios in the upper troposphere to the lower thermosphere. The resulting climatology shows that N2O is continuously produced in the lower thermosphere via energetic particle precipitation and enhanced N2O is present at all latitudes, during all seasons. The results are consistent with an N2O production source peaking near or above 94 km via low‐energy particles, as well as a polar wintertime source near 70 km via medium energy particles. N2O produced in the polar upper atmosphere descends each winter to as far down as ~40 km. Key Points ACE‐FTS first to observe N2O production via energetic particle precipitation in lower thermosphere N2O produced in mesosphere‐lower thermosphere descends into upper stratosphere during polar winter N2O is not a good dynamical tracer in polar winter upper stratosphere
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1002/2015GL067353