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Perring, Anne

Publications and source records attributed to Perring, Anne.

4 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2009

Lightning-Generated NO(x) Seen By OMI during NASA's TC-4 Experiment: First Results

We present here case studies identifying upper-tropospheric NO2 produced in convective storms during NASA's Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling Experiment (TC~i)n July and August 2007. DC8 aircraft missions, flown from the mission base in Costa Rica, recorded in situ NO2 profiles near active storms and in relatively quiet areas. We combine these data with measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the Aura satellite to estimate the amount of NO2 produced by lightning (LN02) above background levels in the regions influenced by storms. In our analysis, improved off-line processing techniques are employed to minimize known artifacts in the OM1 data. Information on lightning flashes (primarily CG) observed by the surface network operated by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad are examined upwind of regions where OM1 indicates enhanced LNO2. Comparisons of the observed flash data with measurements by the TRMM/LIS satellite instrument are used to obtain the lightning detection efficiency for total flashes. Finally, using the NO/NO2 ratio estimated from DC-8 observations, we estimate the average NO(x) production per lightning flash for each case in this study. The magnitudes of the measured NO(x) enhancements are compared with those observed by the DC-8 and with similar OM1 measurements analyzed in mid-latitude experiments.

Bucsela, Eric↗
NASA NTRS2007

Surface and Lightning Sources of Nitrogen Oxides over the United States: Magnitudes, Chemical Evolution, and Outflow

We use observations from two aircraft during the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) campaign over the eastern United States and North Atlantic during summer 2004, interpreted with a global 3-D model of tropospheric chemistry (GEOS-Chem) to test current understanding of the regional sources, chemical evolution, and export of nitrogen oxides. The boundary layer NO(x) data provide top-down verification of a 50% decrease in power plant and industry NO(x) emissions over the eastern United States between 1999 and 2004. Observed 8-12 8 km NO(x) concentrations in ICARTT were 0.55 +/- 36 ppbv, much larger than in previous United States aircraft campaigns (ELCHEM, SUCCESS, SONEX). We show that regional lightning was the dominant source of this NO(x) and increased upper tropospheric ozone by 10 ppbv. Simulating the ICARTT upper tropospheric NO(x) observations with GEOS-Chem require a factor of 4 increase in the model NO(x) yield per flash (to 500 mol/flash). Observed OH concentrations were a factor of 2 lower than can be explained from current photochemical models, and if correct would imply a broader lightning influence in the upper troposphere than presently thought.An NO(y)-CO correlation analysis of the fraction f of North American NO(x) emissions vented to the free troposphere as NO(y) (sum of NO(x) and its oxidation products PAN and HNO3) s shows observed f=16+/-10 percent and modeled f=14 +/- 8 percent, consistent with previous studies. Export to the lower free troposphere is mostly HNO3 but at higher altitudes is mostly PAN. The model successfully simulates NO(y) export efficiency and speciation, supporting previous model estimates of a large U.S. contribution to tropospheric ozone through NO(x) and PAN export.

Hudman, Rynda C.↗