Events

 
Colloquium

Halogens and organic carbon chemistry at interfaces in the tropical troposphere

Tuesday, 18 November 2014, 15:00-0:00
KIT Campus Nord, IMK-ASF
Geb. 435, Raum 2.05
Oceans cover 70% of the Earth surface, and are the primary source for halogens in the atmosphere. Further, the amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the world’s oceans is comparable to that of atmospheric CO2. Yet oceans are currently believed primarily to be a receptor for organic carbon emitted over land. Recent our observations of very short-lived and water soluble molecules in the marine boundary layer above the remote Pacific Ocean (Sinreich et al., 2010), and iodine oxide in the free troposphere (Dix et al., 2013) remain as of yet unexplained by atmospheric models. Organic carbon and halogens are relevant in the atmosphere because they influence the reactive chemical removal pathways of climate active gases (i.e., ozone, methane, dimethyl-sulfide), and can modify aerosols. This talk discusses recent measurements that were conducted within the framework of the Tropical Ocean tRoposphere Exchange of Reactive halogen species and Oxygenated voc (TORERO, Jan/Feb 2012) and the CONvective TRansport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST, Jan/Feb 2014) field experiments over the Eastern and Western tropical Pacific Ocean. Both projects deployed an innovative payload of optical spectroscopic-, mass spectrometric-, and remote sensing instruments aboard the NSF/NCAR GV aircraft (HIAPER) as well as aboard the NOAA RV Ka'imimoana (cruise KA-12-01 from Hawaii to Costa Rica, Jan/Feb 2012). The oxidative capacity (OH-, Br-, I- radical abundance) is assessed with a particular focus on the tropical free troposphere, where most of tropospheric ozone mass resides, 60-80% of the global methane destruction occurs, and mercury oxidation rates are accelerated at low temperatures.
This event is part of the eventgroup Meteorology Colloquium Karlsruhe
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Rainer Volkamer

University of Colorado
Organizer
Prof. Dr. J. Orphal
IMK-ASF
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Karlsruhe
Tel: +49 721 608 29121
Fax: +49 721 608 24742
Mail: johannes orphal does-not-exist.kit edu
Targetgroup
Scientific Staff
Service-Menu