The Perturbation of Ozone and Nitrogen Oxides Impacted by Blue Jet Considering the Molecular Diffusion

oleh: Chen Xu, Wei Zhang

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-06-01

Deskripsi

This study investigated the diffusion impact on the chemical perturbation of NO<sub>x</sub> and O<sub>3</sub> caused by the streamer and leader parts of a blue jet in the low stratosphere (18–30 km), using the coupling of a detailed stratospheric chemistry model and a typical diffusion model. The study found that diffusion significantly impacted the evolution of chemical perturbations at both short-term and long-term time scales after the blue jet discharge, with changes in NO<sub>x</sub> and O<sub>3</sub> concentrations observed at different altitudes (18–28 km). At 18 km, the concentrations of NO<sub>x</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O that account for diffusion start to decrease after 1 s, whereas those without diffusion remain at their peak concentrations. Meanwhile, O<sub>3</sub> is slowly destroyed with less NO<sub>x</sub>, rather than dropping to an unrealistic low value immediately after the discharge without diffusion. The perturbation caused by the blue jet discharge disappears within a few tens of seconds at 18 km when molecular diffusion is considered. At 30 km, the chemical perturbation from four point sources was observed through changes in NO<sub>2</sub> concentrations. However, the total concentration of NO<sub>2</sub> perturbed by the streamer part discharge at the given surface was negligible when considering diffusion. Overall, this study provided a useful model tool for a more accurate assessment of the chemical effects of individual blue jets.