The hydroxyl radical, OH, initiates the removal of the majority of trace gases in the atmosphere, and together with the closely coupled species, the hydroperoxy radical, HO(2), is intimately involved in the oxidation chemistry of the atmosphere. This critical review discusses field measurements of local concentrations of OH and HO(2) radicals in the troposphere, and in particular the comparisons that have been made with numerical model calculations containing a detailed chemical mechanism. The level of agreement between field measurements of OH and HO(2) concentrations and model calculations for a given location provides an indication of the degree of understanding of the underlying oxidation chemistry. We review the measurement-model comparisons for a range of different environments sampled from the ground and from aircraft, including the marine boundary layer, continental low-NO(x) regions influenced by biogenic emissions, the polluted urban boundary layer, and polar regions. Although good agreement is found for some environments, there are significant discrepancies which remain unexplained, a notable example being unpolluted, forested regions. OH and HO(2) radicals are difficult species to measure in the troposphere, and we also review changes in detection methodology, quality assurance procedures such as instrument intercomparisons, and potential interferences.

Abstract. The lifetime of methane is controlled to a very large extent by the abundance of the OH radical. The tropics are a key region for methane removal, with oxidation in the lower tropical troposphere dominating the global methane removal budget (Bloss et al., 2005). In tropical forested environments where biogenic VOC emissions are high and NO x concentrations are low, OH concentrations are assumed to be low due to rapid reactions with sink species such as isoprene. New, simultaneous measurements of OH concentrations and OH reactivity, k OH , in a Borneo rainforest are reported and show much higher OH than predicted, with mean peak concentrations of ∼2.5×10 6 molecule cm −3 (10 min average) observed around solar noon. Whilst j (O 1 D) and humidity were high, low O 3 concentrations limited the OH production from O 3 photolysis. Measured OH reactivity was very high, peaking at a diurnal average of 29.1±8.5 s −1 , corresponding to an OH lifetime of only 34 ms. To maintain the observed OH concentration given the measured OH reactivity requires a rate of OH production approximately 10 times greater than calculated using all measured OH sources. A test of our current understanding of the chemistry within a tropical rainforest was made using a detailed zero-dimensional model to compare with measurements. The model overpredicted the observed HO 2 concentrations and significantly under-predicted OH concentrations. Inclusion of an additional OH source formed as a recycled product of OH iniCorrespondence to: L. K. Whalley (l.k.whalley@leeds.ac.uk) tiated isoprene oxidation improved the modelled OH agreement but only served to worsen the HO 2 model/measurement agreement. To replicate levels of both OH and HO 2 , a process that recycles HO 2 to OH is required; equivalent to the OH recycling effect of 0.74 ppbv of NO. This recycling step increases OH concentrations by 88 % at noon and has wide implications, leading to much higher predicted OH over tropical forests, with a concomitant reduction in the CH 4 lifetime and increase in the rate of VOC degradation.

Abstract. Fluorescence Assay by Gas Expansion (FAGE) has been used to detect ambient levels of OH and HO2 radicals at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory, located in the tropical Atlantic marine boundary layer, during May and June 2007. Midday radical concentrations were high, with maximum concentrations of 9 ×106 molecule cm−3 and 6×108 molecule cm−3 observed for OH and HO2, respectively. A box model incorporating the detailed Master Chemical Mechanism, extended to include halogen chemistry, heterogeneous loss processes and constrained by all available measurements including halogen and nitrogen oxides, has been used to assess the chemical and physical parameters controlling the radical chemistry. The model was able to reproduce the daytime radical concentrations to within the 1 σ measurement uncertainty of 20% during the latter half of the measurement period but significantly under-predicted [HO2] by 39% during the first half of the project. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate that elevated [HCHO] (~2 ppbv) on specific days during the early part of the project, which were much greater than the mean [HCHO] (328 pptv) used to constrain the model, could account for a large portion of the discrepancy between modelled and measured [HO2] at this time. IO and BrO, although present only at a few pptv, constituted ~19% of the instantaneous sinks for HO2, whilst aerosol uptake and surface deposition to the ocean accounted for a further 23% of the HO2 loss at noon. Photolysis of HOI and HOBr accounted for ~13% of the instantaneous OH formation. Taking into account that halogen oxides increase the oxidation of NOx (NO → NO2), and in turn reduce the rate of formation of OH from the reaction of HO2 with NO, OH concentrations were estimated to be 9% higher overall due to the presence of halogens. The increase in modelled OH from halogen chemistry gives an estimated 9% shorter lifetime for methane in this region, and the inclusion of halogen chemistry is necessary to model the observed daily cycle of O3 destruction that is observed at the surface. Due to surface losses, we hypothesise that HO2 concentrations increase with height and therefore contribute a larger fraction of the O3 destruction than at the surface.