Parameterisation of the chemical effect of sprites in the   middle atmosphere

Enell, Carl‐Fredrik; Arnone, Enrico; Adachi, Toru; Chanrion, Olivier; Verronen, Pekka T.; Seppälä, Annika; Neubert, Torsten; Ulich, Thomas; Turunen, Esa; Takahashi, Yukihiro; Hsu, R.

doi:10.5194/angeo-26-13-2008

Cited by 51 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The 20% magnitude led to statistically significant changes which were extrapolated down to the scenarios of Enell et al (2008) adopting the linear dependence of the radiatively driven response found in the uniform experiments. The local response of the two models to this regional perturbation was fairly similar, leading to a maximum temperature change of 0.3 K at 60-70 km over extraordinary active TLE-producing thunderstorms and of the order of at most 0.015 K at 60-70 km height in typical TLE scenarios.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A linear scaling of the peak temperature change of 3 K obtained in this 20% ozone reduction experiment to account for the maximum (insignificant) 0.1% ozone change of the typical TLE scenario by Enell et al (2008), leads to an impact of TLEs on atmospheric temperature at 60-70 km of at most an average 0.015 K. On the other hand, adopting Enell et al (2008) maximum case scenario of possibly a local few percent change above extraordinary active sprite producing thunderstorms, the extrapolated temperature change would be at most a localised 0.3 K over a 200 km×50 km region at sunrise. Likely, any such a radiative change would last at most for a few hours before photochemistry and mixing vanished the ozone change, thus with a negligible impact on the atmospheric temperature.…”

Section: The Regional Mid-latitude Upper-stratosphere Perturbationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3 and investigate whether limiting the latitudinal and height extent of the perturbation can induce a different local and tropospheric response. This idealised experiment is suggested by the TLE impact on ozone discussed by Enell et al (2008). TLEs are caused by thunderstorm activity and their occurrence is typically seasonally limited to a latitude band in the summer hemisphere: the most common observations occur over the midlatitudes where TLE-triggering mesoscale convective systems more easily develop (Lyons, 2006).…”

Section: The Regional Mid-latitude Upper-stratosphere Perturbationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Neubert et al, 2003Neubert et al, , 2008. Enell et al (2008) used an ion-chemistry model to estimate the chemical impact of sprites and found them to induce negligible global changes, but local changes of up to 500% on atmospheric NO x over extremely intense thunderstorms. Their typical case led to a few tens of percent change in NO x , in agreement with the calculations by Sentman et al (2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An estimate of the impact of transient luminous events on the atmospheric temperature

et al. 2008

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Abstract. We present an order of magnitude estimate of the impact of sprites and other transient luminous events (TLEs) on the atmospheric temperature via ozone changes. To address the effects of expected TLE-ozone changes of at most a few percent, we first study the linearity of the radiatively driven response of a stratosphere-mesosphere model and of a general circulation model (GCM) to a range of uniform climatological ozone perturbations. The study is limited to Northern Hemisphere winter conditions, when planetary wave activity is high and the non linear stratospheretroposphere coupling can be strong. Throughout most of the middle atmosphere of both models, the radiatively driven temperature response to uniform 5% to 20% ozone perturbations shows a close-to linear relationship with the magnitude of the perturbation. A mid-latitude stratopause ozone perturbation is then imposed as an idealised experiment that mimics local temperature gradients introduced by the latitudinal dependence of TLEs. An unrealistically high 20% magnitude is adopted for the regional ozone perturbation to obtain statistical significance in the model response. The local linearity of the radiatively driven response is used to infer a first order estimate of TLE-induced temperature changes of the order of 0.015 K under typical conditions, and less than a peak temperature change of 0.3 K at 60-70 km height in coincidence of extraordinarily active TLE-producing thunderstorms before horizontal mixing quickly occurs. In the latter case, dedicated mesoscale modelling is needed to study the relevance of regional non linear processes which are expected to impact these radiatively driven responses.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Regional Mid-latitude Upper-stratosphere Perturbationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Regional Mid-latitude Upper-stratosphere Perturbationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An estimate of the impact of transient luminous events on the atmospheric temperature

et al. 2008

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“…It has been suggested that sprites can have an impact on upper stratospheric and mesospheric ozone chemistry, which is triggered by a cluster of streamers having the above characteristics (Stenbaek-Nielsen et al, 2000;Sentman and São 3920 Y. Hiraki et al: Chemistry of sprite discharges Sabbas, 2002;Hiraki et al, 2004;Enell et al, 2005Enell et al, , 2008Arnone et al, 2008). Here, we make a rough estimation as to how large an impact is actually expected from the generation of ions and atoms (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Chemistry of sprite discharges through ion-neutral reactions

2008

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Abstract.We estimate the concentration changes, caused by streamer discharge in sprites, of ozone and related minor species as odd nitrogen (NO x ) and hydrogen (HO x ) families in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere. The streamer has an intense electric field and high electron density at its head, where a large number of chemically-radical ions and atoms are produced through electron impact on neutral molecules. After its propagation, densities of minor species can be perturbed through ion-neutral chemical reactions initiated by the relaxation of these radical products. We evaluate the production rates of ions and atoms using an electron kinetics model and by assuming that the electric field and electron density are in the head region. We calculate the density variations mainly for NO x , O x , and HO x species using a one-dimensional model of the neutral and ion composition of the middle atmosphere, including the effect of the sprite streamer. Results at the nighttime condition show that the densities of NO, O 3 , H, and OH increase suddenly through reactions triggered by the first atomic nitrogen and oxygen product, and electrons just after streamer initiation. It is shown that NO and NO 2 still remain for 1 h by a certain order of increase with their source-sink balance, predominantly around 60 km; for other species, increases in O 3 , OH, HO 2 , and H 2 O 2 still remain in the range of 40-70 km. From this affirmative result of long-time behavior previously not presented, we emphasize that sprites would have the power to impact local chemistry at night. We also discuss the consistency with previous theoretical and observational studies, along with future suggestions.

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WACCM climate chemistry sensitivity to sprite perturbations

et al. 2014

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Transient luminous events affect Earth's atmosphere between thunderstorm tops and the lower ionosphere through ion-neutral chemistry reactions. Particular emphasis has been given to sprites, with models and observations suggesting a capability of perturbing atmospheric nitrogen oxides at a local level, as it is known to occur for tropospheric lightning and laboratory air discharges. However, it is as yet unknown whether sprites can be a relevant source of nitrogen oxides for the upper atmosphere. In this paper, we study the sensitivity of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) to sprite-like nitrogen oxide perturbations. We take a top-down approach to estimate what magnitude sprite perturbations should have to become significant as compared to other relevant atmospheric processes and study the sensitivity of the model response within the given uncertainties. We show that, based on current predictions by sprite streamer chemistry models, sprites can perturb Tropical NO x at 70 km altitude between 0.015 ppbv (buried in the background variability) and 0.15 ppbv (about 20%), adopting a local NO x production per sprite of 1.5 ⋅ 10 23 and 1.5 ⋅ 10 24 molecules respectively at this altitude. Below the lowest of the adopted values, sprites are irrelevant at global scales. Sprite NO x may build up to significantly larger amounts locally above active thunderstorms, further aided by other transient luminous events and possibly terrestrial gamma ray flashes. We also use model results to interpret the available observational studies and give recommendations for future campaigns.

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Parameterisation of the chemical effect of sprites in the middle atmosphere

Cited by 51 publications

References 56 publications

An estimate of the impact of transient luminous events on the atmospheric temperature

An estimate of the impact of transient luminous events on the atmospheric temperature

Chemistry of sprite discharges through ion-neutral reactions

WACCM climate chemistry sensitivity to sprite perturbations

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