Solar Proton Events: Stratospheric Sources of Nitric Oxide

Crutzen, Paul J.; Isaksen, I. S. A.; Reid, George C.

doi:10.1126/science.189.4201.457

Cited by 330 publications

(172 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

165

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Increases of several tenths of Gmol are predicted for the solar proton events in January 2005, July 2004, and December 2006. This is on the same order of magnitude as previous estimates of hemispheric NO y increases for solar proton events in November 1960 (1.1 Gmol, Crutzen, 1975), September 1966(0.34 Gmol, Crutzen, 1975 and the October 2003 event (0.75-2.82 Gmol, Jackman et al, 2005Jackman et al, , 2009Reddmann et al, 2010), but lower than estimates for the August 1972 event (2.98-3.40 Gmol, Crutzen, 1975;Jackman et al, 2005) and the October 1989 event (5.56-6.97 gMol per hemisphere, Vitt and Jackman, 1996;Jackman et al, 2005).…”

Section: Total No Ysupporting

confidence: 77%

NOy production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

Sinnhuber

Berger²,

Funke

et al. 2018

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. We analyze the impact of energetic particle precipitation on the stratospheric nitrogen budget, ozone abundances and net radiative heating using results from three global chemistry-climate models considering solar protons and geomagnetic forcing due to auroral or radiation belt electrons. Two of the models cover the atmosphere up to the lower thermosphere, the source region of auroral NO production. Geomagnetic forcing in these models is included by prescribed ionization rates. One model reaches up to about 80 km, and geomagnetic forcing is included by applying an upper boundary condition of auroral NO mixing ratios parameterized as a function of geomagnetic activity. Despite the differences in the implementation of the particle effect, the resulting modeled NOy in the upper mesosphere agrees well between all three models, demonstrating that geomagnetic forcing is represented in a consistent way either by prescribing ionization rates or by prescribing NOy at the model top.Compared with observations of stratospheric and mesospheric NOy from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument for the years 2002–2010, the model simulations reproduce the spatial pattern and temporal evolution well. However, after strong sudden stratospheric warmings, particle-induced NOy is underestimated by both high-top models, and after the solar proton event in October 2003, NOy is overestimated by all three models. Model results indicate that the large solar proton event in October 2003 contributed about 1–2 Gmol (109 mol) NOy per hemisphere to the stratospheric NOy budget, while downwelling of auroral NOx from the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere contributes up to 4 Gmol NOy. Accumulation over time leads to a constant particle-induced background of about 0.5–1 Gmol per hemisphere during solar minimum, and up to 2 Gmol per hemisphere during solar maximum. Related negative anomalies of ozone are predicted by the models in nearly every polar winter, ranging from 10–50 % during solar maximum to 2–10 % during solar minimum. Ozone loss continues throughout polar summer after strong solar proton events in the Southern Hemisphere and after large sudden stratospheric warmings in the Northern Hemisphere. During mid-winter, the ozone loss causes a reduction of the infrared radiative cooling, i.e., a positive change of the net radiative heating (effective warming), in agreement with analyses of geomagnetic forcing in stratospheric temperatures which show a warming in the late winter upper stratosphere. In late winter and spring, the sign of the net radiative heating change turns to negative (effective cooling). This spring-time cooling lasts well into summer and continues until the following autumn after large solar proton events in the Southern Hemisphere, and after sudden stratospheric warmings in the Northern Hemisphere.

show abstract

Section: Total No Ysupporting

confidence: 77%

NOy production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

Sinnhuber

Berger²,

Funke

et al. 2018

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The work by Warneck (1972), Swider and Keneshea (1973) and Crutzen et al (1975) pioneered research into influence of energetic particle precipitation on the chemistry of the atmosphere through the enhancement of NO x . Following this early work, and Solomon et al ( , 1983 pointed out a coupling mechanism whereby thermospheric NO x could affect the stratosphere.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle atmosphere response to the solar cycle in irradiance and ionizing particle precipitation

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The impact of NO x and HO x production by three types of energetic particle precipitation (EPP), auroral zone medium and high energy electrons, solar proton events and galactic cosmic rays on the middle atmosphere is examined using a chemistry climate model. This process study uses ensemble simulations forced by transient EPP derived from observations with one-year repeating sea surface temperatures and fixed chemical boundary conditions for cases with and without solar cycle in irradiance. Our model results show a wintertime polar stratosphere ozone reduction of between 3 and 10 % in agreement with previous studies. EPP is found to modulate the radiative solar cycle effect in the middle atmosphere in a significant way, bringing temperature and ozone variations closer to observed patterns. The Southern Hemisphere polar vortex undergoes an intensification from solar minimum to solar maximum instead of a weakening. This changes the solar cycle variation of the Brewer-Dobson circulation, with a weakening during solar maxima compared to solar minima. In response, the tropical tropopause temperature manifests a statistically significant solar cycle variation resulting in about 4 % more water vapour transported into the lower tropical stratosphere during solar maxima compared to solar minima. This has implications for surface temperature variation due to the associated change in radiative forcing.

show abstract

“…Considering the neutral atmospheric changes caused by particle precipitation, most of the early studies concentrated on understanding the increases in odd hydrogen (HO x = H + OH + HO 2 ) and odd nitrogen (NO x = N + NO + NO 2 ) because of their important role in catalytic, ozone-destroying reaction cycles in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere (Crutzen et al, 1975;Porter et al, 1976;Heaps, 1978;Crutzen and Solomon, 1980;Solomon et al, 1981;Rusch et al, 1981). SPEs and their influence on ozone have played a large role in the research due to the profound impact of SPEs and the availability of ozone observations from several satellite-based instruments McPeters and Jackman, 1985;Reid et al, 1991;Jackman et al, 2001;Seppälä et al, 2004;López-Puertas et al, 2005a;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis and parameterisation of ionic reactions affecting middle atmospheric HOx and NOy during solar proton events

Verronen

Lehmann

2013

Ann. Geophys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. In the polar regions, precipitation of solar high-energy protons and electrons affects the neutral composition of the middle atmosphere. Here we use the Sodankylä Ion and Neutral Chemistry model to calculate ionic production and loss rates of neutral HOx and NOy species, imposed by particle precipitation, for a range of atmospheric conditions and levels of ionization. We also analyse in detail the ionic reaction sequences leading to the HOx and NOy changes. Our results show that particle impact ionization and positive ion chemistry cause net production of N, NO, HNO2, H, andOH from N2 and H2O. On the other hand, negative ion chemistry redistributes the NOy species, without net production or loss, so that NO, NO2, and N2O5 are converted to HNO3 and NO3. Based on the model results, we provide tables of so-called P/Q numbers (i.e. production and loss rates of neutral species divided by ionization rates) at altitudes between 20 and 90 km. These numbers can be easily used to parameterise the ion chemistry effects when modelling atmospheric response to particle precipitation. Compared to earlier studies, our work is the first to consider in detail the NOy effect of negative ion chemistry, and the diurnal and seasonal variability of the P/Q numbers.

show abstract

Solar Proton Events: Stratospheric Sources of Nitric Oxide

Cited by 330 publications

References 17 publications

NO<sub><i>y</i></sub> production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

NO<sub><i>y</i></sub> production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

Middle atmosphere response to the solar cycle in irradiance and ionizing particle precipitation

Analysis and parameterisation of ionic reactions affecting middle atmospheric HO<sub>x</sub> and NO<sub>y</sub> during solar proton events

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Solar Proton Events: Stratospheric Sources of Nitric Oxide

Cited by 330 publications

References 17 publications

NO&lt;sub&gt;&lt;i&gt;y&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

NO&lt;sub&gt;&lt;i&gt;y&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

Middle atmosphere response to the solar cycle in irradiance and ionizing particle precipitation

Analysis and parameterisation of ionic reactions affecting middle atmospheric HO&lt;sub&gt;x&lt;/sub&gt; and NO&lt;sub&gt;y&lt;/sub&gt; during solar proton events

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

NO<sub><i>y</i></sub> production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

NO<sub><i>y</i></sub> production, ozone loss and changes in net radiative heating due to energetic particle precipitation in 2002–2010

Analysis and parameterisation of ionic reactions affecting middle atmospheric HO<sub>x</sub> and NO<sub>y</sub> during solar proton events