Articles | Volume 20, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8405-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8405-2020
Research article
 | 
17 Jul 2020
Research article |  | 17 Jul 2020

Strong sensitivity of the isotopic composition of methane to the plausible range of tropospheric chlorine

Sarah A. Strode, James S. Wang, Michael Manyin, Bryan Duncan, Ryan Hossaini, Christoph A. Keller, Sylvia E. Michel, and James W. C. White

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Cited articles

Allan, W., Manning, M. R., Lassey, K. R., Lowe, D. C., and Gomez, A. J.: Modeling the variation of δ13C in atmospheric methane: Phase ellipses and the kinetic isotope effect, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 15, 467–481, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GB001282, 2001. 
Allan, W., Struthers, H., and Lowe, D.: Methane carbon isotope effects caused by atomic chlorine in the marine boundary layer: Global model results compared with Southern Hemisphere measurements, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 112, D04306, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JD007369, 2007. 
Bock, M., Schmitt, J., Beck, J., Seth, B., Chappellaz, J., and Fischer, H.: Glacial/interglacial wetland, biomass burning, and geologic methane emissions constrained by dual stable isotopic CH4 ice core records, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 114, E5778–E5786, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1613883114, 2017. 
Brownlow, R., Lowry, D., Fisher, R., France, J., Lanoisellé, M., White, B., Wooster, M., Zhang, T., and Nisbet, E.: Isotopic ratios of tropical methane emissions by atmospheric measurement, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 31, 1408–1419, 2017. 
Cantrell, C. A., Shetter, R. E., McDaniel, A. H., Calvert, J. G., Davidson, J. A., Lowe, D. C., Tyler, S. C., Cicerone, R. J., and Greenberg, J. P.: Carbon kinetic isotope effect in the oxidation of methane by the hydroxyl radical, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 95, 22455–22462, 1990. 
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Short summary
The 13C : 12C isotopic ratio in methane (CH4) provides information about CH4 sources, but loss of CH4 by reaction with OH and chlorine (Cl) also affects this ratio. Tropospheric Cl provides a small and uncertain sink for CH4 but has a large effect on its isotopic ratio. We use the GEOS model with several different Cl fields to test the sensitivity of methane's isotopic composition to tropospheric Cl. Cl affects the global mean, hemispheric gradient, and seasonal cycle of the isotopic ratio.
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