Articles | Volume 23, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10287-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10287-2023
Research article
 | 
15 Sep 2023
Research article |  | 15 Sep 2023

OH, HO2, and RO2 radical chemistry in a rural forest environment: measurements, model comparisons, and evidence of a missing radical sink

Brandon Bottorff, Michelle M. Lew, Youngjun Woo, Pamela Rickly, Matthew D. Rollings, Benjamin Deming, Daniel C. Anderson, Ezra Wood, Hariprasad D. Alwe, Dylan B. Millet, Andrew Weinheimer, Geoff Tyndall, John Ortega, Sebastien Dusanter, Thierry Leonardis, James Flynn, Matt Erickson, Sergio Alvarez, Jean C. Rivera-Rios, Joshua D. Shutter, Frank Keutsch, Detlev Helmig, Wei Wang, Hannah M. Allen, Johnathan H. Slade, Paul B. Shepson, Steven Bertman, and Philip S. Stevens

Related authors

FORest Canopy Atmosphere Transfer (FORCAsT) 2.0: model updates and evaluation with observations at a mixed forest site
Dandan Wei, Hariprasad D. Alwe, Dylan B. Millet, Brandon Bottorff, Michelle Lew, Philip S. Stevens, Joshua D. Shutter, Joshua L. Cox, Frank N. Keutsch, Qianwen Shi, Sarah C. Kavassalis, Jennifer G. Murphy, Krystal T. Vasquez, Hannah M. Allen, Eric Praske, John D. Crounse, Paul O. Wennberg, Paul B. Shepson, Alexander A. T. Bui, Henry W. Wallace, Robert J. Griffin, Nathaniel W. May, Megan Connor, Jonathan H. Slade, Kerri A. Pratt, Ezra C. Wood, Mathew Rollings, Benjamin L. Deming, Daniel C. Anderson, and Allison L. Steiner
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 6309–6329, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6309-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6309-2021, 2021
Short summary
Development of a laser-photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence instrument for the detection of nitrous acid and hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere
Brandon Bottorff, Emily Reidy, Levi Mielke, Sebastien Dusanter, and Philip S. Stevens
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6039–6056, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6039-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6039-2021, 2021
Short summary
OH and HO2 radical chemistry in a midlatitude forest: measurements and model comparisons
Michelle M. Lew, Pamela S. Rickly, Brandon P. Bottorff, Emily Reidy, Sofia Sklaveniti, Thierry Léonardis, Nadine Locoge, Sebastien Dusanter, Shuvashish Kundu, Ezra Wood, and Philip S. Stevens
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 9209–9230, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9209-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9209-2020, 2020
Short summary
Peroxy radical measurements by ethane – nitric oxide chemical amplification and laser-induced fluorescence during the IRRONIC field campaign in a forest in Indiana
Shuvashish Kundu, Benjamin L. Deming, Michelle M. Lew, Brandon P. Bottorff, Pamela Rickly, Philip S. Stevens, Sebastien Dusanter, Sofia Sklaveniti, Thierry Leonardis, Nadine Locoge, and Ezra C. Wood
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 9563–9579, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9563-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9563-2019, 2019
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Gases | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Chemistry (chemical composition and reactions)
Accurate elucidation of oxidation under heavy ozone pollution: a full suite of radical measurements in the chemically complex atmosphere
Renzhi Hu, Guoxian Zhang, Haotian Cai, Jingyi Guo, Keding Lu, Xin Li, Shengrong Lou, Zhaofeng Tan, Changjin Hu, Pinhua Xie, and Wenqing Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3011–3028, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3011-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3011-2025, 2025
Short summary
Emissions of intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) from different cumulative-mileage diesel vehicles at various ambient temperatures
Shuwen Guo, Xuan Zheng, Xiao He, Lewei Zeng, Liqiang He, Xian Wu, Yifei Dai, Zihao Huang, Ting Chen, Shupei Xiao, Yan You, Sheng Xiang, Shaojun Zhang, Jingkun Jiang, and Ye Wu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2695–2705, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2695-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2695-2025, 2025
Short summary
Characterization of nitrous acid and its potential effects on secondary pollution in the warm season in Beijing urban areas
Junling Li, Chaofan Lian, Mingyuan Liu, Hao Zhang, Yongxin Yan, Yufei Song, Chun Chen, Jiaqi Wang, Haijie Zhang, Yanqin Ren, Yucong Guo, Weigang Wang, Yisheng Xu, Hong Li, Jian Gao, and Maofa Ge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2551–2568, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2551-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2551-2025, 2025
Short summary
Vertical changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and impacts on photochemical ozone formation
Xiao-Bing Li, Bin Yuan, Yibo Huangfu, Suxia Yang, Xin Song, Jipeng Qi, Xianjun He, Sihang Wang, Yubin Chen, Qing Yang, Yongxin Song, Yuwen Peng, Guiqian Tang, Jian Gao, Dasa Gu, and Min Shao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2459–2472, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2459-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2459-2025, 2025
Short summary
Diurnal, seasonal, and interannual variations in δ(18O) of atmospheric O2 and its application to evaluate natural and anthropogenic changes in oxygen, carbon, and water cycles
Shigeyuki Ishidoya, Satoshi Sugawara, and Atsushi Okazaki
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1965–1987, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1965-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1965-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Anderson, D. C., Pavelec, J., Daube, C., Herndon, S. C., Knighton, W. B., Lerner, B. M., Roscioli, J. R., Yacovitch, T. I., and Wood, E. C.: Characterization of ozone production in San Antonio, Texas, using measurements of total peroxy radicals, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2845–2860, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2845-2019, 2019. 
Atkinson, R. and Arey, J.: Atmospheric Degradation of Volatile Organic Compounds, Chem. Rev., 103, 4605–4638, https://doi.org/10.1021/cr0206420, 2003. 
Atkinson, R., Hasegawa, D., and Aschmann, S. M.: Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of O3 with a series of monoterpenes and related compounds at 296 ± 2 K, Int. J. Chem. Kinet., 22, 871–887, https://doi.org/10.1002/kin.550220807, 1990. 
Badol, C., Borbon, A., Locoge, N., Léonardis, T., and Galloo, J. C.: An automated monitoring system for VOC ozone precursors in ambient air: development, implementation and data analysis, Anal. Bioanal. Chem, 378, 1815–1827, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-003-2474-0, 2004. 
Baier, B. C., Brune, W. H., Miller, D. O., Blake, D., Long, R., Wisthaler, A., Cantrell, C., Fried, A., Heikes, B., Brown, S., McDuffie, E., Flocke, F., Apel, E., Kaser, L., and Weinheimer, A.: Higher measured than modeled ozone production at increased NOx levels in the Colorado Front Range, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11273–11292, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11273-2017, 2017. 
Download
Short summary
The hydroxyl (OH), hydroperoxy (HO2), and organic peroxy (RO2) radicals play important roles in atmospheric chemistry and have significant air quality implications. Here, we compare measurements of OH, HO2, and total peroxy radicals (XO2) made in a remote forest in Michigan, USA, to predictions from a series of chemical models. Lower measured radical concentrations suggest that the models may be missing an important radical sink and overestimating the rate of ozone production in this forest.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint