Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics www.atmos-chem-phys.net 1680-7316 1680-7324 7 16 2007 10.5194/acp-7-4281-2007 http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/4281/2007/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/4281/2007/acp-7-4281-2007.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/4281/2007/acp-7-4281-2007.pdf 4281 4294 2007-08-21 Vertical profiles of lightning-produced NO₂ enhancements in the upper troposphere observed by OSIRIS C. E. Sioris christopher.sioris@ec.gc.ca C. A. McLinden R. V. Martin B. Sauvage C. S. Haley N. D. Lloyd E. J. Llewellyn P. F. Bernath C. D. Boone S. Brohede C. T. McElroy Experimental Studies Section, Environment Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Atomic and Molecular Physics Division, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, UK Department of Radio and Space Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden The purpose of this study is to perform a global search of the upper troposphere (z≥10 km) for enhancements of nitrogen dioxide and determine their sources. This is the first application of satellite-based limb scattering to study upper tropospheric NO₂. We have searched two years (May 2003–May 2005) of OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System) operational NO₂ concentrations (version 2.3/2.4) to find large enhancements in the observations by comparing with photochemical box model calculations and by identifying local maxima in NO₂ volume mixing ratio. We find that lightning is the main production mechanism responsible for the large enhancements in OSIRIS NO₂ observations as expected. Similar patterns in the abundances and spatial distribution of the NO₂ enhancements are obtained by perturbing the lightning within the GEOS-Chem 3-dimensional chemical transport model. In most cases, the presence of lightning is confirmed with coincident imagery from LIS (Lightning Imaging Sensor) and the spatial extent of the NO₂ enhancement is mapped using nadir observations of tropospheric NO₂ at high spatial resolution from SCIAMACHY (Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography) and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument). The combination of the lightning and chemical sensors allows us to investigate globally the role of lightning to the abundance of NO₂ in the upper troposphere (UT). Lightning contributes 60% of the tropical upper tropospheric NO₂ in GEOS-Chem simulations. The spatial and temporal distribution of NO₂ enhancements from lightning (May 2003–May 2005) is investigated. The enhancements generally occur at 12 to 13 km more frequently than at 10 to 11 km. This is consistent with the notion that most of the NO₂ is forming and persisting near the cloud top altitude in the tropical upper troposphere. 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