Articles | Volume 19, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13701-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13701-2019
Research article
 | 
13 Nov 2019
Research article |  | 13 Nov 2019

Inter-model comparison of global hydroxyl radical (OH) distributions and their impact on atmospheric methane over the 2000–2016 period

Yuanhong Zhao, Marielle Saunois, Philippe Bousquet, Xin Lin, Antoine Berchet, Michaela I. Hegglin, Josep G. Canadell, Robert B. Jackson, Didier A. Hauglustaine, Sophie Szopa, Ann R. Stavert, Nathan Luke Abraham, Alex T. Archibald, Slimane Bekki, Makoto Deushi, Patrick Jöckel, Béatrice Josse, Douglas Kinnison, Ole Kirner, Virginie Marécal, Fiona M. O'Connor, David A. Plummer, Laura E. Revell, Eugene Rozanov, Andrea Stenke, Sarah Strode, Simone Tilmes, Edward J. Dlugokencky, and Bo Zheng

Data sets

The IGAC/SPARC Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative Phase-1 (CCMI-1) model data output (http://data.ceda.ac.uk/badc/wcrp-ccmi/data/CCMI-1/output) M. I. Hegglin and J.-F. Lamarque http://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/9cc6b94df0f4469d8066d69b5df879d5

Short summary
The role of hydroxyl radical changes in methane trends is debated, hindering our understanding of the methane cycle. This study quantifies how uncertainties in the hydroxyl radical may influence methane abundance in the atmosphere based on the inter-model comparison of hydroxyl radical fields and model simulations of CH4 abundance with different hydroxyl radical scenarios during 2000–2016. We show that hydroxyl radical changes could contribute up to 54 % of model-simulated methane biases.
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