First Detection Of Ammonia (NH 3 ) In The Asian Summer Monsoon ...

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Articles | Volume 16, issue 22 https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14357-2016 © Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Special issue:

• StratoClim stratospheric and upper tropospheric processes...

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14357-2016 © Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Articles | Volume 16, issue 22

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Research article | 18 Nov 2016 Research article | | 18 Nov 2016 First detection of ammonia (NH3) in the Asian summer monsoon upper troposphere Michael Höpfner, Rainer Volkamer, Udo Grabowski, Michel Grutter, Johannes Orphal, Gabriele Stiller, Thomas von Clarmann, and Gerald Wetzel

Michael Höpfner

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR michael.hoepfner@kit.edu https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4174-9531 × Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Rainer Volkamer

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0899-1369 × Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, USA

Udo Grabowski

× Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Michel Grutter

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9800-5878 × Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

Johannes Orphal

× Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Gabriele Stiller

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2883-6873 × Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Thomas von Clarmann

× Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Gerald Wetzel

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6671-0297 × Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Abstract. Ammonia (NH3) has been detected in the upper troposphere by the analysis of averaged MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) infrared limb-emission spectra. We have found enhanced amounts of NH3 within the region of the Asian summer monsoon at 12–15 km altitude. Three-monthly, 10° longitude  ×  10° latitude average profiles reaching maximum mixing ratios of around 30 pptv in this altitude range have been retrieved, with a vertical resolution of 3–8 km and estimated errors of about 5 pptv. These observations show that loss processes during transport from the boundary layer to the upper troposphere within the Asian monsoon do not deplete the air entirely of NH3. Thus, ammonia might contribute to the so-called Asian tropopause aerosol layer by the formation of ammonium aerosol particles. On a global scale, outside the monsoon area and during different seasons, we could not detect enhanced values of NH3 above the actual detection limit of about 3–5 pptv. This upper bound helps to constrain global model simulations.

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Share How to cite. Höpfner, M., Volkamer, R., Grabowski, U., Grutter, M., Orphal, J., Stiller, G., von Clarmann, T., and Wetzel, G.: First detection of ammonia (NH3) in the Asian summer monsoon upper troposphere, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14357–14369, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14357-2016, 2016. Received: 10 May 2016 – Discussion started: 03 Jun 2016 – Revised: 19 Oct 2016 – Accepted: 25 Oct 2016 – Published: 18 Nov 2016 Download

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Short summary Ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere is important because of its influence on aerosol and cloud formation and its increasing anthropogenic emissions. We report the first detection of NH3 in the upper troposphere by the analysis of infrared limb emission spectra measured by the MIPAS instrument on Envisat. We have found enhanced values of NH3 within the Asian summer monsoon upper troposphere, where it might contribute to the composition of the Asian tropopause aerosol layer. Ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere is important because of its influence on aerosol and cloud... Read more Share Special issue StratoClim stratospheric and upper tropospheric processes... Altmetrics Final-revised paper Preprint