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Webster et al. 1994
Webster, C.R., May, R.D., Jaeglé, L., Hu, H., Sander, S.P., Gunson, M.R., Toon, G.C., Russell, J.M., Stimpfle, R.M., Koplow, J.P., Salawitch, R.J. and Michelsen, H.A. (1994). Hydrochloric acid and the chlorine budget of the lower stratosphere. Geophysical Research Letters 21: doi: 10.1029/94GL02806. issn: 0094-8276.

Concentrations of HCl measured in the lower stratosphere in 1993 by the ALIAS instrument on the ER-2 aircraft reveal that only 40% of inorganic chlorine (CLy, inferred from in situ measurements of organic chlorinated source gases) is present as HCl, significantly lower than model predictions. Although the sum of measured HCl, ClO, and ClONO2, the latter inferred from measurements of ClO and NO2, equals Cly to within the uncertainty of measurement, it is systematically less than Cly by 30--50%. This discrepancy suggests that concentrations of ClONO2 may exceed those of HCl near 20 km altitude, consistent with a slower photolysis rate for ClONO2 than calculated using recommended cross sections. Comparison of profiles of HCl measured during 1992 and 1993 at mid-latitudes by balloon (BLISS and MARKIV), space shuttle (ATMOS), and satellite (HALOE) instruments with the aircraft data reveal an apparent pressure dependence to the HCl to Cly ratio, consistent with a factor of 3--10 reduction in the photolysis rate for ClONO2 at Er-2 altitudes. However, the diurnal variation of ClO is well-simulated by models using the recommended photolysis rate, and simultaneous measurements of ClONO2 and HCl at mid-latitudes by ATMOS and MARKIV report HCl/(HCl+ClONO2) ratios ≥50%. Preliminary measurements by ALIAS in the southern hemisphere report HCl/Cly values of about 75%. It is unclear to what extent elevated aerosol surface area, uncertainties in the estimation of Cly or in the photolysis rates, or missing reactive pathways contribute to our inability to balance the budget of inorganic chlorine using the aircraft measurements. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1994

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Abstract

Keywords
Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Middle atmosphere—composition and chemistry
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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