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Sampling of Chemical Constituents in Electrically Active Convective Systems: Results and Cautions

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Abstract

On flights of a P3-B turboprop and a WB-57F jet aircraft within thunderstorm systems, short term spikes (1–2 sec or less in duration) in NO and O3 were recorded and are attributed to hot or cold discharges occurring on the aircraft fuselage or air sampling inlets. One such spike of only ∼300 msec duration reached 325 ppbv of NO on the flight of the jet aircraft while at 13.8 km altitude. In a lightning flash to the P3-B aircraft, production of NO (expected) and NO2 (unexpected) were directly observed. The NO production was ∼ 1.7 x 1022 molecules/m of flash length. In the P3-B flight at 5.5 km altitude and over a distance of ∼ 275 km within a highly electrically active thunderstorm complex in the equatorial central Pacific Ocean, there was no evidence of production of O3 or CO by lightning flashes or by any type of hot or cold discharge involved in the development of free-air lightning flashes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, 80307, USA

    B. A. Ridley, D. D. Montzka, A. J. Weinheimer, D. J. Knapp & J. E. Dye

  2. Chemistry and Dynamics Branch, NASA Langley Research Center, 23681, Hampton, VA, 23665, USA

    M. A. Avery, J. V. Plant & S. A. Vay

  3. Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA

    E. C. Richard

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  1. B. A. Ridley
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  2. M. A. Avery
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  3. J. V. Plant
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  4. S. A. Vay
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  5. D. D. Montzka
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  6. A. J. Weinheimer
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  7. D. J. Knapp
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  8. J. E. Dye
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  9. E. C. Richard
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Correspondence to B. A. Ridley.

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Ridley, B.A., Avery, M.A., Plant, J.V. et al. Sampling of Chemical Constituents in Electrically Active Convective Systems: Results and Cautions. J Atmos Chem 54, 1–20 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-005-9007-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-005-9007-5

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