Key role of short-lived halogens on global atmospheric oxidation during historical periods†

Abstract

Atmospheric oxidation largely determines the abundance and lifetime of short-lived climate forcers like methane, ozone and aerosols, as well as the removal of pollutants from the atmosphere. Hydroxyl, nitrate and chlorine radicals (OH, NO₃ and Cl), together with ozone (O₃), are the main atmospheric oxidants. Short-lived halogens (SLH) affect the concentrations of these oxidants, either through direct chemical reactions or indirectly by perturbing their main sources and sinks. However, the effect of SLH on the combined abundance of global oxidants during historical periods remains unquantified and is not accounted for in air quality and climate models. Here, we employ a state-of-the-art chemistry–climate model to comprehensively assess the role of SLH on atmospheric oxidation under both pre-industrial (PI) and present-day (PD) conditions. Our results show a substantial reduction in present-day atmospheric oxidation caused by the SLH-driven combined reduction in the global boundary layer levels of OH (16%), NO₃ (38%) and ozone (26%), which is not compensated by the pronounced increase in Cl (2632%). These global differences in atmospheric oxidants show large spatial heterogeneity due to the variability in SLH emissions and their nonlinear chemical interactions with anthropogenic pollution. Remarkably, we find that the effect of SLH was more pronounced in the pristine PI atmosphere, where a quarter (OH: −25%) and half (NO₃: −49%) of the boundary layer concentration of the main daytime and nighttime atmospheric oxidants, respectively, were controlled by SLH chemistry. The lack of inclusion of the substantial SLH-mediated reduction in global atmospheric oxidation in models may lead to significant errors in calculations of atmospheric oxidation capacity, and the concentrations and trends of short-lived climate forcers and pollutants, both historically and at present.