Atmospheric chemistry articles within Nature

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  • News & Views |

    The rising trend in atmospheric concentrations of methane over the past 5,000 years has been attributed to human agency. A modelling study, of a power that has only now become possible, points to another cause. See Letter p.82

    • Eric W. Wolff

  • Letter |

    A primordial carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) greater than 0.8 in an exoplanet causes a carbide-dominated interior, as opposed to the silicate-dominated composition found on Earth; the atmospheres also can differ from those in the Solar System. The solar C/O is 0.54. This study reports an analysis of spectra from the transiting hot Jupiter WASP-12b that reveals that C/O>1 in its atmosphere, based upon the observed concentrations of the prominent molecules CO, CH4 and H2O.

    • Nikku Madhusudhan
    • , Joseph Harrington
    •  & Richard G. West

  • Letter |

    Three distinct models for the recently discovered super-Earth (masses 2–10 times that of Earth) planet GJ 1214b that are consistent with its mass and radius have been suggested. Breaking the degeneracy between these models requires obtaining constraints on the planet's atmospheric composition. Here, a ground based measurement of the transmission spectrum of GJ 1214b between 780 and 1,000 nm is reported. The lack of features in this spectrum rules out cloud free atmospheres composed primarily of hydrogen. If the planet's atmosphere is hydrogen-dominated, then it must contain clouds or hazes that are optically thick at pressures <200 mbar. Alternatively, the data are also consistent with the presence of a dense water vapour atmosphere.

    • Jacob L. Bean
    • , Eliza Miller-Ricci Kempton
    •  & Derek Homeier

  • News & Views |

    Organic aerosol particles are ubiquitous in the atmosphere. In forests, such particles can occur in solid form — a finding that will lead to a re-evaluation of how they are formed, and their properties and effects. See Letter p.824

    • Paul J. Ziemann

  • Letter |

    Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles can scatter radiation and act as cloud condensation nuclei, and thereby influence the Earth's radiation balance. It is generally assumed that SOA particles are liquid, but these authors show that they can adopt an amorphous solid state under ambient conditions. The findings challenge traditional views of the kinetics and thermodynamics of SOA formation and transformation in the atmosphere.

    • Annele Virtanen
    • , Jorma Joutsensaari
    •  & Ari Laaksonen

  • News & Views |

    Air pollution can cause a widespread haze in the Arctic. A study of the lower atmosphere there suggests that haze particles might take up free radicals, and so extend the lifetime of air pollutants in the region.

    • Jos Lelieveld

  • Letter |

    Cloud simulation is one of the most challenging tasks in regional to global-scale modelling. In many cases, the physical mechanisms responsible for observed cloud dynamics are unknown, making it difficult to realistically simulate their structure and behaviour. These authors show that open cellular clouds — characterized by low albedo — can be created by precipitation-driven downdrafts and that the resulting cloud structure forms an oscillating, self-organizing cloud field.

    • Graham Feingold
    • , Ilan Koren
    •  & Wm. Alan Brewer

  • Letter |

    Volcanic eruptions release a large amount of sulphur dioxide. This is oxidized to sulphate and can then form sulphate aerosol, which can affect the Earth's radiation balance. Here, past volcanic eruptions and atmospheric conditions are investigated by using sulphur and triple oxygen isotope measurements of atmospheric sulphate preserved in the rock record. The results show that seven eruption-related sulphate aerosol deposition events occurred in the mid-Cenozoic era in the northern High Plains of North America.

    • Huiming Bao
    • , Shaocai Yu
    •  & Daniel Q. Tong

  • Letter |

    Here, the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet GJ 436b is studied during its 'secondary eclipse'. The findings reveal the presence of some H2O and traces of CO2. The best-fit compositional models contain a high CO abundance and a substantial methane deficiency relative to thermochemical equilibrium models for the predicted hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. Disequilibrium processes such as vertical mixing and polymerization of methane may be required to explain this small methane-to-CO ratio.

    • Kevin B. Stevenson
    • , Joseph Harrington
    •  & Nate B. Lust

  • Letter |

    The presence of gaseous chlorine atom precursors within the troposphere was thought only to occur in marine areas but now nitryl chloride has been found at a distance of 1,400 km from the nearest coastline. A model study shows that the amount of nitryl chloride production in the continental USA alone is similar to previous global estimates for marine regions. A significant fraction of tropospheric chlorine atoms may arise directly from anthropogenic pollutants.

    • Joel A. Thornton
    • , James P. Kercher
    •  & Steven S. Brown

  • News & Views |

    Unexpected chlorine chemistry in the lowest part of the atmosphere can affect the cycling of nitrogen oxides and the production of ozone, and reduce the lifetime of the greenhouse gas methane.

    • Roland von Glasow

  • News Feature |

    The surprising discovery of methane in Mars's atmosphere could be a sign of life there. Researchers are now working out how to find its source, reports Katharine Sanderson.

    • Katharine Sanderson

  • Letter |

    High concentrations of ozone in the troposphere are toxic and act as a greenhouse gas. Anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors have caused widespread increases in ozone concentrations since the late 1800s, with the fastest-growing ozone precursor emissions currently coming out of east Asia. Much of the springtime east Asian pollution is exported towards western North America; a strong increase in springtime ozone mixing ratios is now found in the free troposphere over this region.

    • O. R. Cooper
    • , D. D. Parrish
    •  & M. A. Avery

  • News & Views |

    Springtime ozone levels in the lower atmosphere over western North America are rising. The source of this pollution may be Asia, a finding that reaffirms the need for international air-quality control.

    • Kathy Law

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