Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Carbon Monoxide In The Antarctic Atmosphere: Observations Of Decreasing Concentrations, M. A. K. Khalil, R. A. Rasmussen

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hydroxyl radicals remove hundreds, perhaps thousands, of organic gases from the atmosphere and are often regarded as am index of the oxidizing capacity of the Earth's atmosphere (Thompson 1992). In recent years, there have been growing concerns that, over the past century and now, human activities may be depleting hydroxyl concentrations by adding huge amounts of carbon monoxide and methane to the atmosphere. Reduction in the hydroxyl concentrations can then indirectly lead to more global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, and other disturbances in atmospheric chemistry. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a key component in the determination of hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations: …