Advances in Earth Science ›› 2013, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (3): 305-317. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2013.03.0305

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Review and Progress of Estimate on Nitrogen Oxide Production by Lightning

Guo Fengxia, Ju Xiaoyu, Chen Cong   

  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing210044, China; 2.Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administation, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing210044, China
  • Received:2012-10-24 Revised:2013-01-18 Online:2013-03-10 Published:2013-03-10

Guo Fengxia, Ju Xiaoyu, Chen Cong. Review and Progress of Estimate on Nitrogen Oxide Production by Lightning[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2013, 28(3): 305-317.

Abstract: [WT5BZ]Nitrogen oxide (NOX) is one of the most important lightingproduced molecules, primarily because it facilitates chemical reactions in the troposphere that determine the concentrations of ozone (O3) and of the hydroxyl radical (OH). NOX source, LNOX mechanism and their significance on climate change are introduced for understanding the estimate of LNOX, which is a research hotspot in atmospheric chemistry and lighting physics. Then, the main methods and results of estimate on LNOX are summarized. The conclusions show that, in situ measurement, laboratory simulation, theoretical extrapolation and retrieval of satellite data are the major research methods in this field. Through these methods, NOX production per unit lightning energy or unit lightning channel length are obtained, then combined with the total energy or channel length of lightning, the LNOX production in local or global is estimated by extrapolation or numerical modeling. Due to the different region, thunderstorm and even lightning are presented remarkable difference, and the parameters chosen by different researchers are various, leading to the diversity of results. In the past three decades, the mean value of relatively accurate production calculations has been 5.2(2.8~9.1) Tg/a. Therefore, advanced NOX observations of in-situ and space measurements should be analyzed to realize the LNOX mechanism. Appropriate NOX parameters should be chosen in varied intensity thunderstorm and individual lightning to reduce the parameter uncertainties. On that basis, atmospheric chemical model is integrated to simulate LNOX generation, development and the influence of other air composition regionally and globally. Thus, the role of LNOX in global climate change would be better recognized.

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