Snow‐Induced Perturbations in Nitrous Acid (HONO) Levels: Insights Into Heterogeneous Reactions During Wintertime in Mid‐Latitude Regions
Abstract Nitrous acid (HONO) governs wintertime hydroxyl radical (OH) production, critically linking radical cycling, tropospheric oxidative capacity, and air pollution. During a mid‐latitude snowfall event, rapid HONO enrichment was observed alongside concurrent depletion of other pollutants. This unexpected phenomenon is attributed to heterogeneous reactions on fresh snow's high surface area, an interpretation supported by HONO budget parameterization. In contrast, aged snowpack exhibited negligible production potential, contradicting prior snowpack source identifications. This divergence arises from snow aging processes that reduce surface area and alter chemical reactivity. These findings reveal previously unrecognized meteorology‐chemistry interactions, underscoring further investigation into these complex processes.
Authors
- Nan Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4494-3337)
- Wanyun Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4787-1754)
- Yihang Yu
- Zhijiong Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4834-1763)
- Li Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0741-4903)
- Hang Su (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-1669)
- Peng Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0806-9593)
- Ling Ji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1140-3174)
- Zhaofeng Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3808-1964)
- Yafang Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4912-9879)
- Ye Kuang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0782-8877)
- Pingqing Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6249-2280)
- Gen Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9622-4620)
- Zhilin Tian
- Huirong Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4429-6061)
- Shaobin Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9273-8242)
- Wenda Yang
- Xiaofang Yu
- Huarong Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4265-7065)
- Wenbin Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6099-174X)
Institutions
- Tianjin University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Zhejiang Zanyu Technology (China) (CN)
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality (CN)
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (DE)
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CN)
- Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences (CN)
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Published
- 2025-08-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gl113896
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.30
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences
- National Key Research and Development Program of China