AN EVALUATION OF LIGHTNING AND CORONA DISCHARGE ON THUNDERSTORM AIR AND PRECIPITATION CHEMISTRY

This study synthesizes literature to provide a best estimate for the integrated effect of cloud-to-ground lightning, intracloud lightning, and corona discharge on air and precipitation chemistry for an idealized thunderstorm. The cloud volume concentration of NO (the predominant chemical species produced by lightning), assuming all flashes occurred simultaneously in an undiluted, idealized storm volume of 1.5×103 km3, is approximately 0.8 ppbv at STP. Uncertainties are discussed, and assumptions used in this estimate are evaluated and compared to the literature for consistency. Also, NO production values (an average of field, theoretical, and laboratory observations) are used to scale theoretical estimates of other chemical species produced by lightning that can be scavenged by precipitation. The maximum concentrations of these pollutants in rain water are estimated by assuming complete removal of these select, acid rain related species and found to be insignificant. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.