ROLE OF NO AND NO2 IN THE CHEMISTRY OF THE TROPOSPHERE AND STRATOSPHERE

NO and NO2 are extremely important in atmospheric chemistry, especially because of their role in the radical chemistry and the production and destruction of tropospheric and stratospheric ozone. The role of ozone in tropospheric photochemistry is explained by its role in the formation of the extremely important OH radical, which attacks many otherwise inert gases in the troposphere. In addition, reactions involving OH lead to the formation of the acid gases HNO3 and H2SO4. Anthropogenic activities contribute substantially to the total NOx source in the atmosphere. The oxides of nitrogen are removed very efficiently from the lower troposphere but the processes responsible are not well known. In the stratosphere NOx participates in many reactions influencing the equilibria in the CIX and HX photochemical systems in such a way that the total ozone abundance may be relatively insensitive to NOx additions to the stratosphere. - from Author