New research from Rochester scientist Lee Murray will aid in building more accurate computer models of the hydroxyl radical (OH), an important ‘detergent of the atmosphere.’
New research from Rochester scientist Lee Murray will aid in building more accurate computer models of the hydroxyl radical (OH), an important ‘detergent of the atmosphere.’
Earth’s atmosphere has a unique ability to cleanse itself by way of invisible molecules in the air that act as minuscule cleanup crews. The most important molecule in that crew is the hydroxyl radical (OH), nicknamed the “detergent of the atmosphere” because of its dominant role in removing pollutants. When the OH molecule chemically interacts with a variety of harmful gases, including the potent greenhouse gas methane, it is able to decompose the pollutants into forms that can be removed from Earth’s atmosphere.
It is difficult to measure OH, however, and it is not directly emitted. Instead, researchers predict the presence of OH based on its chemical production from other, “precursor” gases. To make these predictions, researchers use computer simulations.
In a new paper published in the journal PNAS, Lee Murray, an assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Rochester, outlines why computer models used to predict future levels of OH—and, therefore, how long air pollutants and reactive greenhouse gases last in the atmosphere—have traditionally produced widely varying forecasts. The study is the latest in Murray’s efforts to develop models of the dynamics and composition of Earth’s atmosphere and has important implications in advancing policies to combat climate change.
Read more at: University of Rochester
