An investigation into the chemistry of HONO in the marine boundary layer at Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory in Bermuda

Here we present measurement results of temporal distributions of nitrous acid (HONO) along with several chemical and meteorological parameters during the spring and the late summer of 2019 at Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory in Bermuda. Large temporal variations in HONO concentration were controlled by several factors including local pollutant emissions, air mass interaction with the island, and long-range atmospheric transport of HONO precursors. In polluted plumes emitted from local traffic, power plant, and cruise ship emissions, HONO and nitrogen oxides (NOx) existed at substantial levels (up to 278 pptv and 48 ppbv, respectively), and NOx-related reactions played dominant roles in daytime formation of HONO. The lowest concentration of HONO was observed in marine air, with median concentrations at similar to 3 pptv around solar noon and < 1 pptv during the nighttime. Considerably higher levels of HONO were observed during the day in the low-NOx island-influenced air ([NO2] < 1 ppbv), with a median HONO concentration of similar to 17 pptv. HONO mixing ratios exhibited distinct diurnal cycles that peaked around solar noon and were lowest before sunrise, indicating the importance of photochemical processes for HONO formation. In clean marine air, NOx-related reactions contribute to similar to 21 % of the daytime HONO source, and the photolysis of particulate nitrate (pNO(3)) can account for the missing source assuming a moderate enhancement factor of 29 relative to gaseous nitric acid photolysis. In low-NOx island-influenced air, the contribution from both NOx-related reactions and pNO(3) photolysis accounts for only similar to 48 % of the daytime HONO production, and the photochemical processes on surfaces of the island, such as the photolysis of nitric acid on the forest canopy, might contribute significantly to the daytime HONO production. The concentrations of HONO, NOx and pNO(3) were lower when the site was dominated by the aged marine air in the summer and were higher when the site was dominated by North American air in the spring, reflecting the effects of long-range transport on the reactive nitrogen chemistry in background marine environments.

Automated summary

This study presents the measurement results of temporal distributions of nitrous acid (HONO) in Bermuda in 2019. The concentrations of HONO were influenced by local pollutant emissions, air mass interaction, and long-range transport. HONO and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were found at substantial levels in polluted plumes, and NOx-related reactions played a dominant role in daytime HONO formation. The lowest HONO concentration was observed in marine air, and considerably higher levels were observed in low-NOx island-influenced air during the day. HONO concentrations exhibited distinct diurnal cycles, with peaks around solar noon and lowest levels before sunrise.