Summary
Lightning produces highly reactive chemical compounds that influence the atmosphere’s ability to remove pollutants. This project uses laboratory experiments and model comparisons to improve understanding of lightning-driven atmospheric chemistry. The project will improve understanding of the atmosphere’s oxidative capacity and predictions of associated pollutant removal. Extreme heat, electrical currents, and radiation emitted by lightning initiates the direct production of large amounts of hydroxyl radical (OH) and larger amounts of nitric oxide (NO). A substantial amount of nitrous acid (
