Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences · 1977 · 198 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesEarth SciencesPhysicsAir PollutionAtmospheric ChemistryAtmospheric ScienceLightning PhysicsNitrogen OxidesNitrogen Oxides ChemistryThunderstorm ElectricityNitrogen Oxide EmissionsNitrogen Oxide Reaction MechanismsNitrogen Oxide SourcesNitrogen Oxides ModelingNitrogen Oxides PollutionNox Formation MechanismsNox Radical ReactionsWater Vapor Emissions
The rate of odd nitrogen (NOx) production by electrical discharge through air was theoretically and experimentally estimated to be ∼6 × 1016 NOx molecules per joule. The theoretical treatment employed a cylindrical shock-wave solution to calculate the rate of NOx production in high temperature reactions. The limits obtained were experimentally verified by subjecting a regulated air flow to electrical discharges followed by a measurement of NOx production using chemiluminescence. These measurements also indicated that water vapor content has no detectable effect on the NOx production rate. Our results imply that lightning is a significant source of NOx, producing about 30–40 megatons NOx-N per year and possibly accounting for as much as 50% of the total atmospheric NOx source.