A mechanism for hydrochloric acid production in cloud

✍ Scribed by Glenn K. Yue; Volker A. Mohnen; C. S. Kiang

• Book ID: 104653997
• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1976
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 867 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0049-6979
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00182870

✦ Synopsis

A theoretical model describing the general interaction between atmospheric trace gases, such as SO2, NH3, CO 2 and O2, chemical reactant gaseous product HzSO4 and hydrometeors containing NaCI is proposed to study a possible mechanism for HC1 production in non-precipitating cloud and the determination of the pH value of cloud droplets.

Four different cloud droplet distributions have been used to estimate the upper limit of the amount of gaseous HC1 released into the atmosphere resulting from the evaporation of cloud droplets. It is shown that the acid production and the amount of HCI released depend on the following factors: (a) the temperature of the cloud; (b) the oxidation rates; (c) the ambient concentration of SOz, NH3, and H2SO4; (d) the life cycle of the cloud; and (e) the liquid content of the cloud.

This proposed chemical model also predicts a pH value spectrum depending on the cloud droplet distribution. Field measurements for the dependence of pH value on particle size and spatial distribution of gaseous HC1 are recommended.