Box model intercomparison of cloud chemistry

However, many regional and global models do not include detailed aqueous-phase chemical mechanisms due to the (a) lack of complete understanding of the chemical processes and (b) computational burden of adding constituents. Current gas-aqueous chemistry 0-dimensional models were evaluated in a cloud-chemistry box model intercomparison based on a mid-September 2016 cloud chemistry event at Whiteface Mountain, New York.

Multiphase mechanisms in the five participating models ranged from those appropriate for 3-d models to highly complex with thousands of reactions. This study focused on oxidant levels in both phases and aqueous-phase sulfate and organic acid formation. Comparison of gas-phase-only chemistry gives very similar oxidant predictions at night but shows significant differences during daytime with the hydroxyl radical (OH) variability of about an order of magnitude.