Ocean, Ice, Atmosphere Seminar

Cirrus clouds play a number of significant roles in the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere. Recently it has been recognized that they provide a surface for chemical processing in one of the coldest parts of the atmosphere, the upper troposphere. The consequences of exchange of cirrus into the lower stratosphere, and/or the role of sub visible cirrus in the chemistry of the lower stratosphere are area, where, up to the present, little knowledge exists. The emphasis of this talk will focus on the adsorption and reaction of HCl and HNO3 on ice surface. The results from studies of kinetics of these processes will be discussed and potential mechanisms for the observed behaviour explained.