Steady As She Goes

摘要

Most of the chemical oxidation of atmospheric gases and particles is done by the hydroxyl radical (OH). However, the concentration of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals is extremely difficult to measure, so it must be inferred from measurements of the abundance of other species, like methyl chloroform. Past studies of atmospheric methyl chloroform have indicated that OH can undergo large annual shifts in concentration, although atmospheric models predict a less variable history.