Three of the most harmful and powerful greenhouse gases are sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5CF3). A study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has new information on the reaction rates at which these gases are destroyed which will give us a better model for the future of global warming.
These greenhouse gases are so harmful because they absorb infrared energy that is at a higher level than what other major greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, absorb. However, they have found that information on how they react and their reaction rates with electronically excited atomic oxygen known as O(1D) will help better determine how long these harmful gases stay in the atmosphere. O(1D) is produced in the atmosphere by the interaction of ozone (O3) and molecular oxygen (O2) with ultraviolet light, then it quickly interacts with molecules around it to form ground state atomic oxygen. They found when it reacts with trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride that it destroys the harmful gas one out of a thousand interactions. For NF3 they found a reaction rate that was double that of their previous tests which means it may be less harmful. More info can be found in the article.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126101419.htm
Posted by Adam Murray
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That's really interesting about how fast they are reacting. Does it happen faster in certain parts of the world with more or less of a certain compound in the atmosphere, or are these results based on a worldwide average?
ReplyDeleteTori C.