How the Chemical Composition of the Pre-storm and Inflow Regions Compare to Each Other and to the Outflow Region of Deep Convection in the Upper Troposphere

Ozone in the upper troposphere is considered a greenhouse gas, which can contribute to climate change. Convection in thunderstorms can carry ozone precursors upward from the boundary layer into the upper tropospheric region. Production of nitrogen oxides associated with lightning in the storm can also play a role in the transformation of the upper troposphere chemical composition. Data from the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) Field Campaign were used to compare pre-storm, inflow, and outflow data using four different storm events in diverse regions. Vertical profiles of ozone, its precursors, and other related compounds were used to highlight aircraft measurements of the inflow and outflow in relation to pre-storm and near storm concentrations. This comparison allowed us to determine whether the pre-storm data can be used for the analysis of convective transport and scavenging of trace gases in the upper troposphere. It was found that the chemical species' concentration in the inflow didn't always match the concentration at other times in the boundary layer. Though some constituents showed similarities, there was variability among the different cases. Despite this variability, it may still be useful to incorporate pre-storm data for future studies. Comparison of the outflow data to the inflow data revealed the degree of scavenging for each constituent trace gas and aerosol for different boundary layer environments and storm types. It was found that while some species were consistently scavenged, others were not and showed that they were scavenged in some cases but not all. For the latter situation more detailed analysis of storm location and characteristics would be beneficial.