Monoterpenes’ oxidation capacity and rate over a boreal forest: Temporal variation and connection to growth of newly formed particles

Abstract

The subject of the study was the effect of monoterpene oxidation on the growth of particles during new-particle formation (NPF) events at the SMEAR II measurement station in Hyytiälä, southern Finland, during 2006–2011. The nighttime oxidation capacity, i.e. how readily the atmosphere can oxidize monoterpenes, was found to be dominated by the nitrate radical, whereas the daytime oxidation capacity was mainly dominated by ozone. The mean lifetimes of monoterpenes ranged from about one hour to several hours, depending on the time of year and day. A strong link was found between the growth rate of particles of 7–20 nm in diameter during the NPF events and monoterpene oxidation by ozone during the preceding night. Our findings suggest that during nighttime a build-up of primarily oxidized monoterpenes in the atmosphere occurs, and that these compounds can be oxidized by the hydroxyl radical after sunrise, promoting the particle growth.