A record of atmospheric halocarbons during the twentieth century from polar firn air

James H. Butler (), Mark Battle, Michael L. Bender, Stephen A. Montzka, Andrew D. Clarke, Eric S. Saltzman, Cara M. Sucher, Jeffrey P. Severinghaus and James W. Elkins
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James H. Butler: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory
Mark Battle: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
Michael L. Bender: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
Stephen A. Montzka: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory
Andrew D. Clarke: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado
Eric S. Saltzman: Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami
Cara M. Sucher: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
Jeffrey P. Severinghaus: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
James W. Elkins: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory

Nature, 1999, vol. 399, issue 6738, 749-755

Abstract: Abstract Measurements of trace gases in air trapped in polar firn (unconsolidated snow) demonstrate that natural sources of chlorofluorocarbons, halons, persistent chlorocarbon solvents and sulphur hexafluoride to the atmosphere are minimal or non-existent. Atmospheric concentrations of these gases, reconstructed back to the late nineteenth century, are consistent with atmospheric histories derived from anthropogenic emission rates and known atmospheric lifetimes. The measurements confirm the predominance of human activity in the atmospheric budget of organic chlorine, and allow the estimation of atmospheric histories of halogenated gases of combined anthropogenic and natural origin. The pre-twentieth-century burden of methyl chloride was close to that at present, while the burden of methyl bromide was probably over half of today's value.

Date: 1999
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DOI: 10.1038/21586

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