According to a recent study, electrical discharges from trees on their sharp, pointed leaves cause thunderstorms to impact the quality of the air around them.
On the leaves of trees, weak electrical discharges called corona can occur when thunderstorms rumble overhead.
A recent study by a group of Penn State scientists found that crowns produce significant amounts of atmospheric chemicals that can impact air quality near forests.
Jena Jenkins, a postdoctoral researcher with Penn State’s Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, said that while little is known about the extent of these releases, her group estimated that the crowns produced on trees during thunderstorms can have a significant effect on the surrounding atmosphere.
Sharp pointed crowns and leaves
According to scientists, the same factors that cause lightning during thunderstorms also cause electric fields to form between clouds and the ground.
Tall, angled objects, such as tall leaves on a tree, further strengthen the electric field and can cause blackouts or coronas.
Jenkins said that based on the calculations scientists have been able to make so far, they believe this can affect air quality in and around trees and forests.
According to 8 Billion Trees, there are approximately two trillion trees worldwide in regions where thunderstorms occur most often, and there are 1,800 thunderstorms active at any one time.
The group discovered that coronas produce huge amounts of hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxyl (HO2) radicals.
Scientists explained that the hydroxyl radical triggers vital chemical processes in the atmosphere that produce ozone as well as aerosol particle pollution while purging the air of greenhouse gases (GHGs) like methane.
OH levels and air quality
In their research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, the scientists reported that around trees, corona-generated OH can increase during thunderstorms by about 100 to 1,000 times average levels.
Scientists have pointed out that these increases in OH levels can affect air quality because OH reacts with hydrocarbons that are naturally released by leaves to generate particulates and ozone.
Willian Brune, a distinguished professor of meteorology at Penn State, explained that the hydroxyl radical helps oxidize many pollutants in the atmosphere, including methane, a GHG, which improves air quality and slows climate change. .
However, such reactions can also produce ozone and tiny aerosol particles, which negatively impact climate and air quality.
Therefore, it is crucial to understand all potential sources of OH in order to predict future air quality and climate.
Also Read: Strange, Spilled Lightning May Not Be a Random Event After All
Eight species, wet leaves and UV radiation
The research builds on an earlier study conducted by Brune which found that lightning as well as subvisible discharges in thunderclouds are potentially significant sources of global OH, contributing up to 2 to 16 % of the OH chemistry of the planet’s atmosphere.
Jenkins said they observed the production of huge amounts of this hydroxy radical, although the corona charge was weaker compared to the flashes and sparks they had previously observed.
The leaves of eight different tree species were tested in the laboratory under various conditions, including being wet to simulate rain, by the scientists.
The amount of OH and HO2 produced by corona discharges in all tree species and the amount of UV radiation generated by the discharges were found to be strongly correlated.
Scientists have hypothesized that UV radiation measurement equipment suitable for field work is more useful for conducting future field research.
More studies
The number of coronas that form throughout thunderstorms, how long they last, and how variables such as wind influence the process can all be better understood with more field research.
This research can contribute to a better understanding of the impact of air quality on forests.
Jenkins said this research can contribute to a better understanding of the impact of air quality on forests. In addition, climate change may lead to an increase in the frequency of thunderstorms.
So these are valid reasons to continue learning and understanding these processes, Penn State reported.
David O. Miller, assistant research professor at Penn State, graduate student Patrick McFarland and undergraduate student Gabrielle Olson were the other researchers in this project, which is supported by the National Science Foundation.
Related Article: How Lightning Helps Purify the Air by Breaking Down Greenhouse Gases
© 2022 NatureWorldNews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
#Thunderstorms #Affect #Air #Quality #Pointed #Leaf #Trees #Heres