In situ measurements of HCN and CH₃CN over the Pacific Ocean: Sources, sinks, and budgets

We report the first in situ measurements of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and methyl cyanide (CH 3 CN, acetonitrile) from the Pacific troposphere (0–12 km) obtained during the NASA Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE‐P) airborne mission (February–April 2001). Mean HCN and CH 3 CN mixing ratios of 243 ± 118 (median 218) ppt and 149 ± 56 (median 138) ppt, respectively, were measured. These in situ observations correspond to a mean tropospheric HCN column of 4.2 × 10 15 molecules cm −2 and a CH 3 CN column of 2.5 × 10 15 molecules cm −2 . This is in good agreement with the 0–12 km HCN column of 4.4 (±0.6) × 10 15 molecules cm −2 derived from infrared solar spectroscopic observations over Japan. Mixing ratios of HCN and CH 3 CN were greatly enhanced in pollution outflow from Asia and were well correlated with each other as well as with known tracers of biomass combustion (e.g., CH 3 Cl, CO). Volumetric enhancement (or emission) ratios (ERs) relative to CO in free tropospheric plumes, likely originating from fires, were 0.34% for HCN and 0.17% for CH 3 CN. ERs with respect to CH 3 Cl and CO in selected biomass burning (BB) plumes in the free troposphere and in boundary layer pollution episodes are used to estimate a global BB source of 0.8 ± 0.4 Tg (N) yr −1 for HCN and 0.4 ± 0.1 Tg (N) yr −1 for CH 3 CN. In comparison, emissions from industry and fossil fuel combustion are quite small (<0.05 Tg (N) yr −1 ). The vertical structure of HCN and CH 3 CN indicated reduced mixing ratios in the marine boundary layer (MBL). Using a simple box model, the observed gradients across the top of the MBL are used to derive an oceanic loss rate of 8.8 × 10 −15 g (N) cm −2 s −1 for HCN and 3.4 × 10 −15 g (N) cm −2 s −1 for CH 3 CN. An air‐sea exchange model is used to conclude that this flux can be maintained if the oceans are undersaturated in HCN and CH 3 CN by 27% and 6%, respectively. These observations also correspond to an open ocean mean deposition velocity ( v d ) of 0.12 cm s −1 for HCN and 0.06 cm s −1 for CH 3 CN. It is inferred that oceanic loss is a dominant sink for these cyanides and that they deposit some 1.4 Tg (N) of nitrogen annually to the oceans. Assuming loss to the oceans and reaction with OH radicals as the major removal processes, a mean atmospheric residence time of 5.0 months for HCN and 6.6 months for CH 3 CN is calculated. A global budget analysis shows that the sources and sinks of HCN and CH 3 CN are roughly in balance but large uncertainties remain in part due to a lack of observational data from the atmosphere and the oceans. Pathways leading to the oceanic (and soil) degradation of these cyanides are poorly known but are expected to be biological in nature.