Study documents reaction rates for three chemicals with high global warming potential

Greenhouse gases

A study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesPNAS) provides new information about the rates at which three of the most powerful greenhouse gases are destroyed by a chemical reaction that takes place in the upper atmosphere.

The three compounds are potentially important because they absorb infrared energy in the so-called "atmospheric window" region – at wavelengths where other major greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide allow radiation to pass freely out into space. Though these long-lived compounds now exist in relatively low concentrations, their ability to absorb energy at these wavelengths means their contributions to global warming could increase if their levels continue to rise.