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For Chemical Transport Models

Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

Tanvir Kahn
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Michigan Technological University

Abstract: Adequate parameterization of atmosphere-surface exchange processes of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg^0) is an essential component of chemical transport models (CTMs) to better simulate the biogeochemical cycling of mercury. In most CTMs, the existing atmosphere-surface exchange parameterization of Hg^0 has large uncertainties and lacks evaluation against field observations. Here, we evaluate the performance of existing parameterizations by comparing modeled net exchange fluxes of Hg^0 to the measured exchange fluxes in two terrestrial ecosystems. We propose that the existing parameterization overestimates plant uptake of Hg^0, and does not capture a measured nighttime net deposition.