Global Impact of Lightning-Produced Oxidants

Lightning plays a major role in tropospheric oxidation, and its role on modulating tropospheric chemistry was thought to be emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x). Recent field and laboratory measurements demonstrate that lightning generates extremely large amounts of oxidants, including hydrogen oxides (HO_x) and O₃. Here, we implement these lightning-produced oxidants in a global chemical transport model to examine its global impact on tropospheric composition. We find that lightning-produced oxidants can increase global mass weighted OH by 0.3%–10% and affect CO, O₃, and reactive nitrogen substantially, depending on the emission strength of oxidants from lightning. Our work highlights the importance and uncertainties of lightning-produced oxidants, as well as the need for rethinking the role of lightning in tropospheric oxidation chemistry.