Infrared absorption spectra, radiative efficiencies, and global warming potentials of newly-detected halogenated compounds: CFC-113a, CFC-112 and HCFC-133a

Etminan, M., Highwood, E. J., Laube, J. C., McPheat, R., Marston, G., Shine, K. P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2672-9978 and Smith, K. M. (2014) Infrared absorption spectra, radiative efficiencies, and global warming potentials of newly-detected halogenated compounds: CFC-113a, CFC-112 and HCFC-133a. Atmosphere, 5 (3). pp. 473-483. ISSN 2073-4433 doi: 10.3390/atmos5030473

Abstract/Summary

CFC-113a (CF3CCl3), CFC-112 (CFCl2CFCl2) and HCFC-133a (CF3CH2Cl) are three newly detected molecules in the atmosphere that are almost certainly emitted as a result of human activity. It is important to characterise the possible contribution of these gases to radiative forcing of climate change and also to provide information on the CO2-equivalence of their emissions. We report new laboratory measurements of absorption cross-sections of these three compounds at a resolution of 0.01 cm−1 for two temperatures 250 K and 295 K in the spectral range of 600–1730 cm−1. These spectra are then used to calculate the radiative efficiencies and global warming potentials (GWP). The radiative efficiencies are found to be between 0.15 and 0.3 W∙m−2∙ppbv−1. The GWP for a 100 year time horizon, relative to carbon dioxide, ranges from 340 for the relatively short-lived HCFC-133a to 3840 for the longer-lived CFC-112. At current (2012) concentrations, these gases make a trivial contribution to total radiative forcing; however, the concentrations of CFC-113a and HCFC-133a are continuing to increase. The 2012 CO2-equivalent emissions, using the GWP (100), are estimated to be about 4% of the current global CO2-equivalent emissions of HFC-134a

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/37247
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Uncontrolled Keywords	chlorofluorocarbons; hydrochlorofluorocarbons; absorption cross-section; absorption intensity; radiative efficiency; global warming potential (GWP)
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