Problemas provenientes de química atmosférica, possuem uma característica especial denominada stiffness, indicando que as soluções dos sistemas de equações diferenciais ordinárias envolvidos variam em diferentes ordens de grandeza. Isso faz com que métodos numéricos adequados devam ser aplicados no intuito de obter soluções numéricas convergentes e estáveis. Os métodos mais eficazes para tratar este tipo de problema são os métodos implícitos, pois possuem uma região de estabilidade ilimitada que permite grandes variações no tamanho do passo, mantendo o erro de discretização dentro de uma dada tolerância. Mais precisamente, estes métodos possuem a propriedade de A-estabilidade ou A(alpha)-estabilidade. Neste trabalho, comparamos dois métodos numéricos com estas características: o método de Rosenbrock e a fórmula de diferenciação regressiva (métodos BDF). O primeiro é usado no módulo de Química do modelo CCATT-BRAMS do Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos (CPTEC), sendo incluído na previsão numérica de regiões com intensas fontes de poluição. Este é um método de passo simples implícito com um controle de passo adaptativo. Aqui empregamos também o segundo, um método de passo múltiplo que dispõe de uma fórmula que permite variação no tamanho do passo e na ordem, empregando o pacote LSODE. Os resultados de nossas comparações indicam que os métodos BDF podem se constituir em interessante alternativa para uso no CCATT-BRAMS. / Problems from atmospheric chemistry have a special characteristic denominated stiffness, indicating that the solutions of the involved ordinary differential equations systems vary in different scales. This means that appropriate methods should be applied in order to get convergent and stable numerical solutions. The most powerful methods to treat problems like this are implicit schemes, since they have unlimited stabity regions, allowing large variations in step size, keeping the discretization error within a given tolerance. More precisely, these methods have the A-stability or A(alpha)-stability properties. In this work, we compared two numerical methods with those characteristics: the Rosenbrock method and the backward differentiation formula (BDF). The first one is employed in the Chemistry package within CCATT-BRAMS local weather model of CPTEC (Center for Weather Forecasts and Climate Studies), which is mainly used for the numerical forecasting of regions with intense pollution. This is a implicit one-step method with an adaptative stepsize control. We compare it with the second method, a multistep method with a formula that allows variations in step size and order, with the help of the LSODE package. The results of our comparisons indicate that BDF methods are an interesting alternative to be used within CCATT-BRAMS.

Este trabalho avaliou a deposição úmida de duas localidades da cidade de São Paulo (Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie localizada na região central e no IAG/USP localizado na zona oeste de São Paulo) e uma localidade pertencente ao município de Cubatão (CEPEMA), na Baixada Santista. O período de estudo compreendeu os meses de julho/2009 a agosto/2010 para o IAG/USP e Cubatão; enquanto que o conjunto amostral no Mackenzie é referente ao período de julho de 2002 a outubro de 2008. A partir da comparação com dados climatológicos verificaram-se para ambas as regiões que o ano de 2009 teve um inverno anomalamente chuvoso; e o ano de 2010 apresentou um verão seco. Observaram-se diferentes faixas de concentrações médias ponderadas por volume (MPV) dos íons majoritários para cada região: Cubatão, onde os íons dominantes foram: cloreto (60,3 mol L-1), sódio (51,4 mol L-1), sulfato (24,0 mol L-1), amônio (23,3 mol L-1) e nitrato (17,4 mol L-1); enquanto que na região do IAG/USP os íons dominantes foram: amônio (25,5 mol L-1) e nitrato (16,3 mol L-1). Obtiveram-se valores médios de pH em água de chuva de 4,8 e 5,3 em Cubatão e São Paulo respectivamente. Registraram-se 12 eventos (em 99) de chuvas ácidas em Cubatão e apenas um entre 59 eventos no IAG/USP. Estimou-se a contribuição marinha para os íons Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, K+, Cl- e SO42-, observou-se que o íon de referência mais adequado para tal estimativa em São Paulo foi o sódio, entretanto para Cubatão o íon mais adequado foi o magnésio. A partir destas premissas pode se destacar que os íons potássio, cálcio e sulfato apresentaram baixa influência marinha em ambas as regiões (<11%), entretanto, o íon cloreto apresentou grande contribuição marinha (>63%) para os dois municípios. A análise estatística multivariada para São Paulo destacou o papel da relação entre o íon amônio com sulfato e nitrato no processo de neutralização da acidez da atmosfera; além da relação da brisa marítima com as concentrações dos íons sódio e cloreto, principalmente no período chuvoso. Ressalta-se também que a contribuição de sódio e cloreto não foi unicamente oceânica e que processos antrópicos e/ou naturais continentais desconhecidos contribuíram para estas concentrações. / This study evaluated the wet deposition of two localities in São Paulo city (University of Mackenzie in the central region and the University of Sao Paulo, IAG/USP, in the west area) and one in Cubatão (CEPEMA), both in Sao Paulo State. The sampling period happened from July 2009 to August 2010 in the IAG/USP and CEPEMA; while the samplings in the Mackenzie were from July 2002 to October 2008. The climatological data analysis showed that the year 2009 had an abnormally rainy winter, and 2010 presented a dry summer for both regions. The major ion volume weight mean (WMV) concentrations for Cubatão were: chloride (60.3 mol L-1), sodium (51.4 mol L-1), sulfate (24, 0 mol L-1), ammonium (23.3 mol L-1) and nitrate (17.4 mol L-1), while in the IAG / USP the dominant ions were: ammonium (25.5 mol L-1) and nitrate (16.3 mol L-1). The average rainwater pH values in CEPEMA and in IAG/USP reached 4.8 and 5.3 respectively. The acid rain events were recorded in 12 samples of Cubatão (from 99 totals) and only one (from 59 total samples) in the IAG/USP. The marine contribution were estimated for Ca2+, Na+ / Mg2+, K+, Cl- and SO42- and was observed that the most appropriate reference ion for this estimative in Sao Paulo was the sodium, however to Cubatão the most appropriate ion was magnesium. From these premises it is emphasized that the potassium, calcium and sulfate showed low marine influence in both regions (<11%), however the chloride ion showed large marine contribution (> 63%) for the two regions. Multivariate statistical analysis to Sao Paulo rainwater has highlighted the role of the relation between ammonium with sulfate and nitrate in the process of neutralizing the acidity of the atmosphere, besides of the relation of sea breeze with the concentrations of sodium and chloride ions, especially in the rainy season. The results also emphasized that the contribution of sodium and chloride was not natural oceanic only and anthropogenic and/or natural unknown sources on the continent contributed to these concentrations.

The Earth’s atmosphere constitutes a complex system subject to a large number of forcings of both natural and anthropogenic origin; these influence its evolution on a range of timescales. This thesis makes use of the UMUKCA global chemistry-climate model to explore several aspects relating to the atmospheric response to the 11-year solar cycle forcing and future stratospheric ozone recovery. Firstly, following recent improvements in the model, the atmospheric response to the solar cycle forcing simulated in UMUKCA is discussed. It is shown that while some features show a broad resemblance to observations/reanalysis, there are clear differences with regard to other features; the latter could result from model deficiencies and/or uncertainties in the observed response. The role of analysis method and of interannual variability is also addressed. Secondly, the solar cycle response is separated into the individual contributions from direct radiative heating and from ozone production using a set of sensitivity experiments. It is shown that while the tropical yearly mean responses to the two components are generally linearly additive, this is not necessarily the case in the high latitudes. It is suggested that solar-induced ozone changes could be important for modulating the Southern Hemisphere dynamical response. Thirdly, the role of the representation of the solar ozone response is studied. It is shown that the choice of the solar ozone response prescribed in the radiation scheme in non-interactive ozone experiments has a substantial impact on the simulated temperature response to the solar cycle forcing. The Northern Hemisphere dynamical responses are found to be generally similar within the uncertainty. A comparison with an interactive ozone case is also discussed. Lastly, future ozone recovery is investigated using a seven-member ensemble of 1960- 2099/1980-2080 integrations. The long-term evolution of ozone in different regions is found to be generally consistent with previous modelling studies. The long-term trends and variability in springtime Arctic ozone and its chemical, radiative and dynamical drivers are assessed. It is shown that Arctic ozone increases in the future, consistent with future reduction in stratospheric chlorine, stratospheric cooling and strengthening large-scale circulation. Yet, the large interannual variability is found to continue and to facilitate episodic ozone reductions, with halogen chemistry becoming a smaller but non-negligible driver of future springtime Arctic ozone variability for many decades.

Os derivados nitrados e oxigenados de hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos, nitro-HPA e oxi-HPA, podem ser encontrados no material particulado atmosférico e são provenientes da queima de combustíveis fósseis e biomassa, ou de reações dos HPA com gases atmosféricos. Determinados nitro-HPA e oxi-HPA apresentam mutagenicidade mais elevada do que a dos seus HPA precursores. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os níveis de nitro-HPA e oxi-HPA nos extratos orgânicos do material particulado atmosférico das cidades de São Paulo, Araraquara, Paulínia e Piracicaba, durante períodos com e sem a queima da palha da cana-de-açúcar, verificar a possível existência de transporte de poluentes entre as regiões estudadas e determinar a mutagenicidade do material particulado. O material particulado atmosférico foi coletado em amostrador de grande volume com filtro de fibra de quartzo e extraído em Soxhlet. Os extratos foram submetidos à separação por HPLC, obtendo as frações de HPA, nitro-HPA e oxi-HPA, as quais foram analisadas por GC-MS. Tanto as frações como os extratos brutos foram submetidos a determinações gravimétricas e testes biológicos. Os nitro-compostos específicos, 1-nitropireno (1-NPir), 3-nitrofluoranteno (3-NFlt) e 6-nitrocriseno (6-NCri), para os quais há disponibilidade de padrões, foram analisados sendo que o 6-NCri não foi detectado em nenhuma amostra. Os níveis dos nitro-HPA encontrados (concentração máxima = 0,86 ngm-3) foram similares aos níveis reportados na literatura para diferentes cidades do mundo e o 3-NFlt apresentou níveis mais altos do que o 1-NPir em todas as amostras. Dentre os sítios estudados, São Paulo apresentou, em geral, níveis mais altos do que Araraquara, Piracicaba e Paulínia, apesar das concentrações altas de material particulado encontradas nesses três sítios. Em todos os sítios estudados houve um aumento nos níveis dos nitro-HPA no inverno, e não foi possível verificar se as emissões provenientes da queima da palha da cana-de-açúcar contribuem para os níveis desses poluentes. Na cidade de São Paulo, sítio mais estudado, foi observada uma variação sazonal evidenciada pelo aumento dos nitro-HPA no inverno de 2002. Níveis similares de nitro-HPA foram observados nos invernos de 2001 a 2004, exceto em 2003, onde os níveis foram mais altos devido provavelmente ao período longo de estiagem e às condições meteorológicas favoráveis à estagnação dos poluentes. Relacionando-se os níveis dos nitro-HPA com as trajetórias das massas de ar verificou-se um possível transporte de poluentes de uma região para outra em um único caso, de um total de 15. Dentre os oxi-HPA identificados (5H-fenantro(4,5-bcd)pirano-5-ona, 1-ácido fenantrenocarboxílico, 4H-ciclopenta(def)criseno-4-ona, 9,10-antracenodiona e benzantrona) a 9,10-antracenodiona e a benzantrona são comprovadamente mutagênicos. A benzantrona foi a mais freqüentemente encontrada nas amostras. Os níveis mais altos de oxi-HPA foram encontrados nas amostras de Araraquara e Piracicaba. Por final, pode-se concluir também, que as mutagenicidades das frações nitro- e oxi-HPA são as principais responsáveis pela mutagenicidade do extrato bruto, uma vez que a mutagenicidade das frações HPA praticamente não contribuiu para a mutagenicidade total. / Nitrated and oxygenated derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitro-PAH and oxi-PAH, can be found in the atmospheric particulate matter from the combustion of fossil fuel and biomass or as result of PAH reactions with atmospheric gases. Some nitro-PAH and oxi-PAH compounds present higher mutagenicity than their parent PAH. The objective of this research was to evaluate the nitro- and oxi-PAH levels in organic extracts of atmospheric particulate matter collected at the cities of Sâo Paulo, Araraquara, Piracicaba and Paulinia, over periods with and without sugar cane burning, to analyze the possible transport of pollutants at these regions and to determine the mutagenicity of the particulate matter . The atmospheric particulate matter was collected by high volume sampler over quartz fiber filter and extracted with soxhlet. Extracts were submited to HPLC to obtain PAH, nitro-PAH and oxi-PAH fractions, which were analyzed by the GC-MS. Both fractions and extracts were subjected to gravimetric determinations and biological tests. Specific compounds, 1-nitropyrene (1-NPir), 3-nitrofluoranthene (3-NFlt) and 6-nitrocrisene (6-NCri) were analyzed and only 6-NCri was not detected in any of the samples. The determined levels of nitro-PAH (maximum concentration = 0,86 ngm-3) were similar to that reported in the literature for other cities of the world. In all samples, the 3-NFlt level was higher than that of 1-NPir. Among the studied areas, São Paulo presented, in general, higher levels than Araraquara, Piracicaba and Paulinia, despite the high concentration of particulate matter found at these areas. All the studied sites presented higher levels of nitro-PAH during the winter, and it was not possible to verify if the emissions of sugar cane burning contribute to the levels of these pollutants. An increase of the nitro-PAH during the winter of 2002 was observed in São Paulo, the more deeply studied site, showing a seasonal variation. Similar levels of nitro-PAH were observed in the winter of 2001, 2002 and 2004. In 2003, the levels were even higher probably due to the long period without rain and favorable meteorological conditions to the stagnation of pollutants. Relating the nitro-PAH levels with the air masses trajectories, it was observed that the pollutants were transported from a region to another in only one out of the 15 studied cases. Among the oxi-PAH identified (5H-phenanthro(4,5-bcd)pyran-5-one, 1-phenanthene carboxylic acid, 4H-ciclopenta(def)crisene-4-one, 9,10-anthracenedione and benzanthrone), the 9,10-anthracenedione and benzanthrone are mutagenic and were found in the most of the samples. Finally, the mutagenicity of the nitro-PAH and oxi-PAH fractions accounted for the mutagenicity of the organic extract, due to the fact that the mutagenicity of the PAH fractions was very low and its contribution to the total mutagenicity was negligible.

Cette thèse porte sur l'influence de la couche limite convective et nuageuse sur la réactivité chimique en Afrique de l'Ouest. Pour répondre à cette question, des simulations à haute résolution (50m) sont réalisées sur le modèle atmosphérique Méso-NH couplé à un mécanisme chimique détaillé représentant la chimie gazeuse et aqueuse. Cette échelle spatiale permet de représenter explicitement les caractéristiques spatiales et temporelles des structures turbulentes. Les thermiques en couche limite sont identifiés à l'aide d'un échantillonnage conditionnel basé sur l'utilisation d'un traceur passif à décroissance radioactive. L'impact du transport turbulent sur la redistribution d'espèces chimiques dépend du temps de vie chimique de ces espèces. La ségrégation spatiale créée au sein de la couche limite augmente ou réduit les taux de réaction moyens entre composés. La campagne de terrain AMMA, et plus récemment DACCIWA, sont utilisées pour définir des forçages dynamiques et chimiques pour des environnements simulés. Le premier est représentatif d'un environnement biogénique dominé par des émissions naturelles de COV. Le second reproduit un environnement urbain modérément pollué typique du Golfe de Guinée (Cotonou au Bénin). Pour simplifier, l'analyse des simulations est limitée aux réactions chimiques entre OH et l'isoprène dans le cas biogénique, entre les aldéhydes C>2 et OH dans le cas urbain. L'influence de la couche limite convective est étudiée à l'échelle du thermique et du domaine. Cela permet une connexion avec les modèles à résolution plus lâche qui adoptent une hypothèse de mélange parfait et immédiat, négligeant de fait les variabilités spatiales de composés chimiques au sein d'une maille. Les premiers résultats, basés sur la phase gazeuse uniquement, montrent que les nuages en couche limite convective affectent le transport vertical d'espèces chimiques. Les thermiques sont des zones de réactions privilégiées où la réactivité chimique est maximale. La plus grande intensité de ségrégation est calculée au sommet de la couche limite, toutefois de signes opposés entre les deux environnements. En environnement biogénique, le mélange non-homogène de l'isoprène et de OH dans cette zone induit une diminution maximale de 30% du taux de réaction moyen. Dans le cas urbain, la constante de réaction effective entre OH et les aldéhydes est supérieure de 16% à la constante moyenne. La réactivité de OH est supérieure de 15 à 40% dans les thermiques comparé au reste du domaine, dépendant de l'environnement chimique et de l'heure. Comme les thermiques occupent une faible portion du domaine, l'impact des structures turbulentes sur la réactivité totale de OH est une diminution de 9% pour le cas biogénique et une augmentation maximale de 5% dans le cas anthropique. Des simulations LES incluant la réactivité aqueuse révèlent une baisse importante des rapports de mélange de OH associée à la présence de nuages. / This thesis focuses on the influence of the convective and cloudy boundary layer on the chemical reactivity in West Africa. To answer this question, high resolution simulations (50m) are performed on the atmospheric model Meso-NH coupled to a detailed chemical scheme representing the gaseous and aqueous phases. This spatial scale allow to explicitly represent the spatial and temporal characteristics of turbulent structures. Thermals in the boundary layer are identified by a conditional sampling based on a radioactive-decay passive scalar. The turbulent transport influence on the redistribution of chemical species depends on the chemical lifetimes of these species. Spatial segregation is created within the convective boundary layer that increases or decreases the mean reaction rates between compounds. AMMA campaign field study, and more recently DACCIWA, are used to define dynamical and chemical forcing of two simulated environments. The first one is representative of a biogenic environment dominated by natural emissions of VOC. The second reproduces a moderately polluted typical urban area of the Guinean Gulf (Cotonou in Benin). For the sake of simplicity, simulations analysis are limited to the chemical reaction between isoprene and OH in the biogenic case, and the reaction between C>2 aldehydes and OH in the anthropogenic case. The convective boundary layer influence is studied at thermal and domain scale. This makes the connection with coarse resolution models for which a hypothesis of perfect and immediate mixing is made, neglecting the spatial variability of chemical species within a grid cell. The first results are based on the gaseous phase only. Cloudy development in the convective boundary layer only affects the vertical transport of chemical species. The simulations show that thermals are preferential reaction zones where the chemical reactivity is the highest. The top of the boundary layer is the region characterized by the highest calculated segregation intensities but of the opposite sign in both environments. In the biogenic environment, the inhomogeneous mixing of isoprene and OH in this zone leads to a maximum decrease of 30% of the mean reaction rate. In the anthropogenic case, the effective rate constant for OH reacting with aldehydes is 16% higher at maximum than the averaged value. The OH reactivity is higher by 15 to 40% inside thermals compared to the surroundings depending on the chemical environment and time of the day. Because thermals occupy a small fraction of the simulated domain, the impact of turbulent motions on the domain-averaged OH total reactivity reaches a maximum 9% decrease for the biogenic case and a maximum of 5% increase for the anthropogenic case. LES simulations including the aqueous reactivity reveal a significant decrease in OH mixing ratios associated to the presence of clouds. Consequently, isoprene and C>2 aldehydes mixing ratios increase at these altitudes.

Radical reactions play central roles in regulating regional air quality and global climate. Some potentially important gas phase radical reactions are being investigated in this research project, including Cl reactions with acetone, butanone, 3-pentanone, pyridine, and dimethyl selenide (DMSe), HO2 complex formation and dissociation with formic and acetic acids, and reactive and non-reactive quenching of O(1D) by the potent greenhouse gases SO2F2, NF3, and SF5CF3. The involved radicals are generated by laser flash photolysis (LFP). Temporal profiles of either the radical reactant or a product are monitored in "real time" using atomic resonance fluorescence spectroscopy (RF), time-resolved UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (TRUVVAS), or tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS), allowing kinetic and mechanistic information of these reactions to be obtained. These studies provide new knowledge of the investigated radical reactions and facilitate a better understanding of their significance in atmospheric chemistry.

On December 30th 2000, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft reached the perijove milestone in its continuing journey to the Saturnian system. During an extended six-month encounter, the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) returned spectra of the Jovian atmosphere, rings and satellites from 10 to 1400 cm^-1 (1000 to 7 µm) at a programmable spectral resolution of 0.5 to 15 cm^-1. The improved spectral resolution of CIRS over previous infrared instrument-missions to Jupiter, the extended spectral range and higher signal-to-noise performance provide significant advantages over previous data-sets. Both optimal-estimation retrieval and radiance-differencing are used to investigate the global variation of upper-tropospheric temperature, ammonia, phosphine and cloud opacity between ± 60˚ latitude. The analysis methods are shown to successfully reproduce Jovian conditions with results consistent with previous investigations. The composition results in particular are well characterised and suggest an important role played by mixing and transport within the upper-troposphere. Interpretation and validation of the retrieved results is conducted via the construction of a simple dynamic model incorporating transport, diffusion and (photo)chemistry.

The aqueous phase photo-oxidation of water soluble organic compounds (WSOC) extracted from α-pinene ozonolysis secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was investigated using high resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CI-ToFMS). The results have shown that WSOC get more functionalized and fragmented as the reaction proceeds. The capabilities of three reagent ions, were assessed; specifically, (H2O)nH+ ionizes organic compounds with carbon oxidation state (OSC) ≤ 1.3, whereas CH3C(O)O- and I(H2O)n- ionize highly oxygenated organics with OSC up to 4, with I(H2O)n- showing more selectivity. The aqueous phase OH oxidation of cis-pinonic acid and tricarballylic acid (a surrogate for 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA), recognized as a tracer of α-pinene SOA) were also studied. The respective rate constants at 301 K were measured to be 3.4(±0.5)×10^9 M^-1s^-1 at pH=2 and 3.1(±0.3)×10^8 M^-1s^-1 at pH=4.6. This work also illustrates possible aqueous phase mechanism for MBTCA formation from cis-pinonic oxidation.

The aqueous phase photo-oxidation of water soluble organic compounds (WSOC) extracted from α-pinene ozonolysis secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was investigated using high resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CI-ToFMS). The results have shown that WSOC get more functionalized and fragmented as the reaction proceeds. The capabilities of three reagent ions, were assessed; specifically, (H2O)nH+ ionizes organic compounds with carbon oxidation state (OSC) ≤ 1.3, whereas CH3C(O)O- and I(H2O)n- ionize highly oxygenated organics with OSC up to 4, with I(H2O)n- showing more selectivity. The aqueous phase OH oxidation of cis-pinonic acid and tricarballylic acid (a surrogate for 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA), recognized as a tracer of α-pinene SOA) were also studied. The respective rate constants at 301 K were measured to be 3.4(±0.5)×10^9 M^-1s^-1 at pH=2 and 3.1(±0.3)×10^8 M^-1s^-1 at pH=4.6. This work also illustrates possible aqueous phase mechanism for MBTCA formation from cis-pinonic oxidation.

This work presents the development of a laser-induced fluorescence technique to measure atmospheric formaldehyde. In conjunction with the technique, the design of a compact, narrow linewidth, etalon-tuned titanium:sapphire laser cavity which is pumped by the second harmonic of a kilohertz Nd:YAG laser is also presented. The fundamental tunable range is from 690-1100 nm depending on mirror reflectivities and optics kit used. The conversion efficiency is at least 25% for the fundamental, and 2-3% for intracavity frequency doubling from 3.5-4W 532 nm pump power. The linewidth is < 0.1 cm-1, and the pulsewidth is 18 nsec. Also presented are observations of gas-phase sulfuric acid from the NEAQS-ITCT 2K4 (New England Air Quality Study Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation) field campaign in July and August 2004. Sulfuric acid values are reported for a polluted environment and possible nucleation events as well as particle growth within the boundary layer are explored. Sulfate production rates via gas phase oxidation of sulfur dioxide are also reported. This analysis allows an important test of our ability to predict sulfuric acid concentration and probe its use as a fast time response photochemical tracer for the hydroxyl radical, OH. In comparison, the NASA time-dependent photochemical box model is used to calculate OH concentration. Nighttime H2SO4 values are examined to test our understanding of nocturnal OH levels and oxidation processes. In comparison, sulfuric acid from a large ground based mission in Tecámac, México (near the northern boundary of Mexico City) during MIRAGE-Mex field campaign (March 2006) is presented. The observations in conjunction with the NASA LARc Photochemical box model are used to explore ozone production, nitrate and sulfate formation, and radical levels and radical production rates during the day. The one minute observations of sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide, and aerosol surface area were again used to calculate OH levels assuming steady state, and are in good agreement with observations of OH (R2 = 0.7). Photochemical activity is found to be a maximum during the morning hours, as seen in ozone and nitrate formation.