NASA Data Evaluation: Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Atmospheric Studies

Atmospheric chemistry models must include a large number of processes to accurately describe the temporal and spatial behavior of atmospheric composition. They require a wide range of chemical and physical data (parameters) that describe elementary gas-phase and heterogeneous processes. The review and evaluation of chemical and physical data has, therefore, played an important role in the development of chemical models and in their use in environmental assessment activities. The NASA data panel was originally established in 1977 by the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Program Office to provide a critical evaluation of kinetic and photochemical data for use in laboratory studies and in atmospheric modeling of stratospheric ozone. Today, the NASA data panel evaluations have a broader atmospheric focus and include Ox, O(1D), singlet O2, HOx, NOx, Organic, FOx, ClOx, BrOx, IOx, SOx, and Na reactions, three-body reactions, equilibrium constants, photochemistry, aqueous chemistry, heterogeneous chemistry and processes, and thermodynamic parameters. The 2011 evaluation (JPL 10-6 available at http://jpldataeval.jpl.nasa.gov.) includes the comprehensive coverage of ~670 bimolecular reactions, 75 three-body reactions, 24 equilibrium constants, 215 photochemical species, 355 aqueous and heterogeneous processes, thermodynamic parameters for 590 species, and over 4000 literature citations. Each evaluation includes (1) recommended values (e.g. rate coefficients, absorption cross sections, and uptake coefficients) with estimated uncertainty factors and (2) a note describing the available experimental and theoretical data and explanation for the recommendation. As new studies have become available over the years the recommendations are critically reviewed and updated as warranted (the next evaluation is scheduled for release in early 2015). This presentation provides an overview of the NASA data panel evaluation process and the methodology used to estimate uncertainties. Examples on the current use of a 2-D model to help set evaluation priorities will be illustrated. Evaluation users are encouraged to discuss/suggest potential improvements in analysis and the communication of the evaluation results to the modeling community.