Diffusion and location of hydrochloric acid in ice: Implications for polar stratospheric clouds and ozone depletion

Abstract

We have carried out experiments to study the incorporation and movement of HCl within the structure of ice. These involved freezing HCl solutions, and observing them in a scanning electron microscope fitted with an X‐ray microanalysis system. We are able to show that HCl is not easily incorporated into ice crystals, but is strongly partitioned towards the grain boundaries. Furthermore, the diffusion of HCl through ice crystals is slow. These results contradict the interpretation of earlier experiments. They mean that if HCl is to be available for reaction on polar stratospheric cloud particles, as required by current theories of Antarctic ozone depletion, then it must be present in some form other than a solid solution.