Stratospheric trace gas and aerosol profiles at McMurdo and South Pole stations

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979 · Antarct. J. U.S.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6552626

Hofmann, D J ^[1]; Rosen, J M; Kjome, N T; Olson, G L; Schmeltekopf, A L; Goldan, P D; Winkler, R H

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1. Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie

During January 1979, we conducted balloon soundings in Antarctica to measure stratospheric trace gas and aerosol profiles. For the first time, we took trace gas samples at Amundsen-Scott (South Pole) Station. Four days earlier a similar experiment had been conducted at McMurdo Station. The samples, obtained by automatically opening evacuated stainless steel spheres at several altitudes, were returned to the United States and analyzed by gas chromatography at the Aeronomy Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, CO. The excellent agreement between McMurdo and South Pole data up to 20 kilometers suggests that trace gas concentrations in the polar regions are very uniform over a time period of at least four days and that measurements at either station are probably representative of the general antarctic profile. The same conclusion may be drawn from data on the fluorocarbons. These constituents also are very inert in the troposphere, but they undergo photodissociation in the stratosphere. As a result, their concentration drops off rapidly with altitude in the stratosphere. In addition to measuring trace gases, we again measured the stratospheric sulfate aerosol profile at McMurdo Station. Finally, we conducted a number of condensation nuclei soundings from the clean air facility at South Pole Station.

• OSTI ID: 6552626
• Journal Information: Antarct. J. U.S.; (United States), Vol. 14:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
MIXING RATIO
ANTARCTICA
STRATOSPHERE
FLUORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
METHANE
NITROUS OXIDE
AIR SAMPLERS
ALTITUDE
CONDENSATION NUCLEI
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
TRACE AMOUNTS
ALKANES
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EQUIPMENT
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLAR REGIONS
SAMPLERS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLS
500300* - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)