Airborne measurements of stratospheric constituents over Antarctica in the austral spring, 1987. 2. Halogen and nitrogen trace gases

Journal Article · Thu Nov 30 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD094iD14p16597· OSTI ID:6995850

Coffey, M T; Mankin, W G ^[1]; Goldman, A ^[2]

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1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
2. Univ. of Denver, CO (United States)

The authors have used a Fourier transform spectrometer aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment to record infrared absorption spectra of the polar stratosphere. From these high-resolution spectra they derived vertical column amounts above flight altitude of HCl, HF, NO, NO{sub 2}, ClCNO{sub 2}, and HNO{sub 3} for 10 flights poleward of 60{degree}S. Within the polar vortex, where low values of total ozone are observed during the latter part of the observation period, they observed markedly reduced columns of HCl, NO{sub 2}, and HNO{sub 3}. HCl values in the vortex were in the range of 3-9 {times} 10{sup 14} molecules/cm{sup 2}, compared with values around 15-20 {times} 10{sup 14} molecules/cm{sup 2} in mid-latitudes and {approximately}30 {times} 10{sup 14} molecules/cm{sup 2} in high northern latitudes. The ratio of HCl to HF was also abnormally low, implying that the HCl had been chemically or physically removed, rather than simply being redistributed by atmospheric motion. NO{sub 2} values within the inner vortex were near 5.0 {times} 10{sup 14} molecules/cm{sup 2}, about a factor of 4 less than columns outside the vortex boundary. HNO{sub 3} values were lower by a factor of 3 within the vortex, compared with a column of approximately 15 {times} 10{sup 15} molecules/cm{sup 2} outside the vortex. HNO{sub 3} columns outside the vortex are similar to northern hemisphere values. The ClONO{sub 2} column was relatively large within the vortex, peaking at {approximately}30 {times} 10{sup 14} molecules/cm{sup 2} near the boundary of the vortex. An upper limit of {approximately}8 {times} 10{sup 14} molecules/cm{sup 2} is placed on the column amount of HOCl inside the vortex.

• OSTI ID: 6995850
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 94:D14; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ANTARCTICA
STRATOSPHERE
CHLORINE NITRATES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
NITRIC ACID
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
AIRCRAFT
FOURIER TRANSFORMATION
INFRARED RADIATION
INTERFEROMETRY
OZONE
VORTICES
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTEGRAL TRANSFORMATIONS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLAR REGIONS
RADIATIONS
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSFORMATIONS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
290301 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety- Regional & Global Environmental Aspects- (1992-)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects