Infrared spectroscopic detection of sulfur hexafluoride (SF sub 6 ) in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere

Journal Article · Fri Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD095iD05p05577· OSTI ID:5088095

Rinsland, C P ^[1]; Brown, L R; Farmer, C B ^[2]

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1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (United States)
2. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (United States)

Absorption by sulfur hexafluoride (SF{sub 6}) has been detected in high-resolution infrared solar spectra of the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere. The identification is based on measurements of the intense, unresolved {nu}{sub 3} band Q branch at 947.9 cm{sup {minus}1} in solar occultation spectra recorded near 31{degree}N and 47{degree}S latitude by the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) Fourier transform spectrometer on April 30 to May 1, 1985, during the Spacelab 3 shuttle mission. Vertical SF{sub 6} volume mixing ratio profiles have been retrieved using an onion-peeling nonlinear least squares spectral fitting procedure with SF{sub 6} line-by-line spectroscopic parameters generated recently by Bobin and coworkers from their analysis of the SF{sub 6} {nu}{sub 3} band. Between 12 and 18 km altitude, the region over which the retrievals are most accurate (about {plus minus} 26% one sigma), the SF{sub 6} volume mixing ratio is independent of altitude with an average measured value of 1.42 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) at 31{degree}N latitude. There is evidence for a decline in the SF{sub 6} volume mixing ratio with increasing altitude between 18 and 22 km, but the results are not conclusive because of the weakness of the absorption. Absorption by the SF{sub 6} Q branch is below the noise level of the spectra at tangent heights above {approximately} 22 km. The measurements are compared with previously reported values and discussed in terms of the atmospheric lifetime of SF{sub 6}, the long-term trend of atmospheric SF{sub 6}, and the possible role of SF{sub 6} as an atmospheric greenhouse gas.

• OSTI ID: 5088095
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 95:D5; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
STRATOSPHERE
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
SULFUR FLUORIDES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TROPOSPHERE
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ALTITUDE
FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETERS
GREENHOUSE GASES
INFRARED RADIATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
LIFETIME
MIXING
SPACE VEHICLES
CHEMISTRY
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
VEHICLES
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)