Measurements of springtime Antarctic ozone depletion and development of a balloon borne ultraviolet photometer

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5197924

Harder, J W

The research described herein consists of two parts. The first part is a description of the design of a balloon borne ultraviolet photometer to measure ozone and the results of a flight using this instrument. The second part describes modifications made on the standard commercially available electrochemical ozonesonde and the results of some experiments performed both in the laboratory and during stratospheric balloon flights. Using this modified ECC system, 33 successful balloon flights were made at McMurdo Station, Antarctica during the austral spring of 1986 to study the temporal and vertical development of the so-called Antarctic Ozone Hole. Photometric measurements of ozone in the atmosphere can be accomplished by exploiting 253.65 nanometer absorption feature of ozone. Using a single light source and beam splitting optics, matched optical paths can be generated through two absorption cells. The ozonesonde data gave a very clear picture of the development of the Ozone Hole. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) Depletion occurs between about 12 and 20 km. (2) The most efficient region of ozone depletion decreases in altitude with time. Height profiles show subregions where ozone removal is highly efficient. (3) At 18 km, the ozone mixing ratio decays with a half-life of 25 days.

• Research Organization: Wyoming Univ., Laramie, WY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5197924
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ANTARCTICA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
LAYERS
MEASURING METHODS
OZONE
OZONE LAYER
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOMETRY
POLAR REGIONS
PULSE TECHNIQUES
RADIATIONS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION