CHEOPS III: An ozone research campaign in the arctic winter stratosphere 1989/90

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/91GL00853· OSTI ID:5328722

Pommereau, J P ^[1]; Schmidt, U ^[2]

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1. CNRS, Verrieres le Buisson (France)
2. Inst. fuer Atmospharische Chemie, Forschungszentrum Juelich (West Germany)

CHEOPS ( = CHemistry of Ozone in the Polar Stratosphere) is a research project that began in 1987 as an initiative to join efforts of scientists from Germany and France combining their resources and capacities to conduct field experiments in the winter Arctic stratosphere. On February 5, two experiments, a cryogenic whole air sampler and an active chemical ionization mass spectrometer, were launched with a large scientific balloon from the ESA/SSC Rocket Base ESRANGE near Kiruna in Northern Sweden (68{degree} N, 20{degree} E). The scientific objective was to look for a possible latitudinal difference in the vertical distributions of various minor constituents in the lower and middle stratosphere during winter. The International Ozone Trends Panel reported a systematic decrease in total ozone by about 6% in the Arctic winter stratosphere over the period 1969-86. This finding motivated several European research groups to continue the CHEOPS program by regular field campaigns organized in the Arctic region. During the CHEOPS II campaign conducted in winter 1987/88 four payloads were launched in cooperation with the balloon launching team of the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). On the basis of the tests and improvements of the instrumentation achieved during the previous winter campaign, CHEOPS III was planned for winter 1989/90 as a more ambitious field experiment. In addition to balloon-borne and ground-based observations, the program included an increased number of regular ozone sonde launches at various Scandinavian stations. The primary objective was to investigate the composition of the lower Arctic stratosphere during winter until early February, when temperatures were lowest and episodes of perturbed chemistry during PSC events were most likely to occur.

• OSTI ID: 5328722
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 18:4; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIRSHIPS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
BALLOONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COOPERATION
DECOMPOSITION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
LAYERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE LAYER
POLAR REGIONS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
STRATOSPHERE