Denitrification of the polar winter stratosphere: Implications of SAM II (Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement II) cloud formation temperatures

Journal Article · Wed Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i004p00441· OSTI ID:5397322

Hamill, P ^[1]; Toon, O B ^[2]

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1. San Jose State Univ., CA (USA)
2. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA)

The authors use the Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement II (SAM II) extinction profiles and the associated temperature profiles to determine the amount of denitrification of the winter polar stratospheres. The authors see clear evidence of the denitrification process in the Antarctic data. There are indications in the Arctic data that denitrification mechanisms may be at work there also. At the latitudes observed by the SAM II satellite system, denitrification begins before the formation of extensive ice clouds and may be due to sedimentation of nitric acid particles. However, they cannot exclude the possibility of denitrification by type II PSC's at latitudes not observed by SAM II.

• OSTI ID: 5397322
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 17:4; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALTITUDE
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ANTARCTICA
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CLOUDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA ANALYSIS
DENITRIFICATION
DEPOSITION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EVALUATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ICE
INORGANIC ACIDS
KINETICS
LOSSES
NITRIC ACID
POLAR REGIONS
RADIATIONS
SEDIMENTATION
SOLAR RADIATION
STELLAR RADIATION
STRATOSPHERE
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS