Airborne measurements of stratospheric constituents over Antarctica in the austral spring, 1987. 2. Halogen and nitrogen trace gases
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
- 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), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 94:D14; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
AIRCRAFT
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ANTARCTICA
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHLORINE NITRATES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FOURIER TRANSFORMATION
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFRARED RADIATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTEGRAL TRANSFORMATIONS
INTERFEROMETRY
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
POLAR REGIONS
RADIATIONS
SPECTROSCOPY
STRATOSPHERE
TRANSFORMATIONS
VORTICES