Active nitrogen partitioning and the nighttime formation of N sub 2 O sub 5 in the stratosphere: Simultaneous in situ measurements of NO, NO sub 2 , HNO sub 3 , O sub 3 , and N sub 2 O using the BLISS diode laser spectrometer

Journal Article · Mon Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

OSTI ID:6061710

Webster, C R; May, R D ^[1]; Toumi, R; Pyle, J A ^[2]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (USA)
2. Univ. of Cambridge (England)

Simultaneous in situ measurements of NO, NO{sub 2}, HNO{sub 3}, O{sub 3}, N{sub 2}O, pressure, and temperature at 30 km have been made from Palestine. Texas (32{degree}N) on September 13, 1988, using the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Balloon-Borne Laser In-Situ Sensor (BLISS) instrument, with the NOAA dual-channel balloon UV ozone spectrometer on the same gondola. Using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy over a long path length, measurements were made during a 24-hour flight of the daytime concentrations of NO, NO{sub 2}, and O{sub 3} and of the diurnal variation in the concentration of NO{sub 2}. Postsunset measurements of NO{sub 2}, made every half minutes throughout much of the night, show the NO{sub 2} mixing ratio falling from a sunset value of 10.5 ppbv to 5.2 ppbv at nights end. From the sunset/sunrise difference din the volume mixing ratio of NO{sub 2} is derived a value of 2.7 {plus minus} 0.4 ppbv for the sunrise N{sub 2}O{sub 5} mixing ratio, in excellent agreement with the model predictions of 2.9 ppbv at this latitude. The measured daytime NO{sub 2}/NO ratio was found to be in good agreement with model predictions at 30 km. The measured presunset sum NO + NO{sub 2} of 10.1 {plus minus} 0.8 ppbv agreed well with the measured postsunset NO{sub 2} amount of 10.5 {plus minus} 0.8 ppbv. Simultaneous measurements of the mixing ratios of HNO{sub 3} and postsunset NO{sub 2} allow an estimate of total reactive nitrogen, approximated at this time by NO{sub 2} + HNO{sub 3} + 2(N{sub 2}O{sub 5}) + ClONO{sub 2}, of 16.4 {plus minus} 1.2 ppbv at 30 km, and (from an earlier flight) of 13.7 {plus minus} 1.7 ppbv at 37 km. Using model predictions incorporating corrections for non-steady state and for diurnal chemistry, an OH mixing ratio of 8 {plus minus} 4 pptv is derived from the measured HNO{sub 3}/NO{sub 2} ratio of 0.72 {plus minus} 0.17 at 30 km.

• OSTI ID: 6061710
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Vol. 95:D9; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
NITRIC ACID
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
NITROUS OXIDE
OZONE
STRATOSPHERE
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
BALLOONS
DAILY VARIATIONS
LASER SPECTROSCOPY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
REMOTE SENSING
SYNTHESIS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TEXAS
AIRSHIPS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
FEDERAL REGION VI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
USA
VARIATIONS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)