Comparisons of long-term stratospheric nitric acid and hydrogen fluoride variations using satellite and ground-based measurements

Conference (2011, November 09)

We investigate the long-term variations of stratospheric nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrogen fluoride (HF), based on several satellite and ground-based measurement records. We use results from the Upper ... [more ▼]

We investigate the long-term variations of stratospheric nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrogen fluoride (HF), based on several satellite and ground-based measurement records. We use results from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (launched in late 1991 and decommissioned in late 2005), the Aura satellite (launched in summer 1991, with on-going measurements), and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) (from 2004 to present), in conjunction with several long-term ground-based datasets from the Network for the Detection of Atmosphere Composition Change (NDACC). In particular, we investigate the time series of HNO3 and HF, using NDACC column data for validation. We focus here on a few NDACC sites with long-term and frequent measurements, namely the Jungfraujoch (45N, 8E), Lauder (45S, 170E), and Mauna Loa (20N, 204E) sites, where ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements have covered both the UARS and Aura time periods (1991 to present). For HNO3, we investigate whether there are indications of a systematic offset between the measurements by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instruments aboard both UARS and Aura. For hydrogen fluoride, the HALogen Occultation Experiment's HF time series are connected to the ACE-FTS dataset, and we analyze the correlation of this time series with the ground-based datasets. In addition, model runs from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) and the TOMCAT/SLIMCAT model are used as part of the long-term time series intercomparisons. We note that there is a significant time gap in the HNO3 time series from the satellite measurements used here. The long-term satellite datasets studied here include zonal average Earth Science Data Records (ESDRs) being produced under the Global Ozone Chemistry And Related trace gas Data records for the Stratosphere (GOZCARDS) project, part of the NASA Making Earth Science data records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) program. We also analyze coincident-type measurements, for the comparisons between satellite and ground-based observations. [less ▲]

Long-lived organic compounds (Chapter 1)

in Nohende Ajavon, Ayité-Lô; Albritton, Daniel L.; Watson, Robert T. (Eds.) Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2006 (2007)

This assessment report is a summary of the scientific community's current understanding of the stratospheric ozone layer and its relation to humankind.