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First investigations of IO, BrO, and NO 2 summer atmospheric levels at a coastal East Antarctic site using mode‐locked cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Grilli Roberto,
Legrand Michel,
Kukui Alexandre,
Méjean Guillaume,
Preunkert Suzanne,
Romanini Daniele
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50154
Subject(s) - environmental science , mixing ratio , atmospheric sciences , planetary boundary layer , boundary layer , oceanography , climatology , geology , physics , thermodynamics
IO, BrO, and NO 2 were measured for the first time at Dumont d'Urville (East Antarctic coast) during summer 2011/2012 by using a near‐UV‐Visible laser spectrometer based on mode‐locked cavity‐enhanced absorption spectroscopy. IO mixing ratios ranged from the 2σ detection limit (0.04 pptv) up to 0.15 pptv. BrO remained close or below the detection limit (2 pptv) of the instrument. Daily averaged NO 2 values ranged between the detection limit (10 pptv) and 60 pptv being far higher than levels of a few pptv commonly observed in the remote marine boundary layer. Data are discussed and compared with those available for another coastal Antarctic station (Halley, West Antarctica). It is shown that the oxidative capacity of the atmospheric boundary layer at coastal Antarctic sites is quite different in nature from West to East Antarctica, with the halogen chemistry being promoted at West and the OH chemistry at East.