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Measurements of NO x emissions from the Antarctic snowpack
Author(s) -
Jones A. E.,
Weller R.,
Anderson P. S.,
Jacobi H.W.,
Wolff E. W.,
Schrems O.,
Miller H.
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.1029/2000gl011956
Subject(s) - snowpack , snow , atmospheric sciences , flux (metallurgy) , environmental science , diurnal cycle , atmosphere (unit) , polar , polar night , climatology , meteorology , physics , geology , materials science , stratosphere , astronomy , metallurgy
It has been shown that NO x is produced photochemically within the snowpack of polar regions. If emitted to the atmosphere, this process could be a major source of NO x in remote snowcovered regions. We report here on measurements made at the German Antarctic station, Neumayer, during austral summer 1999, aimed at detecting and quantifying emissions of NO x from the surface snow. Gradients of NO x measured, and fluxes calculated using local meteorology measurements. On the 2 days of flux measurements, the derived fluxes showed continual release from the snow surface, varying between ∼0 and 3 × 10 8 molecs/cm²/s. When not subject to turbulence, the variation was coincident with the uv diurnal cycle, suggesting rapid release once photochemically produced. Scaling the diurnal average of Feb. 7th (1.3 × 10 8 molecs/cm²/s) suggests an annual emission over Antarctica of the order 0.0076TgN.