Open AccessSeasonality of reactive nitrogen oxides (NO y ) at Neumayer Station, Antarctica
Author(s) -
Weller R.,
Jones A. E.,
Wille A.,
Jacobi H.W.,
McIntyre H. P.,
Sturges W. T.,
Huke M.,
Wagenbach D.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2002jd002495
Subject(s) - troposphere , peroxyacetyl nitrate , mixing ratio , stratosphere , seasonality , reactive nitrogen , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , nitrogen , nitrogen dioxide , nitrate , air mass (solar energy) , climatology , boundary layer , nox , chemistry , meteorology , geology , physics , combustion , statistics , mathematics , organic chemistry , thermodynamics
NO, NO y (total reactive nitrogen oxides), gaseous HNO 3 , and particulate nitrate (p‐NO 3 − ) were measured at Neumayer Station from February 1999 to January 2000. In addition, during February 1999, the NO y component species peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and methyl, ethyl, i‐propyl, and n‐propyl nitrates were determined. We found a mean NO y mixing ratio of 46 ± 29 pptv, with significantly higher values between February and end of May (58 ± 35 pptv). Between February and November, the (HNO 3 + p‐NO 3 − )/NO y ratio was extremely low (around 0.22) and in contrast to NO y the seasonality of p‐NO 3 − and HNO 3 showed a distinct maximum in November and December, leading to a (HNO 3 + p‐NO 3 − )/NO y ratio of 0.66. Trajectory analyses and radioisotope measurements ( 7 Be, 10 Be, 210 Pb, and 222 Rn) indicated that the upper troposphere or stratosphere was the main source region of the observed NO y with a negligible contribution of ground‐level sources at northward continents. Frequent maxima of NO y mixing ratios up to 100 pptv are generally associated with air mass transport from the free troposphere of continental Antarctica, while air masses with the lowest NO y mixing ratios were typically advected from the marine boundary layer.