Open AccessFirst ground‐based infrared solar absorption measurements of free tropospheric methanol (CH 3 OH): Multidecade infrared time series from Kitt Peak (31.9°N 111.6°W): Trend, seasonal cycle, and comparison with previous measurements
Author(s) -
Rinsland Curtis P.,
Mahieu Emmanuel,
Chiou Linda,
Herbin Hervé
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1029/2008jd011003
Subject(s) - solar observatory , troposphere , infrared , atmospheric sciences , altitude (triangle) , observatory , environmental science , physics , meteorology , astrophysics , optics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , magnetic field , geometry
Atmospheric CH 3 OH (methanol) free tropospheric (2.09–14‐km altitude) time series spanning 22 years has been analyzed on the basis of high‐spectral resolution infrared solar absorption spectra of the strong ν 8 band recorded from the U.S. National Solar Observatory on Kitt Peak (latitude 31.9°N, 111.6°W, 2.09‐km altitude) with a 1‐m Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). The measurements span October 1981 to December 2003 and are the first long time series of CH 3 OH measurements obtained from the ground. The results were analyzed with SFIT2 version 3.93 and show a factor of three variations with season, a maximum at the beginning of July, a winter minimum, and no statistically significant long‐term trend over the measurement time span.