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Increase of stratospheric carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) based on ATMOS observations from space
Author(s) -
Zander R.,
Solomon S.,
Mahieu E.,
Goldman A.,
Rinsland C. P.,
Gunson M. R.,
Abrams M. C.,
Chang A. Y.,
Salawitch R. J.,
Michelsen H. A.,
Newchurch M. J.,
Stiller G. P.
Publication year - 1996
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 - 10.1029/96gl00957
Subject(s) - mixing ratio , tetrafluoride , atmospheric sciences , atmosphere (unit) , trace gas , atmospheric chemistry , stratosphere , environmental science , atmosphere of earth , altitude (triangle) , compounds of carbon , physics , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , meteorology , ozone , environmental chemistry , chemical reaction , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics
Stratospheric volume mixing ratio profiles of carbon tetrafluoride, CF 4 , obtained with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) instrument during the ATLAS (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science) −3 mission of 1994 are reported. Overall the profiles are nearly constant over the altitude range 20 to 50 km, indicative of the very long lifetime of CF 4 in the atmosphere. In comparison to the stratospheric values of CF 4 inferred from the ATMOS/Spacelab 3 mission of 1985, the 1994 concentrations are consistent with an exponential increase of (1.6±0.6) %/yr. This increase is discussed with regard to previous results and likely sources of CF 4 at the ground. Further, it is shown that simultaneous measurements of N 2 O and CF 4 provide a means of constraining the lower limit of the atmospheric lifetime of CF 4 at least 2,300 years, two sigma.