Open AccessAirborne remote sensing of NO 2 in the Arctic winter of 1994–1995 and comparison with a three‐dimensional chemical transport model
Author(s) -
Glatthor N.,
Blom C. E.,
Clarmann T.,
Fischer H.,
Gulde T.,
Piesch C.,
Erle F.,
Pfeilsticker K.,
Chipperfield M. P.,
Lee A. M.,
Pyle J. A.
Publication year - 1998
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 - 10.1029/98jd00521
Subject(s) - sunset , middle latitudes , daytime , stratosphere , arctic , atmospheric sciences , michelson interferometer , differential optical absorption spectroscopy , atmospheric sounding , environmental science , polar vortex , meteorology , geology , absorption (acoustics) , physics , oceanography , interferometry , optics
In the winter of 1994–1995, for the first time NO 2 was observed by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding‐Flugzeug Transall (MIPAS‐FT). We present the NO 2 data of MIPAS and of a Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) instrument, which was also operated on the Transall, and compare the measurements with the Single Layer Isentropic Model for Chemistry And Transport (SLIMCAT). The daytime midlatitude NO 2 column amounts of MIPAS and DOAS increased from 1×10 15 cm −2 in December to ∼3×10 15 cm −2 in March. After sunset MIPAS observed strong NO 2 increases, up to 3.2×10 15 cm −2 on December 20, up to 7.2×10 15 cm −2 on January 17 and up to 6.4×10 15 cm −2 on March 27. These high nighttime values, showing considerable amounts of NO x in the midlatitude stratosphere, were qualitatively reproduced by SLIMCAT. The NO 2 columns measured inside the Arctic vortex, ≤1×10 15 cm −2 from December until mid‐January with no substantial increase after sunset, displayed strong denoxification. From the end of January the Arctic daytime NO 2 columns grew to ∼2×10 15 cm −2 , and after sunset MIPAS observed similar strong increases as at midlatitudes, up to 3.4×10 15 cm −2 on January 24 and up to 4.8×10 15 cm −2 in March and April. The renoxification of the vortex was also shown by SLIMCAT. On April 5, MIPAS NO 2 column amounts decreased by 1.5×10 15 cm −2 after reaching the maximum, caused by N 2 O 5 and ClONO 2 formation and encounter of less renoxified air masses.