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UV stellar occultation measurements of nighttime equatorial ozone
Author(s) -
Riegler G. R.,
Atreya S. K.,
Donahue T. M.,
Liu S. C.,
Wasser B.,
Drake J. F.
Publication year - 1977
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/gl004i004p00145
Subject(s) - occultation , ozone , equator , atmospheric sciences , physics , observatory , environmental science , astrophysics , astronomy , meteorology , latitude
The Princeton University Ultraviolet Spectrometer‐Telescope on the NASA Orbiting Astronomical Observatory Copernicus was used for stellar occultation measurements of atmospheric ozone. Two sets of observations of the target star β‐Cen were carried out on 26 July 1975 and 13‐14 June 1976 at wavelengths from 2550Å to 3100Å. After unfolding of the data, ozone density profiles near the equator within 3 hours of local midnight were obtained at altitudes from 47 to 114 km. A secondary maximum at 97 km has been observed in both sets of data. The ozone density between 47 and 75 km is a factor of 2 to 3 times as large as current models predict. At the lower boundary, about half the ozone destruction should be caused by NO x and ClO x . Above 55 km, virtually all loss is due to HO x . These results suggest an overestimate of HO x and ClO x loss processes or a serious underestimate of the O x production rate. A minimum in O 3 density near 87 km and a maximum at about 97 km are probably caused by reactions of O 3 with atomic hydrogen and maximum nocturnal O 3 production near 97 km.