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Infrared measurements of atmospheric ethane (C 2 H 6 ) from aircraft and ground‐based solar absorption spectra in the 3000 cm −1 region
Author(s) -
Coffey M. T.,
Mankin W. G.,
Goldman A.,
Rinsland C. P.,
Harvey G. A.,
Malathy Devi V.,
Stokes G. M.
Publication year - 1985
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/gl012i004p00199
Subject(s) - tropopause , mixing ratio , troposphere , spectral line , absorption (acoustics) , absorption spectroscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , atmospheric sciences , infrared , materials science , physics , chemistry , optics , astronomy , chromatography
A number of prominent Q‐branches of the ν 7 band of C 2 H 6 have been identified near 3000 cm −1 in aircraft and ground‐based infrared solar absorption spectra. The aircraft spectra provide the column amount above 12 km at various altitudes. The column amount is strongly correlated with tropopause height and can be described by a constant mixing ratio of 0.46 ppbv in the upper troposphere and a mixing ratio scale height of 3.9 km above the tropopause. The ground‐based spectra yield a column of 9.0 × 10 15 molecules cm −2 above 2.1 km; combining these results implies a tropospheric mixing ratio of approximately 0.63 ppbv.