Minor constituent concentrations measured from a high altitude aircraft using high resolution far-infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.

Carli, B. and Ade, P. and Carlotti, M. and Cortesi, U. and Gignoli, A. and Hamilton, P. and Lanfranchi, M. and Lee, C. and Mackenzie, A. Robert and Phillips, A. (2000) Minor constituent concentrations measured from a high altitude aircraft using high resolution far-infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, 35 (3). pp. 273-293. ISSN 0167-7764

Abstract

Far-infrared emission spectroscopy has beendemonstrated to be a valuable method for remotesensing of trace species in the stratosphere, with theability to simultaneously detect a number of keychemical species. SAFIRE-A is a new far-infraredFourier Transform (FT) spectrometer which has beenspecifically designed to operate on board of a highaltitude aircraft in the lower stratosphere and uppertroposphere regions where relatively few remotesensing measurements have been made. Using newtechnology, the sensitivity of the FT spectrometermethod has been substantially improved for the longwavelength region. Results are reported formeasurements of O3, HNO3 and N2O at 17and 19 km using a detection window near 23 cm-1.Geographical and altitude variability of the volumemixing ratio of these constituents and their relativecorrelation are discussed. Ozone measurements agreewell with in situ measurements, except in regions ofstrong stirring and mixing associated with deformationof the northern vortex edge. Whilst SAFIREmeasurements of trace gases do not capture all of thelocal variability seen by rapid in-situ techniques,they can indicate horizontal variability close to, butnot intercepted by, the aircraft's flight path. Apossible detection of ClO at the low background levelsexpected outside the polar vortex is also reported.