NO2 vertical column density at the Marambio Antarctic Station as retrieved by DOAS.

RAPONI MM,; TOCHO JO,; JIMENEZ R; QUEL EJ.

AIP CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

American Institute of Physics

Lugar: Melville, NY, USA; Año: 2009 vol. 1100 p. 319 - 322

0094-243X

Abstract. A number of chemical species present in the stratosphere in very small concentrations (parts per billion and even smaller) contribute significantly to its chemical balance. One of the main stratospheric trace gases is nitrogen dioxide (NO2). This species acts as a restrictive agent for stratospheric ozone destruction (due to the chlorine monoxide), hence the importance of its study. We present a preliminary analysis of passive remote sensing measurements carry out at the Marambio Argentinean Antarctic Base (64.233º S; 56.616º W; 197 m amsl) during the months of January - February of 2008. The spectroscopy system consists of an optical fiber (400 µm core diameter and 6 m of longitude) and a portable spectral analyzer (spectrometer HR4000, Ocean Optics). The device analyzes diffuse solar spectral irradiance in the UV-visible range (290-650 nm), collected and transferred by a zenith-pointing optical fiber. The NO2 vertical column density (VCD) is derived from the radiance spectra using the DOAS (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) technique. The system and technique allow for simultaneous measurements of different species of interest on a variety of meteorological conditions. The vertical columns obtained are compared with co-located measurements performed with EVA, a visible absorption spectrometer operated by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Spain.