Ground-based detection of stratospheric ozone using microwave radiometry spectrometry

PULIAFITO, ENRIQUE; PULIAFITO, C.

Buenos Aires

Workshop; Workshop Understanding Ozone and UV-B Radiation: Past Accomplishments and Future Opportunities; 1998

Inter American Institute for Global Change (IAI).

Project ?TROPWA? (Tropospheric water vapor and stratospheric ozone), since April 1993 is performing periodic ground based measurements of tropospheric water vapor and stratospheric ozone by means of millimeter wave radiometry from Benegas Station, Mendoza, Argentina, and from some high locations in the Andes region. Mendoza (750 m.a.N.s.l.)  is located in the west semi-arid region of Argentina at 32º 53? South Latitude and 68º 51? West Longitude. Benegas is located approximately 5 km. south of Mendoza city and at about 850 m.a.N.s.l. These measuring campaigns from high locations, denominated ?Spectroscopy of the Earth Atmosphere from High Mountains? (SEAM), were carried out at Uspallata (1950 m. over the sea level) and Puente del Inca (2700 m.a.N.s.l.) and Cristo Redentor (4200 m.a.N.s.l.) in the Argentinean Andes. From 1993 up to the present four SEAM campaigns were done. Due to the low tropospheric water vapor content at high altitudes it is possible to measure minor atmospheric constituents like ozone, ClO and N2O. TROPWA Project is able to retrieve stratospheric ozone profiles on a regular basis from approximately 15 to 45 km altitude with a spatial resolution of 4 to 5 km, and with a minimal temporal resolution of one hour. The relative accuracy of the ozone volume-mixing ratio, which depends on many factors and of course of the altitude, varies from 4-5 to 10 %. This information is obtained from the 142 GHz radiometer-spectrometer. The filter-bank spectrometer has 9 channels and it is envisaged to extend the spectral resolution during 1999.