A comparison of measurements from ATMOS and instruments aboard the ER-2 aircraft: Halogenated gases

Academic Article

Abstract

  • We compare volume mixing ratio profiles of N2O, CFC-11, CFC-12, CCl4, SF6, and HCl in the mid-latitude lower stratosphere measured by the ATMOS Fourier transform spectrometer on the ATLAS-3 Space Shuttle Mission with in situ measurements acquired from the NASA ER-2 aircraft during Nov 1994. Good agreement is found between ATMOS and in situ correlations of [CFC-11], [CFC-12], and [SF6] with [N2O]. ATMOS measurements of [CCl4] are 15% high compared to ER-2 data, but agree within the systematic uncertainties. ATMOS observations of [HCl] vs [N2O] are within ∼10% of ER-2 data for [HCl] > 1 ppbv, but exceed in situ measurements by larger fractional amounts for smaller [HCl]. ATMOS measurements of [ClONO2] agree well with values inferred from in situ observations of [ClO], [NO], and [O3]. The sum of [HCl] and [ClONO2] observed by ATMOS, supplemented by a minor contribution from [ClO] estimated with a photochemical model, is consistent with the levels of inorganic chlorine inferred from in situ measurements of chlorine source gases. Copyright 1996 by the American Geophysical Union.
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    Digital Object Identifier (doi)

    Author List

  • Chang AY; Salawitch RJ; Michelsen HA; Gunson MR; Abrams MC; Zander R; Rinsland CP; Elkins JW; Dutton GS; Volk CM
  • Start Page

  • 2393
  • End Page

  • 2396
  • Volume

  • 23
  • Issue

  • 17