Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Arctic stratospheric measurements of NOx during February and March 2004: Impact of intense solar flares

C P  Rinsland; C  Boone; R  Nassar; K  Walker; P  Bernath; J C  McConnell; L  Chiou

doi:10.1029/2005GL022425

Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Arctic stratospheric measurements of NOx during February and March 2004: Impact of intense solar flares

C P Rinsland, C Boone, R Nassar, K Walker, P Bernath, J C McConnell, L Chiou

Chemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

[ 1] Solar occultation measurements recorded in the Arctic by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment ( ACE) Fourier transform spectrometer show elevated volume mixing ratios of NO and NO2 in the upper stratosphere from mid-February to late March 2004. Mixing ratios of NO exceeded 1.3 ppmv ( 10(-6) parts per million by volume) during mid-February and are higher than any values previously reported in the Arctic during late winter and early spring. The elevated NOx ( NO + NO2) mixing ratios likely resulted from particle emissions by intense solar flares that occurred the previous October and November followed by NOx production and downward transport to the upper stratospheric vortex where the elevated levels persisted due to the long lifetime of NOx during darkness in polar winter and early spring. The descent and the NOx decrease rates in the upper stratospheric vortex are estimated from an analysis of the time series. The measured descent rate is compared with previous observations and model predictions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	-
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	32
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL022425
Publication status	Published - 22 Jun 2005

Keywords

VORTEX
TRANSPORT
NITROGEN

Access to Document

10.1029/2005GL022425

Cite this

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title = "Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Arctic stratospheric measurements of NOx during February and March 2004: Impact of intense solar flares",

abstract = "[ 1] Solar occultation measurements recorded in the Arctic by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment ( ACE) Fourier transform spectrometer show elevated volume mixing ratios of NO and NO2 in the upper stratosphere from mid-February to late March 2004. Mixing ratios of NO exceeded 1.3 ppmv ( 10(-6) parts per million by volume) during mid-February and are higher than any values previously reported in the Arctic during late winter and early spring. The elevated NOx ( NO + NO2) mixing ratios likely resulted from particle emissions by intense solar flares that occurred the previous October and November followed by NOx production and downward transport to the upper stratospheric vortex where the elevated levels persisted due to the long lifetime of NOx during darkness in polar winter and early spring. The descent and the NOx decrease rates in the upper stratospheric vortex are estimated from an analysis of the time series. The measured descent rate is compared with previous observations and model predictions.",

keywords = "VORTEX, TRANSPORT, NITROGEN",

author = "Rinsland, {C P} and C Boone and R Nassar and K Walker and P Bernath and McConnell, {J C} and L Chiou",

year = "2005",

month = jun,

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doi = "10.1029/2005GL022425",

language = "English",

volume = "32",

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journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Arctic stratospheric measurements of NOx during February and March 2004: Impact of intense solar flares

AU - Rinsland, C P

AU - Boone, C

AU - Nassar, R

AU - Walker, K

AU - Bernath, P

AU - McConnell, J C

AU - Chiou, L

PY - 2005/6/22

Y1 - 2005/6/22

N2 - [ 1] Solar occultation measurements recorded in the Arctic by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment ( ACE) Fourier transform spectrometer show elevated volume mixing ratios of NO and NO2 in the upper stratosphere from mid-February to late March 2004. Mixing ratios of NO exceeded 1.3 ppmv ( 10(-6) parts per million by volume) during mid-February and are higher than any values previously reported in the Arctic during late winter and early spring. The elevated NOx ( NO + NO2) mixing ratios likely resulted from particle emissions by intense solar flares that occurred the previous October and November followed by NOx production and downward transport to the upper stratospheric vortex where the elevated levels persisted due to the long lifetime of NOx during darkness in polar winter and early spring. The descent and the NOx decrease rates in the upper stratospheric vortex are estimated from an analysis of the time series. The measured descent rate is compared with previous observations and model predictions.

AB - [ 1] Solar occultation measurements recorded in the Arctic by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment ( ACE) Fourier transform spectrometer show elevated volume mixing ratios of NO and NO2 in the upper stratosphere from mid-February to late March 2004. Mixing ratios of NO exceeded 1.3 ppmv ( 10(-6) parts per million by volume) during mid-February and are higher than any values previously reported in the Arctic during late winter and early spring. The elevated NOx ( NO + NO2) mixing ratios likely resulted from particle emissions by intense solar flares that occurred the previous October and November followed by NOx production and downward transport to the upper stratospheric vortex where the elevated levels persisted due to the long lifetime of NOx during darkness in polar winter and early spring. The descent and the NOx decrease rates in the upper stratospheric vortex are estimated from an analysis of the time series. The measured descent rate is compared with previous observations and model predictions.

KW - VORTEX

KW - TRANSPORT

KW - NITROGEN

U2 - 10.1029/2005GL022425

DO - 10.1029/2005GL022425

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 32

SP - -

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 16

ER -