HR: 13:55h
AN: A33H-02    [Abstracts]
TI: In situ measurements of nitric acid and ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere
AU: * Popp, P J
EM: peter.j.popp@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory, 325 Broadway, R/CSD6, Boulder, CO 80305,
AU: Marcy, T P
EM: tpmarcy@hotmail.com
AF: NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory, 325 Broadway, R/CSD6, Boulder, CO 80305,
AU: Gao, R
EM: rushan.gao@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory, 325 Broadway, R/CSD6, Boulder, CO 80305,
AU: Watts, L A
EM: laurel.a.watts@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory, 325 Broadway, R/CSD6, Boulder, CO 80305,
AU: Fahey, D W
EM: david.w.fahey@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory, 325 Broadway, R/CSD6, Boulder, CO 80305,
AU: Richard, E C
EM: erik.richard@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: LASP, University of Colorado, 1234 Innovation Drive, Boulder, CO 80303,
AU: Oltmans, S J
EM: samuel.j.oltmans@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory, 325 Broadway, R/GMD, Boulder, CO 80305,
AU: Santee, M L
EM: mls@mls.jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109,
AU: Sen, B
EM: Bhaswar.Sen@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109,
AU: Toon, G C
EM: Geoffrey.C.Toon@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109,
AB: Nitric acid is a primary reservoir species for reactive nitrogen and is a key player in ozone chemistry in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS). An extensive in situ dataset of nitric acid and ozone measurements has been collected in the UT/LS between the equator and northern hemisphere midlatitudes with NOAA instruments onboard the NASA WB-57F high altitude research aircraft. These in situ data have been used to establish the robustness of nitric acid/ozone correlations in the lower stratosphere and the latitudinal variability in the correlation. These correlations are consistent with nitric acid/ozone correlations measured remotely at similar latitudes by the MkIV Interferometer and Aura MLS instruments. The utility of this correlation is demonstrated by establishing vertical profiles of proxy nitric acid mixing ratios using ozone data from the NOAA GMD ozonesonde network. These proxy profiles enhance the value of in situ nitric acid measurements in validating the Aura MLS instrument. Nitric acid/ozone correlations also provide a useful diagnostic for the redistribution of nitric acid in the UT/LS region by cloud sedimentation processes. The first in situ measurements of nitric acid in the tropical tropopause during Aura validation campaigns revealed extremely low nitric acid mixing ratios (<100 ppt) in this region. High-resolution in situ datasets continue to reveal information about the small- scale variability of nitric acid in the UT/LS that may not be available from remote instruments with large sampling volumes
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere: composition and chemistry
DE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry
DE: 0368 Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting