Feature
New spectroscopic instrumentation for measurement of stratospheric trace species by remote sensing of scattered skylight
Measurement of the column abundance of atmospheric molecular species can be accomplished from the ground or an aircraft by spectroscopic observation of light either from the sun or moon directly or from the zenith scattered sky when the air mass factor is large for photons passing through the stratosphere (conditions of low sun/moon elevation). The first twilight scattered sky measurements of NO2 were reported in 1973; the technique was greatly improved and expanded by Noxon and coworkers. This short paper discusses the new generation of instrumentation now under construction at the NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory to measure (at least) NO2, O3, NO3, BrO, OCIO, and SO2. The scientific aspects are discussed elsewhere.
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