Fifteen Years of Stratospheric Nitrogen Dioxide and Ozone Measurements in Antarctica

Abstract

The stratospheric NO 2 and O 3 total columns and vertical profiles retrieved from the measurements performed the last 15 years by the GASCOD spectrometer installed at the Mario Zucchelli Antarctic Station (MZS) - 74.69S, 164.12E , are presented here and briefly discussed. The full dataset of the spectral data obtained with GASCOD during the period 1996 - 2009, was re - analyzed with a modified version of the software tool previously utilized. The uncertainties range from 4% up to 8% for O 3 and from 3% t up o 6% for NO 2 . The peculiar features of the seasonal variation of O 3 (i.e. during the ‘Ozone Hole’ periods (mid - August to mid - October) and NO 2 total columns (i.e. the normal decreasing during the austral fall and the irregular g rowing towards the spring months) are clearly identified. For the first time, the NO 2 total columns values, obtained with the GASCOD installed at MZS, are compared with the data obtained with satellite borne equipments (SCIAMACHY, GOME and OMI ).