Observation of Trace Gases in the Antarctic Stratosphere

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This project is an important part of the National Ozone Expedition (NOZE-2). The stratospheric column density, and to some extent the vertical profile, of the important gases (O3) Ozone, (ClO) Clorine Monoxide and (N2O) Nitrous Oxide are measured by detecting their molecular microwave emissions. The proposers were participants in the NOZE-I in 1986 and successfully measured ozone, ClO and N2O. Their finding that N2O was at very low concentrations inside of the ozone hole was unanticipated by any of the models that have been developed to explain the depletion of ozone, and the measurement needs to be made again. They were also successful in detecting ClO in large quantities below 20km altitude, but they were unable to determine the amount present. For NOZE-2, the instrument will be modified by doubling the bandwidth in an attempt to make a more quantitative measurement of ClO concentration.