Visible Spectroscopy at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

在过去十年的南方春季期间，南极洲上空的总臭氧丰度急剧下降。1986年10月观测到的总臭氧丰度只有60年代末和70年代初观测到的臭氧丰度的一半左右。臭氧吸收紫外线辐射，在地球生态中起着至关重要的作用。最近的大量研究都是为了了解南极臭氧层变化的原因。地面可见吸收光谱将用于测量平流层中臭氧、二氧化氮（NO2）和二氧化氯（OClO）的含量。这将提供一种同时测量臭氧变化和活性氮和活性氯丰度的方法。这三种成分的同时测量之间可能存在的相互关系对于区分提出的臭氧损耗机制具有特别的价值。这种测量可以通过使用来自太阳或月亮的直接光（从而提供关于这些物种的日变化的信息）或测量来自天顶天空的散射光来进行。计划中的研究包括1987年8月、9月和10月在麦克默多站进行一系列可见光吸收测量。

The total ozone abundance over Antarctica has decreased dramatically during the austral spring seasons of the past decade. Total ozone abundances observed in October, 1986 were only about half as large as those obtained in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Ozone plays an essential role in the Earth's ecology because of its absorption of ultraviolet radiation. A great deal of recent research has been directed towards understanding the cause of the change in the Antarctic ozone layer. Ground-based visible absorption spectroscopy will be used to measure the stratospheric column abundances of ozone, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and clorine dioxide (OClO). This will provide a means of simultaneously measuring the ozone change and the abundances of both reactive nitrogen and reactive chlorine species. Possible correlations between simultaneous measurements of the three constituents are of particular value in distinguishing between proposed mechanisms of the ozone depletion. Such measurements can be carried out by using the direct light from the sun or moon (thus providing information on the diurnal variations of these species) or by measuring the scattered light from the zenith sky. The planned research consists of an extended series of visible absorption measurements at McMurdo Station during August, September, and October, 1987.