Skip to main content
Log in

Observed Trends in Total Vertical Column Abundances of Atmospheric Gases from IR Solar Spectra Recorded at the Jungfraujoch

  • Published:
Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since 1984, about 15000 high quality infrared solar spectra have beenrecorded with state-of-the-art grating and Fourier transform spectrometersat the International Scientific Station of the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland.Nonlinear least squares spectral curve fitting of selected microwindowscontaining isolated and well characterized lines of 20 telluric gases haveallowed to retrieve their total vertical column abundances above thestation, leading to observational data bases essential to derive long- andshort-term changes experienced by these species during the last 12 years. Inthis paper, we focus on atmospheric gases of particular interest within thecontext of the EUROTRAC/TOR (Tropospheric Ozone Research) project; secularevolution as well as seasonal cycles of the minor constituentsCH4, CO and of the trace gasesC2H6, OCS, C2H2, HCNand H2CO are reported and discussed. The long-livedN2O is included as a tracer of the dynamic activity of theatmosphere.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arlander, D.W., Brüning, D., Schmidt, U., and Ehhalt, D. H., 1995: The tropospheric distribution of formaldehyde during TROPOZ II, J. Atmos. Chem. 22, 251–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbe, A., Marché, P., Secroun, C. and Jouve, P., 1979: Measurements of tropospheric and stratospheric H2CO by an infrared high resolution technique, Geophys. Res. Lett. 6, 463–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicerone, R. J. and Zellner, R., 1983: The atmospheric chemistry of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), J. Geophys. Res. 88, 10689–10696.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coffey, M. T., Mankin, W. G., and Cicerone, R. J., 1981: Spectroscopic detection of stratospheric hydrogen cyanide, Science 214, 333–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen, P. J., 1976: The possible importance of CSO for the sulfate layer of the stratosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett. 3, 73–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delbouille, L. and Roland, G., 1963: Photometric atlas of the solar spectrum from λ7498 to λ12016, Mé’m. Soc. Roy. Sci. Liège, vol. hors série 4.

  • Delbouille, L. and Roland, G., 1995: High-resolution solar and atmospheric spectroscopy from the Jungfraujoch high-altitude station, Optic. Engin. 34, 2736–2739.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Serves, C., 1994: Gas phase formaldehyde and peroxide measurements in the Arctic atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res. 99, 25391–25398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dlugokencky, E. J., Masarie, K. A., Lang, P. M., Tans, P. P., Steele, L. P., and Nisbet, E. G., 1994: A dramatic decrease in the growth rate of atmospheric methane in the Northern Hemisphere during 1992, Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 45–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehhalt, D. H., Rudolph, J., Meixner, F., and Schmidt, U., 1985: Measurements of selected C2–C5 hydrocarbons in the background troposphere: vertical and latitudinal variations, J. Atmos. Chem. 3, 29–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehhalt, D. H., Schmidt, U., Zander, R., Demoulin, P., and Rinsland, C. P., 1991: Seasonal cycle and secular trend of the total and tropospheric column abundance of ethane above the Jungfraujoch, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 4985–4994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Granier, C. and Brasseur, G., 1992: Impact of heterogeneous chemistry on model prediction of ozone change, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 18015–18033.

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC Report on Climate Change, 1994: Radiative Forcing of Climate Change and an Evaluation of the IPCC IS92 Emission Scenarios, 1995, J. T. Houghton et al.(eds), Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–339.

  • Johnson, J. E., 1981: The lifetime of carbonyl sulfide in the troposphere, Geophys. Res. Lett. 8, 938–940.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalil, M. A. K. and Rasmussen, R. A., 1984: Global sources, lifetimes and mass balances of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) and carbonyl disulfide (CS2) in the Earth’s atmosphere, Atmos. Environ. 18, 1805–1813.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalil, M. A. K. and Rasmussen, R. A., 1993: Decreasing trend of methane: unpredictability of future concentrations, Chemosphere 26, 803–814.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalil, M. A. K. and Rasmussen, R. A., 1994: Global decrease in carbon monoxide concentration, Nature 370, 639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lelieveld, J., Crutzen, P. J., and Bruehl, C., 1993: Climate effects of atmospheric methane, Chemosphere 26, 739–768.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leuenberg, M. and Siegenthaler, U., 1992: Ice-age atmospheric concentration of nitrous oxide from an Antarctic ice core, Nature 360, 449–451.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahieu, E., Rinsland, C. P., Zander, R., Demoulin, P., Delbouille, L., and Roland, G., 1995: Vertical column abundances of HCN deduced from ground-based infrared solar spectra: long-term trend and variability, J. Atmos. Chem. 20, 299–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Migeotte, M., 1949: The fundamental band of carbon monoxide at 4.7µ in the solar spectrum, Phys. Rev. 75, 1108–1109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Migeotte, M., Neven, L., and Swenson, J., 1956: The solar spectrum from 2.8 to 23.7 microns, I. Photometric atlas, Mém. Soc. Roy. Sci. Liège, Vol. hors série 1.

  • Novelli, P. C., Masarie, K. A., Tans, P. P., and Lang, P. M., 1994: Recent changes in atmospheric carbon monoxide, Science 263, 1587–1590.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prather, M. J., 1994: Lifetimes and eigenstates in atmospheric chemistry, Geophys. Res. Lett. 21, 801–804.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinsland, C. P., Smith, M. A. H., Rinsland, P. L., Goldman, A., Brault, J. W., and Stokes, G. M., 1982: Ground-based infrared spectroscopic measurements of atmospheric hydrogen cyanide, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 1119–11125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinsland, C. P., Zander, R., and Demoulin, P., 1991a: Ground-based infrared measurements of HNO3 total column abundances: long-term trend and variability, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 9379–9389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinsland, C. P., Levine, J. S., Goldman, A., Sze, N. D., Ko, M. K. W., and Johnson, D. W., 1991b: Infrared measurements of HF and HCl total column abundances above Kitt Peak, 1977–1990: Seasonal cycles, long-term increases, and comparisons with model calculations, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 15523–15540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinsland, C. P., Zander, R., Mahieu, E., Demoulin, P., Goldman, A., Ehhalt, D. H., and Rudolph, J., 1992: Ground-based infrared measurements of carbonyl sulfide total column abundances: long-term trends and variability, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 5995–6002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinsland, C. P., Zander, R., Demoulin, Ph., and Mahieu, E., 1996: ClONO2 total vertical column abundances above the Jungfraujoch Station, 1986–1994: Long-term trend and winter-spring enhancements, J. Geophys. Res. 101, 3891–3899.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez, J. M., Ko, M. K.W., and Sze, N. D., 1991: Role of heterogeneous conversion of N2O5 on sulphate aerosols in global ozone losses, Nature 352, 134–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothman, L. S. et al., 1992: The HITRAN molecular database: Editions of 1991 and 1992, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 48, 469–508.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudolph, J. and Ehhalt, D. H., 1981: Measurements of C2–C5 hydrocarbons over the North Atlantic, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 11959–11964.

    Google Scholar 

  • WMO Report No. 16, 1986: Atmospheric ozone 1985: assessment of our understanding of the processes controlling its present distribution and change, World Meteorological Organisation, P.O. Box 2300, Geneva 2, CH 1211, Switzerland.

  • WMO Report No. 37, 1995: Scientific assessment of ozone depletion: 1994, World Meteorological Organisation, P.O. Box 2300, Geneva 2, CH 1211, Switzerland.

  • Zander, R., Demoulin, Ph., Ehhalt, D. H., Schmidt, U., and Rinsland, C. P., 1989a: Secular increase of the total vertical column abundance of carbon monoxide above Central Europe since 1950, J. Geophys. Res. 94, 11021–11028.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, R., Demoulin, Ph., Ehhalt, D. H., and Schmidt, U., 1989b: Secular increase of the vertical column abundance of methane derived from IR solar spectra recorded at the Jungfraujoch Station, J. Geophys. Res. 94, 11029–11039.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, R., Rinsland, C. P., Ehhalt, D. H., Rudolph, J., and Demoulin, Ph., 1991: Vertical column abundances and seasonal cycle of acetylene, C2 H2, above the Jungfraujoch Station, derived from IR solar observations, J. Atmos. Chem. 13, 359–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, R., Mahieu, E., and Demoulin, Ph., 1993: Monitoring of stratospheric changes at the Jungfraujoch Station by high-resolution infrared solar observations in support of the network for detection of stratospheric changes (NDSC), in M.-L. Chanin (ed.), NATO ASI Series, I.8, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 347–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, R., Ehhalt, D. H., Rinsland, C. P., Schmidt, U., Mahieu, E., Rudolph, J., Demoulin, P., Roland, G., Delbouille, L., and Sauval, A. J., 1994a: Secular trend and seasonal variability of N2O above the Jungfraujoch station determined from IR solar spectra, J. Geophys. Res. 99, 16745–16756.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, R., Demoulin, Ph., and Mahieu, E., 1994b: Monitoring of the atmospheric burdens of CH4, N2O, CO, CHClF2 and CF2Cl2 above Central Europe during the last decade, Environ. Monitoring Assess. 31, 203–209.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mahieu, E., Zander, R., Delbouille, L. et al. Observed Trends in Total Vertical Column Abundances of Atmospheric Gases from IR Solar Spectra Recorded at the Jungfraujoch. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 28, 227–243 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005854926740

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005854926740

Navigation