[en] The long-term trend of methane (CH4) in the lower stratosphere has been
estimated for the 1985 to 2008 time period by combining spaceborne solar occultation
measurements recorded with high spectral resolution Fourier transform spectrometers
(FTSs). Volume mixing ratio (VMR) FTS measurements from the ATMOS
(Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy) FTS covering 120-10 hPa (~16 to 30 km
altitude) at 25°N-35°N latitude from 1985 and 1994 have been combined with
Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) SCISAT-1 FTS measurements covering the
same latitude and pressure range from 2004 to 2008. The CH4 trend was estimated by
referencing the VMRs to those measured for the long-lived constituent N2O to account
for the dynamic history of the sampled airmasses. The combined measurement set shows
that the VMR increase measured by ATMOS has been replaced by a leveling off during
the ACE measurement time period. Our conclusion is consistent with both remote
sensing and in situ measurements of the CH4 trend obtained over the same time span.
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Rinsland, Curtis P.
Chiou, Linda S.
Boone, C. D.
Bernath, P. F.
Mahieu, Emmanuel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Groupe infra-rouge de phys. atmosph. et solaire (GIRPAS)
Zander, Rodolphe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté des sciences) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Sciences)
Language :
English
Title :
Trend of lower stratospheric methane (CH4) from Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) and Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) measurements
Publication date :
September 2009
Journal title :
Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer
ISSN :
0022-4073
Publisher :
Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science, Oxford, United Kingdom
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