Ballon-borne and aircraft infrared measurements of ethane (C2H6) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

✍ Scribed by A. Goldman; C. P. Rinsland; F. J. Murcray; D. G. Murcray; M. T. Coffey; W. G. Mankin

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 471 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0167-7764
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00114133

✦ Synopsis

Quantitative infrared measurements of ethane (C2H6) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere are reported. The results have been obtained from the analysis of absorption features of the v 9 band at 12.2 Urn, which have been identified in high-resolution balloon-borne and aircraft solar absorption spectra. The balloon-borne spectral data were recorded at sunset with the 0.02 cm -1 resolution University of Denver interferometer system from a float altitude of 33.5 km near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on 23 March 1981. The aircraft spectra were recorded at sunset in July 1978 with a 0.06 cm -1 resolution interferometer aboard a jet aircraft at 12 km altitude, near 35°N, 96°W. The balloon analysis indicates the C2H 6 mixing ratio decreased from 3.5 ppbv near 8.8 km to 0.91 ppbv near 12.1 km. The results are consistent with the column value obtained from the aircraft data.