Research Objectives:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been conducting studies to determine and assess the long-term buildup of trace atmospheric constituents that influence climate change and the ozone layer. Time-series analyses of long-term data provide insight into several phenomena of particular interest. These include:
+ Seasonal and temporal variations in greenhouse gases,
+ Stratospheric ozone depletion,
+ Transantarctic transport and deposition,
+ The interplay of the trace gases and aerosols with solar and terrestrial radiation fluxes that occur on the polar plateau, and
+ The development of polar stratospheric clouds over Antarctica.
Project scientists measure carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, stable isotopic ratios of carbon dioxide and methane, aerosols, halocarbons, and other trace constituents. Flask samples are collected and returned for analysis, while concurrent in situ measurements are made of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, selected halocarbons, aerosols, solar and terrestrial radiation, water vapor, surface and stratospheric ozone, wind, pressure, air and snow temperatures and atmospheric moisture. Air samples at Palmer Station are also collected.
These measurements allow researchers to determine the rates at which concentrations of these atmospheric constituents change. They also point to likely sources, sinks, and budgets. This group collaborates with climate modelers and diagnosticians to explore how the rates of change of these parameters affect climate.
