Microwave Limb Sounder

Contact: Gloria Manney

Basic Information Nitric acid (HNO3) plays several pivotal roles in the processes controlling stratospheric ozone depletion. It is a key component of the polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) that form in the very low temperatures of polar winter, removing HNO3 from the gas phase. PSC particles provide surfaces on which heterogeneous chemical reactions occur, converting chlorine from its reservoir species (e.g., ClONO2, HCl) to the highly reactive forms that participate in the catalytic cycles of ozone destruction (e.g., ClO). On the other hand, photolysis of HNO3 vapor releases NO2, enabling a major pathway for the deactivation of chlorine, via the reformation of ClONO2 from ClO and NO2. If PSC particles grow large enough, then they can settle out of the lower stratosphere, carrying the HNO3 with them in a process known as denitrification. Severe denitrification curtails ClONO2 formation, allowing enhanced ClO and thus chemical ozone destruction to persist. Therefore, as a central participant in both the activation and the deactivation of chlorine, HNO3 indirectly regulates the extent, duration, and cumulative magnitude of stratospheric ozone depletion.

The HNO3 Molecule

The standard product for HNO₃ is taken from the 240 GHz (Core+R3) retrieval at and below 10 hPa, and from the 190 GHz (Core+R2B) retrieval at and above 6.8 hPa.

(map from 2005d264)

HNO3 Information from the Spectroscopy Database Product Information Line Listing

2011

1. de Laat, A.T.J., "The 2010 Antarctic ozone hole: Observed reduction in ozone destruction by minor sudden stratospheric warmings", vol 10.1038/srep00038, num 1, pgs. 38, 2011. Preprint
2. Feng, W., "Modelling the effect of denitrification on polar ozone depletion for Arctic winter 2004/2005", num 11, 2011. Preprint
3. Fiorucci, I., "Revising the retrieval technique of a long-term stratospheric HNO3 data set: from a constrained matrix inversion to the optimal estimation algorithm", vol doi:10.5194/angeo-29-1317-2011, num 29, 2011. Preprint
4. Jackman, C.H., "Northern Hemisphere atmospheric influence of the solar proton events and ground level enhancement in January 2005", vol doi:10.5194/acp-11-6153-2011, num 11, 2011. Preprint
5. Khosrawi, F., "Denitrification and polar stratospheric cloud formation during the Arctic winter 2009/2010", num 11, 2011. Preprint
6. Manney, G.L., "Unprecedented Arctic ozone loss in 2011", vol doi:10.1038/nature10556, num 478, 2011. Preprint
7. Santee, M.L., "Trace gas evolution in the lowermost stratosphere from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder measurements", vol 10.1029/2011JD015590, num 116, 2011. Preprint
8. Verronen, P.T., "Nitric acid enhancements in the mesosphere during the January 2005 and December 2006 solar proton events", vol doi:10.1029/2011JD016075, num 116, 2011. Reprint Preprint

2009

1. Chauhan, S., "MIPAS reduced spectral resolution UTLS-1 mode measurements of temperature, O3, HNO3, N2O, H2O and relative humidity over ice: retrievals and comparison to MLS", num 2, 2009. Preprint
2. Jumelet, J., "Microphysical modeling of a midlatitude “polar stratospheric cloud” event: Comparisons against multiwavelength ground-based and spaceborne lidar data", vol doi:10.1029/2009JD011776, num 114, 2009. Preprint
3. Pitts, M.C., "CALIPSO polar stratospheric cloud observations: second-generation detection algorithm and composition discrimination", num 9, 2009. Reprint Preprint
4. Popp, P.J., "Stratospheric correlation between nitric acid and ozone", vol doi:10.1029/2008JD010875, num 114, 2009. Preprint
5. Urban, J., "Nitric acid in the stratosphere based on Odin observations from 2001 to 2009 - Part 1: A global climatology", num 9, 2009. Preprint
6. Wespes, C., "Global distributions of nitric acid from IASI/MetOP measurements", num 9, 2009. Preprint

2008

1. Coffey, M.T., "Airborne Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) observations in support of EOS Aura validation", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD008833, num 113, 2008. Reprint Preprint
2. Kinnison, D.E., "Global Observations of HNO3 from the High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS): First results", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD008814, pgs. 113, 2008. Reprint Preprint
3. Manson, A.H., "Regional stratospheric warmings in the Pacific-Western Canada (PWC) sector during winter 2004/2005: implications for temperatures, winds, chemical constituents and the characterization of the Polar vortex", num 26, 2008. Preprint
4. Santee, M.L., "A study of stratospheric chlorine partitioning based on new", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD009057, num 113, 2008. Reprint Preprint
5. Wolff, M.A., "Validation of HNO3, ClONO2, and N2O5 from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS)", num 8, pgs. 13, 2008. Preprint

2007

1. Manney, G.L., "Solar Occultation Satellite Data and Derived Meteorological Products: Sampling Issues and Comparisons with Aura MLS", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD008709, num 112, 2007. Reprint Preprint
2. Pitts, M.C., "Characterization of Polar Stratospheric Clouds with spaceborne lidar: CALIPSO and the 2006 Antarctic season", num 7, 2007. Reprint Preprint
3. Santee, M.L., "Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder HNO₃ Measurements", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD008721, num 112, 2007. Reprint Preprint
4. Wang, D.Y., "Validation of nitric acid retrieved by the IMK-IAA processor from MIPAS/ENVISAT measurements", num 7, 2007. Preprint

2006

1. Barret, B., "Intercomparisons of Trace Gas Profiles from the Odin/SMR and Aura/MLS Limb Sounders", vol doi:10.1029/2006JD007305, num 111, 2006. Reprint Preprint
2. Cofield, R.E., "Design and field-of-view calibration of 114-660 GHz optics of the Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder", num 44, pgs. no. 5, 2006. Preprint
3. Froidevaux, L., "Early validation analyses of atmospheric profiles from EOS MLS on the Aura satellite", num 44, pgs. no. 5, 2006. Preprint
4. Irie, H., "Validation of stratospheric nitric acid concentration profiles observed by Improved Limb Atmospheric Sectrometer (ILAS)-II", vol doi:10.1029/2005JD006115, num 111, 2006. Reprint Preprint
5. Schoeberl, M.R., "Chemical Observations of a Polar Vortex Intrusion", vol doi:10.1029/2006JD007134, num 111, 2006. Reprint Preprint

2005

1. Davies, S., "3D microphysical model studies of Arctic denitrification: Comparison with observation", num 5, 2005. Preprint
2. Orsolini, Y.J., "An upper stratospheric layer of enhanced HNO₃ following exceptional solar storms", vol doi:10.1029/2004GL021588, num 32, 2005. Preprint
3. Santee, M.L., "Polar processing and development of the 2004 Antarctic ozone hole: First results from Aura MLS", vol doi:10.1029/2005GL022582, num 32, 2005. Preprint

2004

1. Drouin, B.J., "Rotational Spectrum of cis-cis HOONO", num 120, pgs. Issue 12, 2004. Preprint

2002

1. Danilin, M.Y., "Comparison of ER-2 aircraft and POAM-III, MLS, and SAGE II satellite measurements during SOLVE using traditional correlative analysis and trajectory hunting techniques", vol doi:10.1029/2002JD000781, num 107, pgs. D5, 2002. Reprint Preprint
2. Danilin, M.Y., "Trajectory hunting as an effective technique to validate multiplatform measurements: Analysis of the MLS, HALOE, SAGE-II, ILAS, and POAM-II data in October-November 1996", vol doi:10.1029/2001JD002012, num 107, pgs. D20, 2002. Preprint
3. Muscari, G., "Intercomparison of stratospheric HNO₃ over Antarctica: Ground-based Millimeter-wave versus UARS/MLS Version 5 retrievals", vol doi:10.1029/2002JD002546, num 107, pgs. D24, 2002. Preprint
4. Santee, M.L., "A Lagrangian approach to studying Arctic polar stratospheric clouds using UARS MLS HNO₃ and POAM II aerosol extinction measurements", vol doi:10.1029/2000JD000227, num 107, pgs. D10, 2002. Preprint

2000

1. Santee, M.L., "UARS Microwave Limb Sounder Observations of Denitrification and Ozone Loss in the 2000 Arctic Late Winter", num 27, 2000. Preprint
2. Tabazadeh, A., "Quantifying Denitrification and Its Effect on Ozone Recovery", num 288, 2000. Preprint

1999

1. Dessler, A.E., "Satellite observations of temporary and irreversible denitrification", num 104, pgs. D11, 1999. Preprint
2. Randel, W.J., "Space-time patterns of trends in stratospheric constituents derived from UARS measurements", num 104, pgs. D3, 1999. Preprint
3. Santee, M.L., "Six years of UARS Microwave Limb Sounder HNO₃ observations: Seasonal, interhemispheric, and interannual variations in the lower stratosphere", num 104, pgs. D7, 1999. Preprint

1998

1. Ricaud, P., "Stratosphere over Dumont d'Urville, Antarctica, in winter 1992", num 103, pgs. D11, 1998. Preprint
2. Santee, M.L., "UARS MLS HNO₃ observations: Implications for Antarctic PSCs", num 103, pgs. D11, 1998. Preprint

1997

1. Engel, A., "Partitioning Between Chlorine Reservoir Species Deduced from Observations in the Arctic Winter Stratosphere", num 27, 1997. Preprint
2. Massie, S.T., "Simultaneous observations of Polar Stratospheric Clouds and HNO₃ over Scandinavia in January, 1992", num 24, 1997. Preprint
3. Santee, M.L., "MLS observations of ClO and HNO₃ in the 1996-97 Arctic polar vortex", num 24, 1997. Preprint

1996

1. Kumer, J.B., "Comparison of correlative data with HNO₃ version 7 from the CLAES instrument deployed on the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite", num 101, pgs. D6, 1996. Preprint
2. Santee, M.L., "Polar vortex conditions during the 1995-96 Arctic winter: MLS ClO and HNO₃", num 23, 1996. Preprint

1995

1. Santee, M.L., "Interhemispheric differences in polar stratospheric HNO3, H2O, ClO and O3", num 267, 1995. Preprint