The Atmosphere

Drivers of Global Change in the Antarctic: Atmospheric Remote-Sensing

Principal Investigator: Stephen Wood
Organisation: NIWA

What we do: This research investigates the Antarctic atmosphere’s role in global change, its response to that change, and its impact on it surroundings. One component of this is measurements of atmospheric composition in Antarctica using ground based instruments. We have measurements of ozone (using a Dobson spectrophotometer) and of several other important trace gases in the atmoposphere.

Why we do it: Springtime Antarctic ozone depletion is due to man-made chlorine chemicals in the stratosphere. This depletion has impacts on UV radiation in the Antarctic and, due to atmospheric circulation, at places in the mid-latitudes such as New Zealand in the summer.  Although ozone-destroying chlorine has already begun to decline, the recovery of ozone will take some time.  Testing model-based predictions with Antarctic observations will give early insight into ozone recovery. Changes in greenhouse gases, including ozone, affect the radiative balance of the atmosphere in ways that are not yet fully understood. The Antarctic provides a unique opportunity to determine global trends of atmospheric trace gases at sites isolated from anthropogenic sources.

Some things we've found out so far: The ozone hole in 2004 was about 20% smaller than that of 2003, but in 2005 it was near to record size again. This year to year variability makes it more difficult to detect ozone recovery.

Recent Publications:
Batchelor, R. L. Moonlight measurements of stratospheric trace gases during the 2003 Antarctic winter. PhD, University of Canterbury. 2005. View Abstract.

Ajtic, J. et. al. Dilution of the Antarctic Ozone Hole into Southern Midlatitudes, 1998-2000. Journal of Geophysical Research 109(D17): D17107, doi:17110.11029/12003JD004500. 2004. View Abstract.

Wood, S. W. et. al. Ground-based nitric acid measurements at Arrival Heights, Antarctica, using solar and lunar Fouruer transform infrared observations. Journal of Geophysical Research 109: doi:10.1029/2004JD004665. 2004. doi:10.1029/2004JD004665. View Abstract.