This action phases out the operation and maintenance of a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer for various atmospheric constituents at McMurdo Station, and an emission spectrometer for nitrogen compound measurements at South Pole Station. The database developed over the years includes concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous and nitric oxides, chlorine nitrate, hydrogen chloride, and other trace elements active in the chemical destruction of stratospheric ozone. The utility of the information has decreased because the chemistry of the seasonal ozone destruction is now known quite well, and the tracking and monitoring of atmospheric constituents is being done by the NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory with its observatory at South Pole Station.
This project is jointly supported by the NSF's Office of Polar Programs and Division of Atmospheric Sciences. The funds will be used to analyze existing data on the nitric acid distribution over South Pole Station. ***
