This project involves the balloon borne measurement of ozone profiles and aerosols in the Arctic by proven University of Wyoming payloads. A type of new payloads will be developed to detect and measure the physical size and presence of polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) particles. In addition humidity and differential long wave infrared heat flux will be measured from balloons. Temperature profiles will be obtained on all of these flights. The project will be carried out from Alert, NWT in conjunction with Atmospheric Environmental Service of Canada (AES). The PSC's and aerosols are believed to play an important role in the annual ozone depletion which occurs over Antarctica, and it is of great importance to determine if the same effects are beginning to occur over the Arctic. As a consequence, this project is of the highest priority. The University of Wyoming group is the world's leader in the measurement of stratospheric aerosols and the facilities and experience are unparalleled.
