Latitudinal variation of measured NO2 photolysis frequencies over the Atlantic Ocean between 50� N and 30� S

Abstract

Using a filter radiometer, the meridional profile of the NO2 photolysis frequency, J(NO2), was measured between 50° N and 30° S during the cruise ANTVII/1 September/October 1988 of the research vessel Polarstern on the Atlantic Ocean. Simultaneously, global broadband irradiance and acrosol were monitored. Clean marine background air with low aerosol loads (bsp=(1–2)×10-5 m-1) was encountered at the latitudes 25° N–30° N and 18° S–27° S, respectively. Under these conditions and an almost cloudless sky J(NO2) reached 7.3×10-3 s-1 (2π sr) for a zenith angle of 30°. Between 30° N and 30° S, the latitudinal variation of the J(NO2) noontime maxima was less than ± 10%, while the mean value at noon was 7.8×10-3 s-1. For the set of all data between 50° N and 30° S, a nearly linear correlation of J(NO2) vs. global broadland irradiance was found. The slope of (8.24±0.03)×10-5 s-1/mW cm-2 agrees within 10% with observations in Julich (51° N, 6.2° E).