Greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances
About
Long-lived greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances exert a significant influence on the chemical composition and dynamic structure of the stratosphere. We measure more than 30 important substances using the new air-core technique flying within the mini-balloon program.
Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) due to human influence are the main driver for the warming of the global atmosphere over the last decades. They also influence the most important natural greenhouse gas, namely water vapor. Many other gases have a direct or indirect influence on temperature, and can simultaneously influence other important environmental parameters such as air quality. Three prominent examples of this are carbon monoxide (CO), carbonyl sulphide (COS), and sulphur dioxide (SO2).
Another anthropogenic effect is the ongoing destruction of the life-protecting stratospheric ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and related trace gases. Despite international agreements, it will be decades before the atmospheric concentrations of these substances are reduced to a more ozone-friendly level.
Research Topics
High-precision in situ measurements are required to determine the distribution of these gases in the atmosphere and to draw conclusions about their chemistry, transport and mechanisms of action. In order to be able to do this, ICE-4 has built up many years of expertise in the development of specially adapted measuring devices. Part of this is a mini-balloon program that enables access to high altitudes (>30 km). In parallel, high-frequency trace gas measurements are carried out with airborne devices, which enables particularly valuable and unique results, especially in the important transition region between the troposphere and stratosphere. At the same time, many of these measurements also serve as “anchors” to validate the spatially better covering results of remote sensing devices (e.g. on satellites).
Selection of ICE-4 publications
- Laube et al., ACP, 2020
- von Hobe et al., ACP, 2021
- Western et al., Nat. Geo., 2023