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POLARIS (Photochemistry of Ozone Loss in the Arctic Region In Summer)

polaris logo
Duration April - September, 1997
Platform NASA ER-2 Aircraft
Locations Moffett Field, California
Fairbanks, Alaska
Barber's Point, Hawaii

The Photochemistry of Ozone Loss in the Arctic Region In Summer (POLARIS) campaign was a study of the seasonal behavior of polar stratospheric ozone as it decreases from very high concentrations in spring to very low concentrations in autumn. Emphasis was put on measurements of the three chemical families that react catalytically with ozone: reactive nitrogen (NOy), chlorine (Cly), and hydrogen (HOx). ACATS measurements of halocarbons provided key information about reservoirs of organic chlorine and bromine, from which measurements of inorganic chlorine species were assessed.

Visit also the NASA home page on POLARIS.