Research
Polar-stratospheric cloud observered Dec.10th 2002 12:04 GMT Illoqqortoormiut (Scoresbysund)
The division has participated in major European arctic and tropic campaigns since the beginning of the 1990's including EASOE, SESAME, THESEO, THESEO-2000-SOLVE, VINTERSOL, HIBISCUS, and Scout-AMMA, as well as a long series of EU projects. The research of the division is based on a broad spectrum of accessible observations, including data from the European environmental satellite ENVISAT and analyses of meteorological conditions in the stratosphere. The research includes analysis of transport of ozone depleted air masses from Arctic areas to mid latitudes and experimental and theoretical studies of polar stratospheric clouds. In addition research is carried out on cirrus clouds from airplane condensation trails, and on cirrus clouds in the tropics, which is important for transport of water vapour to the stratosphere. Studies are performed on the downward influence from the stratosphere on tropospheric climate.
Monitoring
Ozone Spectrophotometer in Copenhagen
The division conducts permanent running measurements of the stratospheric ozone layer. Daily ground-based measurements of the ozone layer thickness as well as weekly balloon based measurements of the vertical ozone profiles are performed in Denmark and Greenland. The measurements are reported to international databases. In addition the measurements are incorporated in validation of satellite measurements, e.g. measurements from ENVISAT. Balloon-based measurements of the ozone layer are often conducted as part of larger international projects.
Launch of ozone sonde at Thule Air Base
Measurements of the ozone layer thickness above Denmark are published on DMI’s homepages, and used for daily forecast of UV radiation levels during the summer time. Moreover, the division participates in EUMETSAT's Satellite Application Facility on Ozone Monitoring, with the purpose of developing operational UV index products based on satellite measurements of the ozone layer.
Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change.
The NDACC station at Thule Air Base
DMI's observatories in Greenland (Thule and Søndre Strømfjord) serve as arctic stations in the world wide "Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change" (NDACC). The observatories included in this network of stations are all equipped with instruments of high quality for monitoring the state of the stratosphere, and processes leading to chemical ozone loss. Besides groundbased ozone and NO2-observations DMI conducts ballon borne ozone soundings and spectral measurements of the UV radiation. In addition to DMI's own instruments DMI's observatories host instruments from international collaborators, including e.g. a LIDAR for measurements of stratospheric aerosols (University of Rome, Italy ) and cloud particles and an infrared spectrometer for detection of important stratospheric molecules. (National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA)
SAOZ spectrometer at Thule Air Base
Ozone Spectrophotometer at Kangerlussuaq (Greenland).
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