In situ sensing of the middle atmosphere with balloonborne near-infrared laser diodes

G Durry; N Amarouche; V Zéninari; B Parvitte; T Lebarbu; J Ovarlez

doi:10.1016/j.saa.2003.11.050

In situ sensing of the middle atmosphere with balloonborne near-infrared laser diodes

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2004 Dec;60(14):3371-9. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2003.11.050.

Authors

G Durry¹, N Amarouche, V Zéninari, B Parvitte, T Lebarbu, J Ovarlez

Affiliation

¹ IPSL, Service d'Aéronomie, UMR 7620, CNRS-Réduit de Verrières, B.P. 3, 91371 Verrières-le-Buisson Cédex, France. georges.durry@aerov.jussieu.fr

PMID: 15561622
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2003.11.050

Abstract

Since 1997, two near-infrared laser diode sensors have been developed with the support of the CNES, the French space agency, to provide in situ data of H(2)O, CH(4) and CO(2) in the middle atmosphere. The realized instruments were flown from stratospheric balloons within the framework of European campaigns for the study of stratospheric ozone and water vapor and were involved in the validation of the ODIN and ENVISAT satellites. In this paper, we describe the developed laser probing technique, we report atmospheric measurements and finally we discuss future perspectives, particularly the in situ laser sensing of the lower atmosphere of Mars and the implication of the laser hygrometers in balloon campaigns at mid-latitudes and tropical regions to investigate the sources and sinks of stratospheric H(2)O.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air / analysis*
Carbon Dioxide / analysis
Lasers*
Methane / analysis
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / instrumentation*
Water / analysis

Substances

Water
Carbon Dioxide
Methane