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The Nimbus-4 Backscatter Ultraviolet (BUV) atmospheric ozone experiment — tow years' operation

  • Ozone Measurements from Rockets and Satellites
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Summary

In April 1970 the Backscatter Ultraviolet (BUV) experiment was placed into orbit aboard the Nimbus-4 satellite. This double monochromator experiment measures ultraviolet terrestrial radiance at twelve discrete wavelengths between 2550 Å and 3400 Å. Approximately 100 scans covering a 230 km square are made between terminator crossings on the daylight side of the earth. A colinear photometer channel with the same field of view is used to derive the Lambert reflectivity of the lower boundary of the scattering atmosphere. The extraterrestrial solar irradiance is measured at the northern terminator. The instrument has currently produced almost three years of nearly continuous data which are being used to infer the high-level ozone distribution and total ozone on a global basis. The high-level ozone data have been verified by independent coincident rocket ozone soundings, and the total ozone values show good agreement with Dobson spectrophotometer determinations as well as those made with the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer also on Nimbus-4. An increase has been observed in equatorial radiance at 2550 Å relative to 2900 Å, which seems to indicate that the amount of ozone in the upper stratosphere is related to the eleven-year solar cycle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Goddard Space Flight Center, 20771, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

    Donald F. Heath & Arlin J. Krueger

  2. Atmospheric Environment Service, 4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, Ontario, Canada

    Carlton L. Mateer

Authors
  1. Donald F. Heath
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  2. Carlton L. Mateer
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  3. Arlin J. Krueger
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Heath, D.F., Mateer, C.L. & Krueger, A.J. The Nimbus-4 Backscatter Ultraviolet (BUV) atmospheric ozone experiment — tow years' operation. PAGEOPH 106, 1238–1253 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00881076

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00881076

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