Seasonal and diurnal behavior of NO2 column density in Antarctica as observed by Mark IV, Brewer Ozone Spectrophotometer Number 153

The Meteorology Department of India has been measuring vertical column density of NO2 at Maitri (70.7°S, 11.7°E), Antarctica since July 1999 using a Mark IV, Brewer Ozone Spectrophotometer. Maitri is situated at the south of the Antarctic circle. An analysis of 6 years of data shows that NO2 column has seasonal variation with a maximum value during summer. It is also found that during the period when sun does not set, the NO2 column exhibits a diurnal variation, with a peak around noon and lower values in the morning and afternoon hours. Using a simple steady-state chemical reaction scheme, an attempt has been made to explain these features.