Atmospheric Ionization by Solar Particles Detected by Nitrate Measurement in Antarctic Snow

• Main Authors: Dreschhoff, G., Armstrong, T. P., Cravens, T., Vitt, F.
• Other Authors: KANSAS UNIV CENTER FOR RESEARCH INC LAWRENCE
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1993
• Subjects: Meteorology; Inorganic Chemistry; Geology; Geochemistry and Mineralogy; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *PARTICLES; *SNOW; *ICE; *NITRATES; *ANTARCTIC REGIONS; *IONIZATION; *ATMOSPHERICS; *SOLAR STRUCTURE; POLAR REGIONS; MEASUREMENT; DETECTION; CORES; CHEMICALS; TRANSPORT; D REGION; STRATOSPHERE; SOLAR FLARES; GEOCHEMISTRY; TROPOSPHERE; AURORAE; CLIMATE; PROTONS; ESTIMATES; VARIABLES; SURFACES; DEPOSITION; ELECTRONS; PRECIPITATION; PE61103D; WUAFOSR3484S4; FIRN; AURORAL; Antarctic; Antarc*; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA267583; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA267583

Nitrates are observed in polar snow, firn and ice in variable amounts and concentrations. Hundred-year or longer time series of nitrate observations can be obtained from ice cores. It is important to identify possible and probable sources of nitrates and mechanisms by which surface deposition and incorporation into ice occurs. Several important sources of nitrate are solar protons and auroral electrons producing ionization in the D-region. Chemical reactions energized by this ionization produce nitrates. Transport mechanisms can move nitrates from the stratosphere into the troposphere where it becomes incorporated into precipitation, From the amounts of nitrates deposited in polar snow over long times it may be possible to determine atmospheric characteristics of importance to climate and global change studies. The specific goal of this study is to evaluate carefully and completely the atmospheric nitrates produced by solar flare protons and auroral electrons and to estimate the amounts deposited in snow.