NRL’s Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) III was launched on the SPOT 4 satellite on March 23, 1998 to measure the vertical distribution of ozone, aerosols, water vapor, and nitrogen dioxide in the Antarctic and Arctic stratosphere. This instrument was a follow-on to the POAM II instrument, which operated from September 1993 until the SPOT 4 satellite failed in November 1996. POAM III made solar occultation measurements from 1998-2006 in nine narrowband channels from the visible to the near infrared (354, 439.6, 442.2, 603, 761.3, 779, 922.4, 935.9, and 1018 nm). The instrument has a vertical resolution of 1-2 km. From the measured transmissions, it is possible to determine the densities of aerosols at altitudes from 10-30 km, ozone from 10-60 km, water vapor from 10-40 km, and nitrogen dioxide from 20-40 km. These measurements provide a unique dataset for studying ozone chemistry in the polar regions. Opportunities exist for both data analysis and modeling; modeling opportunities include both photochemistry and the microphysics of stratospheric clouds and aerosols.

 

key words

Aerosols; Atmospheric models; Atmospheric ozone; Atmospheric radiation; Atmospheric temperature; Clouds; Nitrogen oxides; Photochemistry; Polar regions and processes; Stratosphere; Troposphere;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants