And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
also via Martha
Atmosphere's ability to cleanse itself studied
Monday, February 8, 1999
Some of the measurements used in the experiment are being made at the
Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station in Tasmania. A team of
Australian and British scientists is spending the summer down under
studying the self-cleansing ability of the atmosphere as part of an
international project called the Southern Ocean Atmospheric
Photochemistry Experiment.
The atmosphere contains naturally occurring chemicals called hydroxl
radicals that react with, and destroy, a range of pollutants and natural
compounds. Some scientists think that hydroxyl levels may be changing
and thus increasing concentrations of ozone gas in the lower atmosphere.
Ozone near the ground is both a greenhouse gas and an irritant that
attacks the throat and lungs and irritates the eyes.
"A change in ozone and hydroxyl radical concentrations in the lower
atmosphere would certainly affect stability of the world's climate,"
said Professor Stuart Penkett, from the School of Environmental Sciences
at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.
The experiment is giving the scientists a present-day baseline in the
cleanest air present in the atmosphere against which they can check
future changes, said Penkett.
The Southern Ocean Atmospheric Photochemistry Experiment is taking place
now because sunlight is most intense at this time of the year. The sun's
energy plays a vital role in driving many of the chemical reactions in
the atmosphere.
The Experiment involves measurements from the Cape Grim Baseline Air
Pollution Station in Tasmania, from research aircraft and from the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's research
vessel the Southern Surveyor.
There will also be measurement flights by a small pilotless aircraft.
The 'aerosonde' will fly as high as three kilometers, collecting data on
atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.
These data will be used in conjunction with observations from the Cape
Grim station of both atmospheric chemistry and meteorology.
The Southern Ocean Atmospheric Photochemistry Experiment is part of a
major international effort to understand more about the chemistry of our
atmosphere and its impact on climate.
Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related stories:
•Ozone find sends chemists back to the computer
•Air pollution cleanup could boost economy
•Australian climate researcher honored
•Aussies to study Indian Ocean's effect on climate
Related sites:
•CSIRO: Climate and Atmosphere
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
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