Measurements of total ozone and aerosol parameters from October to mid-December, 1986, during the period when ozone levels are changing most rapidly

A spectrophotometer was installed at Arrival Heights near Scott Base and operated for a period of six weeks from the end of October 1986 to mid-December 1986. The instrument was fully automated and programmed to take measurements of direct sun radiance in each of eleven channels whenever the solar disk was unobscured. The channels were defined by thin film dielectric interference filters with bandwidths of 5 to 10 nm and centre wavelengths ranging from 310-940 nm. Variation of the readings with solar zenith angle yields the total atmospheric extinction for each channel. Further analysis will yield information on total ozone, aerosol characteristics and depending on the quality of the data, nitrous oxide and water vapour. Measurements of total ozone and aerosol parameters during the period when ozone levels were changing most rapidly were collected and the performance of the instrument in a new situation was evaluated.