Measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory stopped after the 2022 eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano, when lava flow crossed the access road and took out power lines to the facility. The observatory remains inaccessible by vehicle and without power from the local utility company.
Observatory staff has established limited solar power in four observatory buildings and restored approximately 33 percent of the measurements onsite, including the Global Monitoring Laboratory and Scripps critical CO2 records and other atmospheric measurements.
Media can contact: Theo Stein (303) 819-7409 (theo.stein@noaa.gov) or Karin Vergoth 303-632-6413 (karin.vergoth@noaa.gov)
Organization(s):
National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)
Network For the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change
(NDACC)
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)What does this program measure?
The program measures Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), including NO2 90° slant column density data, from Mauna Loa Observatory.
How does this program work?
The NO2 monitor uses a single grating monochromator to measure the zenith skylight between 450 nm and 490 nm, with a resolution of about 1 nm. Scans are made under computer control during early and late morning, and a difference method is used to retrieve NO2 concentration using known absorption lines of the gas. By using scans from various times during the morning it is possible to obtain a profile of NO2.
Why is this research important?
It is important to continuously monitor stratospheric NO2 at MLO.
Are there any trends in the data?
How does this program fit into the big picture?
What is it's role in global climate change?
Comments and References
Lead Investigator(s):
Paul V. Johnston (NIWA)
011-643-440-0429
MLO Contact(s):
Paul Fukumura
808-933-6965 (x223)
Dr. John E. Barnes
808-933-6965 (x222)
Web Site(s)
www.niwa.co.nz
gml.noaa.gov/grad/uv.html
Date Started
July 9, 1996
Related Programs
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