Long-Term UTLS aerosol/cloud/ozone monitoring, stratosphere-climate interactions: NDACC-France Antarctic contribution

The objectives of the 209 project “NDACC Antarctic” consist in long term monitoring associated to process and climatological studies on both the chemical composition (including stratospheric ozone) and particle population (aerosols, cirrus, Polar Stratospheric Clouds – PSC) of the Upper Troposphere / Lower Stratosphere. The global scientific thematic is the stratospheric ozone chemistry and depletion in the frame of a changing climate and under stratospheric aerosols perturbations. Consequences on UV-B radiation on ground, as well as ozone interactions with climate, especially concerning the impact of greenhouse gases increases are also investigated. A set of instruments dedicated to the measurements of clouds occurrence and physical characterization, and ozone, along with the parameters involved in its chemical equilibrium is currently implemented on the French stations Dumont d’Urville and Kerguelen. These instruments are: UV-Visible spectrometers, balloon ozone soundings and lidar (Rayleigh/Mie/Raman). The observed variables are ozone, total column and vertical profiles, aerosols and polar stratospheric cloud profiles along with classification, temperature, nitrogen dioxide. This observatory program is part, at the French level, of the National Observing Service NDACC-France.