Middle and upper tropospheric carbon monoxide mixing ratios as measured by a satellite‐borne remote sensor during November 1981

Abstract

Mixing ratios of tropospheric carbon monoxide measured by a gas filter radiometer carried aboard the space shuttle during November 1981 are reported. The data represent average mixing ratios in the middle and upper troposphere between 38°N and 38°S latitude. Approximately 10,000 individual measurements were obtained in each of the two channels of the instrument. The data are presented in the form of plots that show the individual carbon monoxide mixing ratio measurements as a function of latitude and longitude and in the form of maps that show the data averaged over 5° latitude by 5° longitude squares. The data show relatively little variation in the mixing ratio in the southern hemisphere; however, the data from both the tropics and the northern hemisphere show strong gradients with both latitude and longitude.