New estimation of the NOx snow-source on the Antarctic Plateau

To fully decipher the role of nitrate photolysis on the atmospheric oxidative capacity in snow-covered regions, NOx flux must be determined with more precision than existing estimates. Here, we introduce a method based on dynamic flux chamber measurements for evaluating the NOx production by photolysis of snowpack nitrate in Antarctica. Flux chamber experiments were conducted for the first time in Antarctica, at the French-Italian station Concordia, Dome C (75◦06’S, 123◦19 20’E, 3233 m a.s.l) during the 2019-2020 summer campaign. Measurements were gathered with several snow samples of different ages ranging from newly formed drifted snow to 6-year-old firn.

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