The effects of NO2 changes at twilight on tangent ray NO2 measurements

Abstract
Several reported NO2 measurements are based on the inversion of absorption curves as measured from balloon platforms during sunrise or sunset. This measurement method takes advantage of the long pathlengths which result when the suns' rays pass tangentially through the atmospheric layers below the balloon. The tangent ray measurement technique may be affected by variations of NO2 concentrations at twilight since NO is being converted to NO2 during sunset and NO2 is being photolyzed to NO during sunrise. The effect of NO2 changes during twilight on tangent ray NO2 measurements has been quantitatively analyzed. The correction factors were found to be small.