Climatology of nitric oxide in the upper stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere - 1979 through 1986

The contents of NO in the upper stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere were determined as a function of time and latitude, using spectral scan data for 1979 through 1986 from the solar backscattered UV instrument on Nimbus 7. In that period, the integrated column amount of NO near the equator decreased from 6.4 x 10 to the 14th molecules/sq cm to 3.3 x 10 to the 14th molecules/sq cm. The time dependence of the decrease in NO correlated with solar activity, following the decline in solar activity from a solar maximum in 1979 to solar minimum in 1985-86. At middle and high latitudes, on the other hand, the NO concentration was found to be maximal in 1982-1983, a few years after the solar cycle maximum, and declined thereafter.