Seasonal cycle and secular trend of the total and tropospheric column abundance of ethane above the Jungfraujoch

The secular trend and the seasonal cycle of the total and the tropospheric column abundances of C2H6 over the Jungfraujoch Station (Switzerland) were deduced from infrared solar spectra recorded in 1951 and from 1984 to 1988. Results show a definite seasonal variation in the total vertical column abundance of C2H6, with a maximum of (1.43 + or - 0.03) x 10 to the 16th molecules/sq cm during March and April and a minimum in the fall; the ratio between the maximum and the minimum column abundances was found to be 1.62 + or - 0.11. The secular trend in the tropospheric burden above the Jungfraujoch was found to be (0.85 + or - 0.3) percent/yr.