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Monitoring of atmospheric compounds at high latitudes is a key factor for a better understanding of the processes driving
the chemical cycles of ozone and related chemical species. In this frame, the GASCOD (Gas Analizer Spectrometer
Correlating Optical Differences) equipment is installed at the Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS - 74.69S, 164.12E) since
December 1995, carrying out observations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). The recent advances in sensor technologies and processor capabilities, suggested the setup of a new equipment, based on the same optical layout of the 'old' GASCOD , with enhanced performances and improved capabilities for the measurements of solar radiation in the
UV-visible spectral range (300-700nm). The efforts accomplished, allowed for the increase of the investigated tracers.
Actually, mainly due to the enlargement of the covered spectral range and to the adoption of a CCD sensor, in addition to
the NO2 and O3 compounds, others species can be monitored with the new instrumental setup such as bromine, chlorine and iodine oxides (BrO, OClO and IO). The innovative equipment called GASCODNG (GASCOD New Generation)
was installed at MZS during the 2012/2013 Italian Antarctic expedition, in the framework of the research projects
SAMOA (Automatic Station Monitoring Antarctic Ozonosphere) and MATAGRO (Monitoring Atmospheric Tracers in
Antarctica with Ground Based Observations) funded by the Italian and Portuguese Antarctic programs respectively. In
this paper a brief description of the new equipment is provided, highlighting the main improvements with regard to the
'old' one. Furthermore the full dataset (1996 - 2012) of NO2 total columns, obtained with the GASCOD installed at MZS,
is compared with the data obtained with satellite borne equipments (GOME, SCIAMACHY, OMI and GOME2) and the
main statistical parameters are analyzed and discussed in detail.
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