Arctic ozone depletion in 2002-2003 measured by ASUR and comparison with POAM observations

Abstract

International audienceWe present ozone loss estimated from airborne measurements in the Arctic winter 2003. The first half of the winter was characterized by unusually cold temperatures and the second half by a major stratospheric sudden warming that culminated around 15-18 January 2003. The potential vorticity maps show a vortex split in the lower stratosphere during the major warming (MW) period in late January and during the minor warming period in mid-February due to wave 1 amplification. The ozone depletion computed from the ASUR measurements sampled inside the vortex shows a maximum of 1.3{plus minus}0.2 ppmv at 450-500 K by late March. The partial column loss derived from the ASUR ozone profiles reaches up to 61{plus minus}4 DU in 400-550 K. The evolution of ozone and ozone loss in the ASUR measurements are in very good agreement with that of POAM observations. This study reveals that the Arctic winter 2003 is unique as it had three minor warmings and a MW, yet showed large loss in ozone, whereas no such feature was observed in any other Arctic winter in 1989-2010. An unusually large ozone loss in December, 0.5{plus minus}0.2 ppmv at 450-500 K or 12{plus minus}1 DU in 400-550 K, was estimated for the first time in the Arctic. A careful and detailed diagnosis of ozone loss from all available published results for this winter exhibits an average loss of about 1.5{plus minus}0.3 ppmv at 450-500 K or 65{plus minus}5 DU at 400-550 K by the end of March, which exactly matches the depletion derived in this study

A comparative study of the major sudden stratospheric warmings in the Arctic winters 2003/2004–2009/2010

“…Our analysis also shows that the wave 1 MWs (e.g. Kuttippurath et al, 2011;Kleinböhl et al, 2005;Manney et al, 2005;Liu et al, 2009) usually end up with vortex displacement events, while the wave 2 MWs (e.g. Harada et al, 2010;Manney et al, 2009) generally lead to vortex split events, consistent with the findings of previous studies (e.g.…”

“…Likewise, the MWs of /03, 2003/04, 2005/06, and 2008/09 were in January, (e.g. Cohen and Jones, 2011Kuttippurath et al, 2011;Kleinböhl et al, 2005) and consequently the ozone loss during the winters was also very small. The MWs of other winters were in February or March (e.g.…”

“…However, there were 7 MWs in 5 out of the 6 winters from 1998/99 to 2003/04 (e.g. Kuttippurath et al, 2011;Kleinböhl et al, 2005;Manney et al, 2005;Liu et al, 2009;Naujokat et al, 2002). The winter 1999/00 was unusually cold but each other winter was prone to MWs.…”

Variability of Antarctic ozone loss in the last decade (2004–2013): high resolution simulations compared to Aura MLS observations

“…The larger Antarctic ozone column loss contribution from higher altitudes (above 550 K) is consistent with the loss estimated above these altitudes, as shown by the ozone profiles in this study for 2004-2013 and in Lemmen et al (2006) and Hoppel et al (2005) for a range of Antarctic winters prior to 2004. It is also evident from the maximum ozone loss altitudes, as most Antarctic winters have their peak loss altitudes around 525 K as opposed to 475 K in the Arctic (e.g., Kuttippurath et al, 2012;Tripathi et al, 2007;Grooß et al, 2005a;Rex et al, 2004).…”

Impact of different ozone sounding networks on a 4D‐Var stratospheric data assimilation system

“…We limit our study to the Northern Hemisphere (NH) lower stratosphere of February 2003 as it is well covered by both ozonesondes and satellite data. During this period, increased dynamic variability due to a minor warming event as well as significant chemical ozone depletion could be observed (e.g Kuttippurath, 2011…”