Match observations in the Arctic winter 1996/97: High stratospheric ozone loss rates correlate with low temperatures deep inside the polar vortex

The Arctic winter of 2019-2020 was characterized by an unusually persistent polar vortex and temperatures in the lower stratosphere that were consistently below the threshold for the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). These conditions led to ozone loss that is comparable to the Antarctic ozone hole. Ground-based measurements from a suite of instruments at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) in Eureka, Canada (80.05&#176;N, 86.42&#176;W) were used to investigate chemical ozone depletion. The vortex was located above Eureka longer than in any previous year in the 20-year dataset and lidar measurements provided evidence of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) above Eureka. Additionally, UV-visible zenith-sky Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) measurements showed record ozone loss in the 20-year dataset, evidence of denitrification along with the slowest increase of NO2 during spring, as well as enhanced reactive halogen species (OClO and BrO). Complementary measurements of HCl and ClONO2 (chlorine reservoir species) from a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer showed unusually low columns that were comparable to 2011, the previous year with significant chemical ozone depletion. Record low values of HNO3 in the FTIR dataset are in accordance with the evidence of PSCs and a denitrified atmosphere. Estimates of chemical ozone loss were derived using passive ozone from the SLIMCAT offline chemical transport model to account for dynamical contributions to the stratospheric ozone budget.

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A Match-based approach to the estimation of polar stratospheric ozone loss using Aura Microwave Limb Sounder observations

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-15-9945-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (17) ◽

pp. 9945-9963 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

N. J. Livesey ◽

M. L. Santee ◽

G. L. Manney

Keyword(s):

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Potential Temperature ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

The Arctic ◽

Air Mass ◽

Ozone Loss ◽

Chemical Destruction ◽

Induced Changes ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The well-established "Match" approach to quantifying chemical destruction of ozone in the polar lower stratosphere is applied to ozone observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on NASA's Aura spacecraft. Quantification of ozone loss requires distinguishing transport- and chemically induced changes in ozone abundance. This is accomplished in the Match approach by examining cases where trajectories indicate that the same air mass has been observed on multiple occasions. The method was pioneered using ozonesonde observations, for which hundreds of matched ozone observations per winter are typically available. The dense coverage of the MLS measurements, particularly at polar latitudes, allows matches to be made to thousands of observations each day. This study is enabled by recently developed MLS Lagrangian trajectory diagnostic (LTD) support products. Sensitivity studies indicate that the largest influence on the ozone loss estimates are the value of potential vorticity (PV) used to define the edge of the polar vortex (within which matched observations must lie) and the degree to which the PV of an air mass is allowed to vary between matched observations. Applying Match calculations to MLS observations of nitrous oxide, a long-lived tracer whose expected rate of change is negligible on the weekly to monthly timescales considered here, enables quantification of the impact of transport errors on the Match-based ozone loss estimates. Our loss estimates are generally in agreement with previous estimates for selected Arctic winters, though indicating smaller losses than many other studies. Arctic ozone losses are greatest during the 2010/11 winter, as seen in prior studies, with 2.0 ppmv (parts per million by volume) loss estimated at 450 K potential temperature (~ 18 km altitude). As expected, Antarctic winter ozone losses are consistently greater than those for the Arctic, with less interannual variability (e.g., ranging between 2.3 and 3.0 ppmv at 450 K). This study exemplifies the insights into atmospheric processes that can be obtained by applying the Match methodology to a densely sampled observation record such as that from Aura MLS.

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The impact of mid-latitude intrusions into the polar vortex on ozone loss estimates

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-3-395-2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 395-402 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J.-U. Grooß ◽

R. Müller

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Loss Rate ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

Control Measures ◽

Lagrangian Model ◽

The Arctic ◽

Match Method ◽

Ozone Loss ◽

The Impact ◽

Loss Rates

Abstract. Current stratospheric chemical model simulations underestimate substantially the large ozone loss rates that are derived for the Arctic from ozone sondes for January of some years. Until now, no explanation for this discrepancy has been found. Here, we examine the influence of intrusions of mid-latitude air into the polar vortex on these ozone loss estimates. This study focuses on the winter 1991/92, because during this winter the discrepancy between simulated and experimentally derived ozone loss rates is reported to be the largest. Also during the considered period the vortex was disturbed by a strong warming event with large-scale intrusions of mid-latitude air into the polar vortex, which is quite unusual for this time of the year. The study is based on simulations performed with the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS). Two methods for determination the ozone loss are investigated, the so-called vortex average approach and the Match method. The simulations for January 1992 show that the intrusions induce a reduction of vortex average ozone mixing ratio corresponding to a systematic offset of the ozone loss rate of about 12 ppb per day. This should be corrected for in the vortex average method. The simulations further suggest, that these intrusions do not cause a significant bias for the Match method due to effective quality control measures in the Match technique.

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Evolution of stratospheric ozone during winter 2002/2003 as observed by a ground-based millimetre wave radiometer at Kiruna, Sweden

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-5-1399-2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 1399-1407 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

U. Raffalski ◽

G. Hochschild ◽

G. Kopp ◽

J. Urban

Keyword(s):

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

Space Physics ◽

Solar Irradiation ◽

The Arctic ◽

Strong Mixing ◽

Millimetre Wave ◽

Cold Temperatures ◽

Ozone Loss

Abstract. We present ozone measurements from the millimetre wave radiometer installed at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Institutet för rymdfysik, IRF) in Kiruna (67.8° N, 20.4° E, 420 m asl). Nearly continuous operation in the winter of 2002/2003 allows us to give an overview of ozone evolution in the stratosphere between 15 and 55 km. In this study we present a detailed analysis of the Arctic winter 2002/2003. By means of a methodology using equivalent latitudes we investigate the meteorological processes in the stratosphere during the entire winter/spring period. During the course of the winter strong mixing into the vortex took place in the middle and upper stratosphere as a result of three minor and one major warming event, but no evidence was found for significant mixing in the lower stratosphere. Ozone depletion in the lower stratosphere during this winter was estimated by measurements on those days when Kiruna was well inside the Arctic polar vortex. The days were carefully chosen using a definition of the vortex edge based on equivalent latitudes. At the 475 K isentropic level a cumulative ozone loss of about 0.5 ppmv was found starting in January and lasting until mid-March. The early ozone loss is probably a result of the very cold temperatures in the lower stratosphere in December and the geographical extension of the vortex to lower latitudes where solar irradiation started photochemical ozone loss in the pre-processed air. In order to correct for dynamic effects of the ozone variation due to diabatic subsidence of air masses inside the vortex, we used N2O measurements from the Odin satellite for the same time period. The derived ozone loss in the lower stratosphere between mid-December and mid-March varies between 1.1±0.1 ppmv on the 150 ppbv N2O isopleth and 1.7±0.1 ppmv on the 50 ppbv N2O isopleth.

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Stratospheric ozone loss in the Arctic winters between 2005 and 2013 derived with ACE-FTS measurements

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-19-577-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 577-601 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Debora Griffin ◽

Kaley A. Walker ◽

Ingo Wohltmann ◽

Sandip S. Dhomse ◽

Markus Rex ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atmospheric Chemistry ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

The Arctic ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Mixing Ratio ◽

Total Column Ozone ◽

Ozone Loss ◽

Column Ozone ◽

First Time

Abstract. Stratospheric ozone loss inside the Arctic polar vortex for the winters between 2004–2005 and 2012–2013 has been quantified using measurements from the space-borne Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). For the first time, an evaluation has been performed of six different ozone loss estimation methods based on the same single observational dataset to determine the Arctic ozone loss (mixing ratio loss profiles and the partial-column ozone losses between 380 and 550 K). The methods used are the tracer-tracer correlation, the artificial tracer correlation, the average vortex profile descent, and the passive subtraction with model output from both Lagrangian and Eulerian chemical transport models (CTMs). For the tracer-tracer, the artificial tracer, and the average vortex profile descent approaches, various tracers have been used that are also measured by ACE-FTS. From these seven tracers investigated (CH4, N2O, HF, OCS, CFC-11, CFC-12, and CFC-113), we found that CH4, N2O, HF, and CFC-12 are the most suitable tracers for investigating polar stratospheric ozone depletion with ACE-FTS v3.5. The ozone loss estimates (in terms of the mixing ratio as well as total column ozone) are generally in good agreement between the different methods and among the different tracers. However, using the average vortex profile descent technique typically leads to smaller maximum losses (by approximately 15–30 DU) compared to all other methods. The passive subtraction method using output from CTMs generally results in slightly larger losses compared to the techniques that use ACE-FTS measurements only. The ozone loss computed, using both measurements and models, shows the greatest loss during the 2010–2011 Arctic winter. For that year, our results show that maximum ozone loss (2.1–2.7 ppmv) occurred at 460 K. The estimated partial-column ozone loss inside the polar vortex (between 380 and 550 K) using the different methods is 66–103, 61–95, 59–96, 41–89, and 85–122 DU for March 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011, respectively. Ozone loss is difficult to diagnose for the Arctic winters during 2005–2006, 2008–2009, 2011–2012, and 2012–2013, because strong polar vortex disturbance or major sudden stratospheric warming events significantly perturbed the polar vortex, thereby limiting the number of measurements available for the analysis of ozone loss.

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Spatial, temporal, and vertical variability of polar stratospheric ozone loss in the Arctic winters 2004/2005–2009/2010

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-10-9915-2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (20) ◽

pp. 9915-9930 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

J. Kuttippurath ◽

S. Godin-Beekmann ◽

F. Lefèvre ◽

F. Goutail

Keyword(s):

Transport Model ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

The Arctic ◽

Model Calculations ◽

Ozone Loss ◽

Vertical Range ◽

Column Ozone ◽

Catalytic Cycles ◽

Good Agreement

Abstract. The polar stratospheric ozone loss during the Arctic winters 2004/2005–2009/2010 is investigated by using high resolution simulations from the chemical transport model Mimosa-Chim and observations from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), by applying the passive tracer technique. The winter 2004/2005 shows the coldest temperatures, highest area of polar stratospheric clouds and strongest chlorine activation in 2004/2005–2009/2010. The ozone loss diagnosed from both simulations and measurements inside the polar vortex at 475 K ranges from 0.7 ppmv in the warm winter 2005/2006 to 1.5–1.7 ppmv in the cold winter 2004/2005. Halogenated (chlorine and bromine) catalytic cycles contribute to 75–90% of the ozone loss at this level. At 675 K the lowest loss of 0.3–0.5 ppmv is computed in 2008/2009, and the highest loss of 1.3 ppmv is estimated in 2006/2007 by the model and in 2004/2005 by MLS. Most of the ozone loss (60–75%) at this level results from nitrogen catalytic cycles rather than halogen cycles. At both 475 and 675 K levels the simulated ozone and ozone loss evolution inside the vortex is in reasonably good agreement with the MLS observations. The ozone partial column loss in 350–850 K deduced from the model calculations at the MLS sampling locations inside the polar vortex ranges between 43 DU in 2005/2006 and 109 DU in 2004/2005, while those derived from the MLS observations range between 26 DU and 115 DU for the same winters. The partial column ozone depletion derived in that vertical range is larger than that estimated in 350–550 K by 19±7 DU on average, mainly due to NOx chemistry. The column ozone loss estimates from both Mimosa-Chim and MLS in 350–850 K are generally in good agreement with those derived from ground-based ultraviolet-visible spectrometer total ozone observations for the respective winters, except in 2010.

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Chemical ozone loss in Arctic and Antarctic polar winter/spring season derived from SCIAMACHY limb measurements 2002–2009

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-11-6555-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 6555-6599 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

T. Sonkaew ◽

C. von Savigny ◽

K.-U. Eichmann ◽

M. Weber ◽

A. Rozanov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Loss ◽

Total Ozone ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

The Arctic ◽

Absorption Bands ◽

Data Set ◽

Ozone Loss ◽

The Difference ◽

The Antarctic

Abstract. Stratospheric ozone profiles are retrieved for the period 2002–2009 from SCIAMACHY measurements of limb-scattered solar radiation in the Hartley and Chappuis absorption bands of ozone. This data set is used to determine the chemical ozone loss in both the Arctic and Antarctic polar vortices using the vortex average method. The chemical ozone loss at isentropic levels between 450 K and 600 K is derived from the difference between observed ozone abundances and the ozone modelled considering diabatic cooling, but no chemical ozone loss. The results show chemical ozone losses of up to 20–40% between the beginning of January and the end of March inside the Arctic polar vortex. Strong inter-annual variability of the Arctic ozone loss is observed, with the cold winters 2004/2005 and 2006/2007 showing the largest chemical ozone losses. The ozone mass loss inside the polar vortex is also estimated. In the coldest Arctic winter 2004/2005 the total ozone mass loss is about 30 million tons inside the polar vortex between the 450 K and 600 K isentropic levels from the beginning of January until the end of March. The Antarctic vortex averaged ozone loss as well as the size of the polar vortex do not vary much from year to year. At the 475 K isentropic level ozone losses of 70–80% between mid-August and mid-November are observed every year inside the vortex, also in the anomalous year 2002. The total ozone mass loss inside the Antarctic polar vortex between the 450 K and 600 K isentropic levels is about 55–75 million tons for the period between mid-August and mid-November. Comparisons of the vertical variation of ozone loss derived from SCIAMACHY observations with several independent techniques for the Arctic winter 2004/2005 show very good agreement.

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Reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-12-30661-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 30661-30754 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

M. von Hobe ◽

S. Bekki ◽

S. Borrmann ◽

F. Cairo ◽

F. D'Amato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ozone Depletion ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

The Arctic ◽

Synoptic Scale ◽

Ice Clouds ◽

Ozone Loss ◽

Process Studies ◽

Polar Ozone

Abstract. Significant reductions in stratospheric ozone occur inside the polar vortices each spring when chlorine radicals produced by heterogeneous reactions on cold particle surfaces in winter destroy ozone mainly in two catalytic cycles, the ClO dimer cycle and the ClO/BrO cycle. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are responsible for most of the chlorine currently present in the stratosphere, have been banned by the Montreal Protocol and its amendments, and the ozone layer is predicted to recover to 1980 levels within the next few decades. During the same period, however, climate change is expected to alter the temperature, circulation patterns and chemical composition in the stratosphere, and possible geo-engineering ventures to mitigate climate change may lead to additional changes. To realistically predict the response of the ozone layer to such influences requires the correct representation of all relevant processes. The European project RECONCILE has comprehensively addressed remaining questions in the context of polar ozone depletion, with the objective to quantify the rates of some of the most relevant, yet still uncertain physical and chemical processes. To this end RECONCILE used a broad approach of laboratory experiments, two field missions in the Arctic winter 2009/10 employing the high altitude research aircraft M55-Geophysica and an extensive match ozone sonde campaign, as well as microphysical and chemical transport modelling and data assimilation. Some of the main outcomes of RECONCILE are as follows: (1) vortex meteorology: the 2009/10 Arctic winter was unusually cold at stratospheric levels during the six-week period from mid-December 2009 until the end of January 2010, with reduced transport and mixing across the polar vortex edge; polar vortex stability and how it is influenced by dynamic processes in the troposphere has led to unprecedented, synoptic-scale stratospheric regions with temperatures below the frost point; in these regions stratospheric ice clouds have been observed, extending over >106km2 during more than 3 weeks. (2) Particle microphysics: heterogeneous nucleation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles in the absence of ice has been unambiguously demonstrated; conversely, the synoptic scale ice clouds also appear to nucleate heterogeneously; a variety of possible heterogeneous nuclei has been characterised by chemical analysis of the non-volatile fraction of the background aerosol; substantial formation of solid particles and denitrification via their sedimentation has been observed and model parameterizations have been improved. (3) Chemistry: strong evidence has been found for significant chlorine activation not only on polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) but also on cold binary aerosol; laboratory experiments and field data on the ClOOCl photolysis rate and other kinetic parameters have been shown to be consistent with an adequate degree of certainty; no evidence has been found that would support the existence of yet unknown chemical mechanisms making a significant contribution to polar ozone loss. (4) Global modelling: results from process studies have been implemented in a prognostic chemistry climate model (CCM); simulations with improved parameterisations of processes relevant for polar ozone depletion are evaluated against satellite data and other long term records using data assimilation and detrended fluctuation analysis. Finally, measurements and process studies within RECONCILE were also applied to the winter 2010/11, when special meteorological conditions led to the highest chemical ozone loss ever observed in the Arctic. In addition to quantifying the 2010/11 ozone loss and to understand its causes including possible connections to climate change, its impacts were addressed, such as changes in surface ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the densely populated northern mid-latitudes.

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Stratospheric ozone loss in the Arctic winters between 2005 and 2013 derived with ACE-FTS measurements

10.5194/acp-2017-1075 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Debora Griffin ◽

Kaley A. Walker ◽

Ingo Wohltmann ◽

Sandip S. Dhomse ◽

Markus Rex ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atmospheric Chemistry ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Correlation Method ◽

Polar Vortex ◽

The Arctic ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Mixing Ratio ◽

Total Column Ozone ◽

Ozone Loss ◽

Column Ozone

Abstract. Stratospheric ozone loss inside the Arctic polar vortex for the winters between 2004/2005 and 2012/2013 has been quantified using measurements from the space-borne Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). Six different methods, including tracer-tracer correlation, artificial tracer correlation, average vortex profile descent, and passive subtraction with model output from both Lagrangian and Eulerian chemical transport models (CTMs), have been employed to determine the Arctic ozone loss (mixing ratio loss profiles and the partial column ozone losses between 380 and 550 K). For the tracer-tracer, the artificial tracer, and the average vortex profile descent approaches, various tracers have been used. Here, we show that CH4, N2O, HF, and CFC-12 are suitable tracers for investigating polar stratospheric ozone depletion with ACE-FTS. The ozone loss estimates (in terms of the mixing ratio as well as total column ozone) are generally in good agreement between the different methods and among the different tracers. However, the tracer-tracer correlation method does not agree with the other estimation methods in March 2005 and using the average vortex profile descent technique typically leads to smaller maximum losses compared to all other methods. The passive subtraction method using output from CTMs generally results in smaller uncertainties and slightly larger losses compared to the techniques that use ACE-FTS measurements only. The ozone loss computed, using both measurements and models, shows the greatest loss during the 2010/2011 Arctic winter. For that year, our results show that maximum ozone loss (2.1–2.7 ppmv) occurred at 460 K. The estimated partial column ozone loss inside the polar vortex (between 380 K and 550 K) is 66–103 DU, 61–95 DU, 59–96 DU, 41–89 DU, and 85–122 DU for March 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011, respectively. Ozone loss is difficult to diagnose during 2005/2006, 2008/2009, 2011/2012, and 2012/2013 because strong polar vortex disturbance or major sudden stratospheric warming events significantly perturbed the polar vortex thereby limiting the number of measurements available for the analysis.

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