Ozone profile distributions in the Arctic from GOME satellite observations during spring 1997 and 1998

The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) aboard ESA's ERS-2 satellite measures the reflected and backscattered radiation from the Earth in the UV/visible spectral range at moderate spectral resolution. Vertical ozone profile distributions can be derived form top-of-atmosphere nadir observations using the Full Retrieval Method FURM, which is based upon an advanced Optimal Estimation inversion scheme. During the Arctic spring seasons 1997 and 1998 hemispheric ozone profile distributions have been derived from GOME observations. In 1997 the polar vortex formed late in winter and record low temperatures were reached in late March. In the lower stratosphere depleted levels of ozone were observed by GOME. From vertical ozone distributions inside the polar vortex obtained on 24 days between 9 March and 16 May 1997, chemical ozone loss rates in the lower stratosphere are estimated. The lower stratospheric temperatures in spring 1998 were comparable to the longterm mean and the polar vortex was relatively weak. Preliminary results from this period are also presented. In both spring seasons ozone mini-hole events, which are characterized by intrusion of ozone poor subtropical air into mid and polar latitudes, were observed. From transects of GOME orbits the 2D structure of the zone mini-hole can be studied in detail.

[1]  P. James.  An interhemispheric comparison of ozone mini‐hole climatologies , 1998 .

[2]  B. Naujokat,et al.  Correlation between stratospheric temperature, total ozone, and tropospheric weather systems , 1994 .

[3]  Vladimir V. Rozanov,et al.  Ozone profiles from GOME satellite data : Algorithm description and first validation , 1999 .

[4]  Rolf Müller,et al.  Severe chemical ozone loss in the Arctic during the winter of 1995–96 , 1997, Nature.

[5]  Paul Newman,et al.  Meteorology of the polar vortex: Spring 1997 , 1997 .

[6]  H. Kelder,et al.  An ozone climatology based on ozonesonde and satellite measurements , 1998 .

[7]  Parameterization schemes for terrestrial water clouds in the radiative transfer model GOMETRAN , 1997 .

[8]  James F. Gleason,et al.  Anomalously low ozone over the Arctic , 1997 .

[9]  Vladimir V. Rozanov,et al.  GOMETRAN: A radiative transfer model for the satellite project GOME, the plane-parallel version , 1997 .

[10]  P. Crutzen,et al.  HALOE observations of the vertical structure of chemical ozone depletion in the Arctic Vortex during winter and early spring 1996–1997 , 1997 .

[11]  Hiroshi Kanzawa,et al.  Ozone depletion in and below the Arctic Vortex for 1997 , 1998 .

[12]  J. Farman,et al.  LARGE LOSSES OF TOTAL OZONE IN ANTARCTICA , 1985 .

[13]  Roderic L. Jones,et al.  Diagnostic studies of the Antartctic vortex during the 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment: Ozone miniholes , 1989 .

[14]  Michael Buchwitz,et al.  The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (Gome) : Mission, instrument concept, and first scientific results , 1997 .

[15]  R. Stolarski,et al.  Episodic total ozone minima and associated effects on heterogeneous chemistry and lower stratospheric transport , 1992 .

[16]  L. Froidevaux,et al.  MLS observations of Arctic ozone loss in 1996–97 , 1997 .

[17]  S. Solomon.  Progress towards a quantitative understanding of Antarctic ozone depletion , 1990, Nature.

[18]  Richard Swinbank,et al.  A Stratosphere-Troposphere Data Assimilation System , 1994 .

[19]  P. Newman,et al.  The morphology and meteorology of southern hemisphere spring total ozone mini‐holes , 1988 .

[20]  C. Rodgers,et al.  Retrieval of atmospheric temperature and composition from remote measurements of thermal radiation , 1976 .

[21]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[22]  M. Loewenstein,et al.  Ozone Loss Inside the Northern Polar Vortex During the 1991-1992 Winter , 1993, Science.

[23]  Measurements of the Amount of Ozone in the Earth's Atmosphere and Its Relation to Other Geophysical Conditions. Part II , 1926 .