Double core of ozone valley over the Tibetan Plateau and its possible mechanisms

Abstract In this study, the three-dimensional structure of the ozone valley (e.g. ozone depletion) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in summer (June–August) has been investigated using Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) ozone (O 3 ) data from 2005 to 2013. A double core structure of the o zone valley over the TP is found with one depletion center in upper stratosphere (10–2 hPa) named the upper core, and another depletion center, named the lower core, is observed in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (200–50 hPa). The analysis indicates that the zonal deviation of ozone O 3 * (O 3 * =O 3 –[O 3 ], here [O 3 ] is the zonal mean of O 3 ) at the upper core is nearly −1 DU while its counterpart's deviation at the lower core is nearly –15 DU. Large scale atmospheric circulation and terrain effects play an important role in the o zone valley at the lower core. In contrast, photochemistry reactions of odd chlorine including chlorine atoms (Cl) and chlorine monoxide (ClO) dominate the ozone valley at the upper core. Based on the MLS products, support for a chemical driver at the upper core is based on: (1) the significant diurnal variability of ozone suggests possible photochemistry reactions impacting the ozone valley ; (2) the positive center of the ClO zonal deviation (CLO*) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) zonal deviation (HCl * ) are found at the bottom of the upper core, which means the higher odd chlorine may accelerate the ozone loss.

[1]  Stanley C. Solomon,et al.  Stratospheric ozone depletion: A review of concepts and history , 1999 .

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

[3]  Xiuji Zhou,et al.  Dynamic effects of the South Asian high on the ozone valley over the Tibetan Plateau , 2012, Acta Meteorologica Sinica.

[4]  Xiong Liu,et al.  Tibetan middle tropospheric ozone minimum in June discovered from GOME observations , 2009 .

[5]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  The Earth observing system microwave limb sounder (EOS MLS) on the aura Satellite , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[6]  J. Farman,et al.  Large losses of total ozone in Antarctica reveal seasonal ClOx/NOx interaction , 1985, Nature.

[7]  Daizhou Zhang,et al.  Summertime “ozone valley” over the Tibetan Plateau derived from ozonesondes and EP/TOMS data , 2008 .

[8]  Robert E. Veiga,et al.  An overview of sage I and II ozone measurements , 1989 .

[9]  S. Brohede,et al.  A study of ozone depletion in the 2004/2005 Arctic winter based on data from Odin/SMR and Aura/MLS , 2008 .

[10]  Robert E. Veiga,et al.  Validation of SAGE II ozone measurements , 1989 .

[11]  P. W.,et al.  Validation of SAGE II Ozone Measurements , 2016 .

[12]  M. Chipperfield,et al.  Effects of the Tibetan Plateau on total column ozone distribution , 2008 .

[13]  S. Massie,et al.  Formation of the summertime ozone valley over the Tibetan Plateau: The Asian summer monsoon and air column variations , 2011 .

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

[15]  J. Waters,et al.  An Overview of the EOS MLS Experiment , 1999 .

[16]  Xiuji Zhou,et al.  Mechanism of Formation of the Ozone Valley over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer— Transport and Chemical Process of Ozone , 2003 .

[17]  罗超,et al.  OZONE VALLEY OVER TIBETAN PLATEAU , 1994 .

[18]  M. Molina,et al.  Stratospheric sink for chlorofluoromethanes: chlorine atomc-atalysed destruction of ozone , 1974, Nature.

[19]  W. Liu,et al.  Climate warming and decreasing total column ozone over the Tibetan Plateau during winter and spring , 2014 .

[20]  T. Flury,et al.  Ozone depletion, water vapor increase, and PSC generation at midlatitudes by the 2008 major stratospheric warming , 2009 .

[21]  Han Zou,et al.  Seasonal variation and trends of Toms ozone over Tibet , 1996 .

[22]  Renhe Zhang,et al.  Decadal variations of temperature and geopotential height over the Tibetan Plateau and their relations with Tibet ozone depletion , 2005 .

[23]  M. Rex,et al.  Persistence of ozone anomalies in the Arctic stratospheric vortex in autumn , 2012 .

[24]  Shi Chun.  The quasi-biennial oscillation of water vapor in tropic stratosphere , 2009 .

[25]  S. Carn,et al.  Extending the long‐term record of volcanic SO2 emissions with the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite nadir mapper , 2015 .

[26]  G. Moore,et al.  A Tibetan Taylor Cap and a halo of stratospheric ozone over the Himalaya , 2005 .

[27]  P. Crutzen,et al.  Learning about ozone depletion , 2008 .

[28]  Z. Ye,et al.  Climate characteristics of ozone over Tibetan Plateau , 2003 .

[29]  Richard R. Lay,et al.  The UARS and EOS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Experiments. , 1999 .