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Non‐equilibrium compositions of liquid polar stratospheric clouds in gravity waves
Author(s) -
Voigt Christiane,
Tsias Athanasios,
Dörnbrack Andreas,
Meilinger Stefanie,
Luo Beiping,
Schreiner Jochen,
Larsen Niels,
Mauersberger Konrad,
Peter Thomas
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012168
Subject(s) - polar , stratosphere , backscatter (email) , particle (ecology) , mesoscale meteorology , atmospheric sciences , supercooling , gravity wave , materials science , physics , gravitational wave , thermodynamics , geology , meteorology , astrophysics , astronomy , wireless , telecommunications , oceanography , computer science
On 25 January 1998 mountain induced gravity waves developed over Scandinavia leading to the formation of mesoscale polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). Balloon‐borne mass spectrometric measurements of particle composition and optical backscatter measurements were performed above Kiruna/Sweden. PSCs were encountered twice, showing a correlated increase in the condensed phase water, nitric acid and the backscatter ratio. Thermodynamic modeling allows the PSC particles to be unambiguously identified as supercooled ternary solution (STS) droplets, but cannot account for the measured scatter in the particulate HNO 3 ∶H 2 O mole ratio. Simultaneous temperature measurements show that the particles were subject to rapid atmospheric temperature fluctuations of ±1 K and cooling/heating rates exceeding 1 K/min caused by the gravity waves. Micro‐physical non‐equilibrium modeling of STS droplet distributions reveals that the observed temperature perturbations cause particle compositions in close agreement with the measured HNO 3 ∶H 2 O variations. Non‐equilibrium compositions of liquid PSC particles are thus a principal stratospheric characteristic related to gravity waves affecting particle evolution.