Premium
Severe and extensive denitrification in the 1999–2000 Arctic winter stratosphere
Author(s) -
Popp P. J.,
Northway M. J.,
Holecek J. C.,
Gao R. S.,
Fahey D. W.,
Elkins J. W.,
Hurst D. F.,
Romashkin P. A.,
Toon G. C.,
Sen B.,
Schauffler S. M.,
Salawitch R. J.,
Webster C. R.,
Herman R. L.,
Jost H.,
Bui T. P.,
Newman P. A.,
Lait L. R.
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.1029/2001gl013132
Subject(s) - stratosphere , denitrification , arctic , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , northern hemisphere , polar vortex , the arctic , climatology , altitude (triangle) , nitrogen , oceanography , geology , chemistry , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry
Observations in the 1999–2000 Arctic winter stratosphere show the most severe and extensive denitrification ever observed in the northern hemisphere. Denitrification was inferred from in situ measurements conducted during high‐altitude aircraft flights between January and March 2000. Average removal of more than 60% of the reactive nitrogen reservoir (NO y ) was observed in air masses throughout the core of the Arctic vortex. Denitrification was observed at altitudes between 16 and 21 km, with the most severe denitrification observed at 20 to 21 km. Nitrified air masses were also observed, primarily at lower altitudes. These results show that denitrification in the Arctic lower stratosphere can approach the severity and extent of that previously observed only in the Antarctic.