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POAM measurements of PSCs and water vapor in the 2002 Antarctic vortex
Author(s) -
Nedoluha Gerald E.,
Bevilacqua Richard M.,
Fromm Michael D.,
Hoppel Karl W.,
Allen Douglas R.
Publication year - 2003
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 - 10.1029/2003gl017577
Subject(s) - atmospheric sciences , water vapor , stratosphere , aerosol , environmental science , ozone , polar , polar vortex , climatology , meteorology , geology , physics , astronomy
We present Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) PSC and water vapor measurements obtained in the Antarctic stratosphere in 2002, and compare these with POAM measurements from 1993–1996 and 1998–2002 (PSCs) and 1998–2002 (water vapor). Through mid‐September 2002 POAM observed significantly fewer PSCs than in other years. However, ice PSC observations were only slightly reduced from previous years, and the dehydration was similar to that observed from 1998–2001. After an unprecedented major warming in September 2002, POAM observed only very few PSCs. This sudden decline in PSC activity in 2002 occurred a full month earlier than in any previous POAM measurement years.