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EOS Microwave Limb Sounder observations of the Antarctic polar vortex breakup in 2004
Author(s) -
Manney G. L.,
Santee M. L.,
Livesey N. J.,
Froidevaux L.,
Read W. G.,
Pumphrey H. C.,
Waters J. W.,
Pawson S.
Publication year - 2005
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 - 10.1029/2005gl022823
Subject(s) - microwave limb sounder , stratosphere , polar vortex , breakup , vortex , sudden stratospheric warming , tropopause , atmospheric sciences , mesocyclone , geology , diabatic , climatology , environmental science , physics , meteorology , astronomy , doppler effect , doppler radar , mechanics , adiabatic process , thermodynamics
New observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on NASA's Aura satellite give a detailed picture of the spring Antarctic polar vortex breakup throughout the stratosphere, with the first daily global HCl profiles providing an unprecedentedly clear view of transport in the lower stratosphere. Poleward transport at progressively lower levels, filamentation, and mixing are detailed in MLS HCl, N 2 O, H 2 O, and O 3 as the 2004 Antarctic vortex broke up from the top down in early October through late December. Improved MLS H 2 O data show the subvortex, below the tropical tropopause, breaking up almost simultaneously with the lower stratospheric vortex in December. Vortex remnants persisted in MLS tracers for over a month after the breakup in the midstratosphere, but no more than a week in the lower stratosphere. MLS observations show diabatic descent continuing throughout November, but weak ascent after late October in the lower stratospheric vortex core. Our results extend previous observational transport studies and show consistency with mixing and vortex evolution in meteorological analyses, and with model studies.