Open AccessInterannual variability of ozone in the winter lower stratosphere and the relationship to lamina and irreversible transport
Author(s) -
Olsen Mark A.,
Douglass Anne R.,
Schoeberl Mark R.,
Rodriquez Jose M.,
Yoshida Yasuko
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2009jd013004
Subject(s) - middle latitudes , stratosphere , microwave limb sounder , atmospheric sciences , tropics , latitude , environmental science , climatology , polar vortex , ozone , northern hemisphere , geology , meteorology , physics , biology , geodesy , fishery
We use the high‐resolution dynamic limb sounder (HIRDLS) high‐vertical resolution ozone profiles in the northern hemisphere lower stratosphere to examine the meridional transport out of the tropics. We focus on February 2005–2007 when there are differences in the dynamical background in the lower stratosphere due to the states of the quasi‐biennial oscillation and polar vortex. HIRDLS data reveal a large number of low ozone laminae that have the characteristics of tropical air at midlatitudes. More laminae are observed in February in 2006 than in 2005 or 2007. Because laminae can form, move out of the tropics, and return to the tropics without mixing into the midlatitude ozone field, the number of laminae is not directly related to the net transport. We use equivalent latitude coordinates to discriminate between reversible and irreversible laminar transport. The equivalent latitude analysis shows greater irreversible transport between the tropics and lower midlatitudes in both 2005 and 2007 compared to 2006 despite the higher number of laminae observed in 2006. Our conclusion that there was more irreversible transport of tropical air into the lower midlatitudes in 2005 and 2007 is supported by equivalent length analysis of mixing using microwave limb sounder N 2 O measurements. This study shows that reversibility must be considered in order to infer the importance of lamination to net transport.