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Evidence for midwinter chemical ozone destruction over Antarctica
Author(s) -
Vömel H.,
Hofmann D. J.,
Oltmans S. J.,
Harris J. M.
Publication year - 1995
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 - 10.1029/95gl02264
Subject(s) - ozone , ozone depletion , dehydration , atmospheric sciences , water vapor , environmental science , polar vortex , latitude , ozone layer , middle latitudes , depth sounding , polar , stratosphere , climatology , geology , meteorology , chemistry , oceanography , physics , biochemistry , geodesy , astronomy
Two ozone profiles on June 15 and June 19, obtained over McMurdo, Antarctica, showed a strong depletion in stratospheric ozone, and a simultaneous profile of water vapor on June 19 showed the first clear signs of dehydration. The observation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) beginning with the first sounding showing ozone depletion, the indication of rehydration layers, which could be a sign for recent dehydration, and trajectory calculations indicate that the observed low ozone was not the result of transport from lower latitudes. During this time the vortex was strongly distorted, transporting PSC processed air well into sunlit latitudes where photochemical ozone destruction may have occurred. The correlation of ozone depletion and dehydration indicates that water ice PSCs provided the dominant surface for chlorine activation. An analysis of the time when the observed air masses could have formed type II PSCs for the first time limits the time scale for the observed ozone destruction to about 4 days.