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Polar stratospheric clouds inferred from satellite data
Author(s) -
Austin J.,
Remsberg E. E.,
Jones R. L.,
Tuck A. F.
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i012p01256
Subject(s) - stratosphere , northern hemisphere , depth sounding , southern hemisphere , polar vortex , polar , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , ozone depletion , water vapor , atmospheric sounding , humidity , ozone , ozone layer , relative humidity , climatology , geology , meteorology , physics , astronomy , oceanography
Anomalously high radiances from the ozone channel of the Limb Infra‐red Monitor of the Statosphere (LIMS) sounding instrument have been observed in the Northern Hemisphere winter lower stratosphere. Such events, thought to be due to polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are examined further by computing relative humidities using Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU) temperatures and water vapour measurements from the LIMS Map Archive Tape (MAT) analyses. Regions identified as PSCs are found to correspond closely to regions of high humidity. While instances of saturation were found, the average humidity at the centres of 39 PSCs was calculated to be 58%. Possible reasons for this apparent discrepancy are discussed. Applying a similar approach to the Southern Hemisphere, in 1979, virtually no PSCs are found in the vortex after 10 September at 20 km. This result has important implications for a number of proposed explanations for the Antarctic ozone hole.