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Chemical Ozone Loss in the Arctic Winter 1994/95 as Determined by the Match Technique

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Abstract

The chemically induced ozone loss inside the Arctic vortex during the winter 1994/95 has been quantified by coordinated launches of over 1000 ozonesondes from 35 stations within the Match 94/95 campaign. Trajectory calculations, which allow diabatic heating or cooling, were used to trigger the balloon launches so that the ozone concentrations in a large number of air parcels are each measured twice a few days apart. The difference in ozone concentration is calculated for each pair and is interpreted as a change caused by chemistry. The data analysis has been carried out for January to March between 370 K and 600 K potential temperature. Ozone loss along these trajectories occurred exclusively during sunlit periods, and the periods of ozone loss coincided with, but slightly lagged, periods where stratospheric temperatures were low enough for polar stratospheric clouds to exist. Two clearly separated periods of ozone loss show up. Ozone loss rates first peaked in late January with a maximum value of 53 ppbv per day (1.6 % per day) at 475 K and faster losses higher up. Then, in mid-March ozone loss rates at 475 K reached 34 ppbv per day (1.3 % per day), faster losses were observed lower down and no ozone loss was found above 480 K during that period. The ozone loss in hypothetical air parcels with average diabetic descent rates has been integrated to give an accumulated loss through the winter. The most severe depletion of 2.0 ppmv (60 %) took place in air that was at 515 K on 1 January and at 450 K on 20 March. Vertical integration over the levels from 370 K to 600 K gives a column loss rate, which reached a maximum value of 2.7 Dobson Units per day in mid-March. The accumulated column loss between 1 January and 31 March was found to be 127 DU (∼36 %).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, P.O. Box 60 01 49, D-14401, Potsdam, Germany

    M. Rex & P. Von Der Gathen

  2. NILU, P.O. Box 100, Instituttveien 18, N-2007, Kjeller, Norway

    G.O. Braathen & S.J. Reid

  3. European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit, 14 Union Road, Cambridge, CB2 1HE, UK

    N.R.P. Harris

  4. Meteorological Institute, Free University Berlin, Carl-Heinrich-Berker-Weg 6-10, D-12165, Berlin, Germany

    E. Reimer, A. Beck, R. Alfier & R. Krüger-carstensen

  5. Centre for Atmospheric Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK

    M. Chipperfield

  6. Royal Meteorological Institute, Ringlaan 3, B-1180, Brussels, Belgium

    H. De Backer

  7. Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics, University of Thessaloniki, 54006, Thessaloniki, Greece

    D. Balis & C. Zerefos

  8. Department of Physics, Aberystwyth, University of Wales, SY23 3BZ, Wales, U.K

    F. O'Connor

  9. Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg, D-15864, Lindenberg, Germany

    H. Dier

  10. Central Aerological Observatory, Pervomajskaya Street 3, Dolgoprudny, Moscow region, 141700, Russia

    V. Dorokhov

  11. Atmospheric Environment Service, 4905 Dufferin Street, North York, ON, M3H 5T4, Canada

    H. Fast

  12. Laboratory for Atmospheric Physics, ETH-Hönggerberg, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    A. Gamma

  13. Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aerospacial, Torrejón de Argoz, 28850, Madrid, Spain

    M. Gil

  14. Finnish Meteorological Institute, Ilmala, SF-99600, Sodankylä, Finland

    E. Kyrö & M. Rummukainen

  15. Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Centre of Aerology, Zegrzynska Str. 38, 95-119, Legionowo, Poland

    Z. Litynska

  16. Danish Meteorological Institute, Lyngbyvej 100, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

    I.S. Mikkelsen

  17. The Met. Office OP2C, London Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG11 2SZ, UK

    M. Molyneux

  18. Irish Meteorological Service, Valentia Observatory, Cahirciveen, Ireland

    G. Murphy

  19. NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado, 80303, U.S.A

    S.J. Reid

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  1. M. Rex
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  2. P. Von Der Gathen
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  3. G.O. Braathen
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  4. N.R.P. Harris
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  5. E. Reimer
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  6. A. Beck
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  7. R. Alfier
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  8. R. Krüger-carstensen
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  9. M. Chipperfield
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  10. H. De Backer
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  11. D. Balis
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  12. F. O'Connor
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  13. H. Dier
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  14. V. Dorokhov
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  15. H. Fast
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  16. A. Gamma
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  17. M. Gil
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  18. E. Kyrö
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  19. Z. Litynska
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  20. I.S. Mikkelsen
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  21. M. Molyneux
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  22. G. Murphy
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  23. S.J. Reid
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  24. M. Rummukainen
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  25. C. Zerefos
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Rex, M., Von Der Gathen, P., Braathen, G. et al. Chemical Ozone Loss in the Arctic Winter 1994/95 as Determined by the Match Technique. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 32, 35–59 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006093826861

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