Study of the inter-annual ozone variation at European high latitudes
Abstract
The study of the inter-annual ozone variation is based on data sets of the Arctic Lidar Observation of Middle Atmosphere Research (ALOMAR) (69.3° N, 16.0° E,) station at Andenes and of the stations at Sodankyl¨ (67.4° N, 26.6° E) and at Ny-Alesund (78.9° N, 11.9° E). The a data sets cover the time period from 1994 up to 2004. Additionally, the results are completed by HALOE minor gas profiles. We find a second ozone maximum near 13 -15 km, between the tropopause and the absolute ozone maximum near 17- 20 km. The maximum is built up by the combination of air mass transport and chemical ozone destruction, mainly caused by the NOx catalytic cycle, which begins after the polar night and intensifies with the increasing day length. Together with the stratospheric warming during the summer the vertical air mass transport reduces. The descent of ozone from higher to lower altitudes weakens compared to the winter period. The formation of a troposphere inversion layer is observed. The temperature inversion is stronger during the summer period and inhibits the vertical stratosphere troposphere exchange. The horizontal advection in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere is enforced during the summer, too. The combination of these mechanisms produces a layer with a very low ozone density above the troposphere inversion layer from June/July up to the late autumn. The ozone and temperature distributions obtained from the several arctic stations are compared and the differences are discussed.
- Publication:
-
37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008cosp...37.3455W