Stratospheric ozone during the 2002 Antarctic mid-winter warming from GOME, SCIAMACHY and modelling
Abstract
A major stratospheric warming was observed in the southern hemisphere during September 2002, for the first time since detailed observations exist. We present observations of total ozone from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) during this event together with first stratospheric ozone profile measurements from the SCIAMACHY instrument on board the ENVISAT satellite. The ozone observations are well reproduced by a chemical transport model (CTM) driven by analyzed wind fields and temperatures. Comparison of observed ozone with modelled ozone allows us to estimate the magnitude and extent of chemical ozone depletion. Our results indicate that the unusually high ozone columns during the Antarctic winter of 2002 are largely a result of increased transport during the winter 2002, with total ozone already being high during August. The estimated chemical ozone loss over the Antarctic by October 2002 was only slightly lower than for previous winters. We therefore conclude that the increased total ozone during this winter must not be considered as a sign of ozone recovery but is just a consequence of an unusual meteorological situation during the winter of 2002.
- Publication:
-
EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly
- Pub Date:
- April 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003EAEJA.....8524S