Monthly scale surface ozone depletion during polar sunrise in 2006 observed at Syowa Station, Antarctica

Surface ozone concentration is monitored at Syowa Station, Antarctica since 1988. The ozone concentration shows clear seasonal cycle with the maximum value in June - July and the minimum value in January reflecting both the seasonal varied intrusion of stratospheric air and the transport of air from sub-polar or middle latitude through lower troposphere in addition to the photochemical destruction. Surface ozone depletion (SOD) prolonged for about a month was observed in July 2006. The SOD during polar sunrise was sometimes observed in polar region; however, its duration was almost a several days. Monthly scale SOD was rarely observed. The atmospheric temperature was considerably low in July 2006 and the monthly averaged value of -24.1°C recorded lowest value in history at Syowa Station. Inspection of potential height at 500 hPa suggests Syowa Station was situated in polar vortex that intensified in July relative to anteroposterior months. Backward trajectory shows no intrusion of lower troposphere air from sub-polar region or mid latitude. Variation of greenhouse gases observed simultaneously at Syowa Station shows no local contamination occurred. Ozone concentration is known to decrease by dry deposition and photochemical destruction with halogen species. Its reaction and also release of halogen species from sea surface is active under low temperature. Another factor leading monthly scale SOD was considered to be bromine that accumulated into snow layer. Blizzard was rarely observed in previous month (June 2006) at the station, but observed a few times in July 2006. This phenomenon implies the possibility that the bromine accumulated into snow during June was released into atmosphere in July and activated the photochemical reaction under polar sunrise. These evidence suggests that the monthly scale SOD observed at Syowa Station in July 2006 is probably caused by 1) holding of extremely low temperature around Syowa Station caused by intense and continued polar vortex, 2) formation of inversion layer over the ground surface caused by extremely low temperature, 3) increase of Br- and BrO release, which excites catalytic cycle of ozone destruction, from sea surface and its activated reaction at record low temperature, 4) diffusion of Br- particle stored in snow to lower troposphere by turbulences occurred in July 2006.