Tropospheric ozone in the vicinity of the ozone hole: 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment

Journal Article · Thu Nov 30 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD094iD14p16537· OSTI ID:7251882

Gregory, G L; Warren, L S ^[1]; Hypes, W D ^[2]; Tuck, A F; Kelly, K K ^[3]; Krueger, A J ^[4]

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1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (United States)
2. ST Systems Corp., Hampton, VA (United States)
3. NOAA, Boulder, CO (United States)
4. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)

Tropospheric ozone measurements over Antarctica aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft are summarized. As part of the August/September 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment, the aircraft flew 13 missions covering a latitude of 53{degree}-90{degree}S, at altitudes to 13 km. Ozone mixing ratios as high as several hundred parts per billion by volume (ppbv) were measured, but in all cases these ratios were observed in pockets or patches of upper atmospheric air. These pockets were observed both in the vicinity of and away from the location of the ozone hole. At times, and as a result of these pockets, the ozone levels at the flight altitude of the aircraft, as averaged beneath the boundaries of the stratospheric ozone hole, were 2-3 times higher than background tropospheric values. The data suggest that the ozone-rich air seldom penetrated below about 9-km altitude. Background ozone values in the surrounding troposphere were typically in the range of 20-50 ppbv. Correlation of tropospheric ozone observations with the boundaries of the ozone hole differed during the experiment. During the early flights (August 28 through September 2), encounters with ozone-rich air were limited and background tropospheric ozone (at the flight altitude) appeared to decrease beneath the hole. For many of the later flights, and as the hole deepened, the reverse was noted, in that ozone-rich air was frequently observed in the vicinity of the hole and, as noted earlier, average ozone at the flight altitude was frequently higher than background values.

• OSTI ID: 7251882
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 94:D14; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
OZONE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TROPOSPHERE
OZONE LAYER
AIRCRAFT
ANTARCTICA
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CALIBRATION
CHEMILUMINESCENCE
ETHYLENE
HOLES
LOSSES
MIXING
STRATOSPHERE
ALKENES
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
HYDROCARBONS
LAYERS
LUMINESCENCE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLAR REGIONS
540120* - Environment
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Health
& Safety- Regional & Global Environmental Aspects- (1992-)