Ozone depletion in the high latitude lower stratosphere: 1979-1990

Journal Article · Wed Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90JD02171· OSTI ID:5599800

Callis, L B; Boughner, R E ^[1]; Natarajan, M; Lambeth, J D ^[2]; Baker, D N ^[3]; Blake, J B ^[4]

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1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (USA)
2. STX Corp., Hampton, VA (USA)
3. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA)
4. Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA (USA)

Archived Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE, SAGE 2) and Solar and Backscattered Ultraviolet (SBUV) data are used to examine lower stratospheric O{sub 3} variations at 50{degree} latitude in both hemispheres. These data indicate that from 1979 to 1985, 73-90% of the total O{sub 3} changes have occurred below approximately 25 km in altitude. Significant O{sub 3} depletions (up to 15%) have occurred in the partial column (127-15.8 mbar) in both hemispheres with indications of a recovery after 1985. Both the SAGE/SAGE 2 and SBUV observations show essentially the same changes for this partial column. Below 20 km and between 1979 and 1985, larger local O{sub 3} depletions are suggested by the SAGE/SAGE 2 data sets. Two-dimensional model simulations of O{sub 3} changes from 1979 to 1990 have been carried out. Comparisons with O{sub 3} data are presented. Model results suggest that by 1985, significant declines in global O{sub 3} were caused by destruction by odd nitrogen associated with long-term variations in the flux of precipitating relativistic electrons (2.6%); solar UV flux changes (1.8%); the dilution effect associated with the Antarctic O{sub 3} hole (1.2%); and atmospheric increases in CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, and chlorofluorocarbons (0.4%). Analyses of drift-corrected SBUV and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data and model calculations indicate that between 1979 and 1985, reductions of 4.3 to 4.8% in total column O{sub 3} averaged between 65{degree}S and 65{degree}N have occurred. Calculations indicate a full global O{sub 3} decline of 5.2% (peak-to-peak) or 6% (annual average) between 1979 and 1985 with a partial recovery between 1985 and 1989.

• OSTI ID: 5599800
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 96:D2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
STRATOSPHERE
OZONE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ALTITUDE
CLIMATE MODELS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA ACQUISITION
LATITUDE EFFECT
LOSSES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METHANE
NITROGEN
NITROUS OXIDE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
OZONE LAYER
SOLAR FLUX
SPECTROSCOPY
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
ALKANES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS
HYDROCARBONS
LAYERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
VARIATIONS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)