Reconstruction of the constituent distribution and trends in the Antarctic polar vortex from ER-2 flight observations

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD094iD14p16815· OSTI ID:7251690

Schoeberl, M R; Lait, L R ^[1]; Newman, P A; Martin, R L ^[2]; Proffitt, M H ^[3]; Hartmann, D L ^[4]; Loewenstein, M; Podolske, J; Strahan, S E; Chan, K R ^[5]; Anderson, J ^[6]; Gary, B ^[7]

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1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
2. Applied Research Corp., Landover, MD (United States)
3. NOAA, Boulder, CO (United States)
4. Univ. of Washington, Seattle (United States)
5. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States)
6. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
7. Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (United States)

Ozone, chlorine monoxide, and nitrous oxide concentrations have been measured in the south polar region. These measurements have been analyzed using conservative coordinate transformations to potential temperature-N{sub 2}O and potential temperature-potential vorticity space. The latter transformation is equivalent to interpreting trace species observations within the modified Lagrangian mean (MLM) coordinate system. The analysis shows that the MLM transformed ozone concentration decreases at about 0.06 ppmv (parts per million by volume) per day between 20 and 16 km altitude inside the polar vortex during the mid-August to mid-September period. These ozone changes must be chemical in origin; they are also collocated with the region of high CIO. Outside the CPR (chemically perturbed region) at the highest aircraft altitudes, ozone systematically increases, suggesting a diabatic cooling of the order of 0.3-0.6 K/d. Within the CPR the cooling rate appears to be less than 0.2 K/d. The MLM analysis technique creates a picture of the general chemical structure of the Austral polar vortex which shows that air deep within the chemically perturbed region has subsided substantially in relation to the air outside. However, there is also a tongue of high ozone air which extends from mid-latitudes downward along the stratospheric jet at 65{degree}W and 60{degree}S. An examination of the last three flight days, September 20-22, 1987, shows that during this period the polar vortex shifts systematically equatorward along the Antarctic Peninsula. Apparent changes in the constituents measured over this period result from sampling air progressively further into the vortex.

• OSTI ID: 7251690
• 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
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
OZONE LAYER
CHLORINE OXIDES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
NITROUS OXIDE
OZONE
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
AIRCRAFT
CALCULATION METHODS
COOLING
DATA ANALYSIS
DISTRIBUTION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
STRATOSPHERE
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
VORTICES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LAYERS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLAR REGIONS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
290301 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety- Regional & Global Environmental Aspects- (1992-)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects