OSIRIS observations of a tongue of NO x in the lower stratosphere at the Antarctic vortex edge: comparison with a high-resolution simulation from the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model
Selected NO x profiles of the Antarctic lower stratosphere inferred from OSIRIS NO 2 observations are presented from the austral spring of 2003. These observations show a tongue of NO x at 100 hPa, with a concentration typical of the middle stratosphere. Simulations with the Global Environmental Mul...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Physics |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2007
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/p07-123 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/p07-123 |
Summary: | Selected NO x profiles of the Antarctic lower stratosphere inferred from OSIRIS NO 2 observations are presented from the austral spring of 2003. These observations show a tongue of NO x at 100 hPa, with a concentration typical of the middle stratosphere. Simulations with the Global Environmental Multiscale model show that this small-scale tongue of NO x -rich air descended into the lower stratosphere. The tongue was formed as a result of a Rossby wave breaking days earlier, transporting NO x from the pole, where larger concentrations had recently appeared, to the edge of the vortex. The three-dimensional structure of the breaking wave is illustrated in detail. PACS Nos.: 92.60.hf, 92.60.Xg, 93.30.Ca |
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