Evidence for long-lived polar vortex air in the mid-latitude summer stratosphere from in situ laser diode CH 4 and H 2 O measurements

• Published in: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
• Main Authors: Durry, Georges, Hauchecorne, Alain
• Other Authors: Groupe de spectrométrie moléculaire et atmosphérique (GSMA), Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Service d'aéronomie (SA), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2005
• Subjects: [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; Arctic
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00328390; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00328390/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00328390/file/acp-5-1467-2005.pdf; https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-5-1467-2005

International audience A balloon borne diode laser spectrometer was launched in southern France in June 2000 to yield in situ stratospheric CH 4 and H 2 O measurements. In the altitude region ranging from 20km to 25km, striking large spatial structures were observed in the vertical concentration profiles of both species. We suggest these patterns are due to the presence of long-lived remnants of the wintertime polar vortex in the mid-latitude summer stratosphere. To support this interpretation, a high resolution advection model for potential vorticity is used to investigate the evolution of the Arctic vortex after its breakdown phase in spring 2000.