© Author(s) 2008. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Chemical ozone loss in the Arctic winter 1991–1992

• Main Authors: S. Tilmes, R. J. Salawitch, U. Schmidt, C. R. Webster, H. Oelhaf, C. C. Camy-peyret, J. M. Russell Iii
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Arctic; Kiruna
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.592.7253; http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/32/85/76/PDF/acp-8-1897-2008.pdf

Abstract. Chemical ozone loss in winter 1991–1992 is re-calculated based on observations of the HALOE satellite in-strument, Version 19, ER-2 aircraft measurements and bal-loon data. HALOE satellite observations are shown to be reliable in the lower stratosphere below 400 K, at altitudes where the measurements are most likely disturbed by the en-hanced sulfate aerosol loading, as a result of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in June 1991. Significant chemical ozone loss (13– 17 DU) is observed below 380 K from Kiruna balloon obser-vations and HALOE satellite data between December 1991 and March 1992. For the two winters after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, HALOE satellite observations show a stronger ex-tent of chemical ozone loss towards lower altitudes com-pared to other Arctic winters between 1991 and 2003. In spite of already occurring deactivation of chlorine in March 1992, MIPAS-B and LPMA balloon observations indicate that chlorine was still activated at lower altitudes, consistent with observed chemical ozone loss occurring between Febru-ary and March and April. Large chemical ozone loss of more than 70 DU in the Arctic winter 1991–1992 as calculated in earlier studies is corroborated here. Correspondence to: S. Tilmes