Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds

• Main Authors: N. R. P. Harris, R. Lehmann, M. Rex, P. Von Der Gathen
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.618.1010; http://www.atmos-chem-phys.org/10/8499/2010/acp-10-8499-2010.pdf

Abstract. The empirical relationship found between column-integrated Arctic ozone loss and the potential vol-ume of polar stratospheric clouds inferred from meteorolog-ical analyses is recalculated in a self-consistent manner us-ing the ERA Interim reanalyses. The relationship is found to hold at different altitudes as well as in the column. The use of a PSC formation threshold based on temperature dependent cold aerosol formation makes little difference to the original, empirical relationship. Analysis of the photochemistry lead-ing to the ozone loss shows that activation is limited by the photolysis of nitric acid. This step produces nitrogen diox-ide which is converted to chlorine nitrate which in turn reacts with hydrogen chloride on any polar stratospheric clouds to form active chlorine. The rate-limiting step is the photolysis of nitric acid: this occurs at the same rate every year and so