A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds
The empirical relationship found between column-integrated Arctic ozone loss and the potential volume of polar stratospheric clouds inferred from meteorological analyses is recalculated in a self-consistent manner using the ERA Interim reanalyses. The relationship is found to hold at different altit...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0bb38d1b903043508bd6b3e78dadfc42 2023-05-15T14:55:43+02:00 A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds N. R. P. Harris R. Lehmann M. Rex P. von der Gathen 2010-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-8499-2010 https://doaj.org/article/0bb38d1b903043508bd6b3e78dadfc42 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/8499/2010/acp-10-8499-2010.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7316 https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7324 doi:10.5194/acp-10-8499-2010 1680-7316 1680-7324 https://doaj.org/article/0bb38d1b903043508bd6b3e78dadfc42 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 10, Iss 17, Pp 8499-8510 (2010) Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 article 2010 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-8499-2010 2022-12-31T13:48:26Z The empirical relationship found between column-integrated Arctic ozone loss and the potential volume of polar stratospheric clouds inferred from meteorological analyses is recalculated in a self-consistent manner using 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 leading to the ozone loss shows that activation is limited by the photolysis of nitric acid. This step produces nitrogen dioxide 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 the interannual variation in the ozone loss is caused by the extent and persistence of the polar stratospheric clouds. In early spring the ozone loss rate increases as the solar insolation increases the photolysis of the chlorine monoxide dimer in the near ultraviolet. However the length of the ozone loss period is determined by the photolysis of nitric acid which also occurs in the near ultraviolet. As a result of these compensating effects, the amount of the ozone loss is principally limited by the extent of original activation rather than its timing. In addition a number of factors, including the vertical changes in pressure and total inorganic chlorine as well as denitrification and renitrification, offset each other. As a result the extent of original activation is the most important factor influencing ozone loss. These results indicate that relatively simple parameterisations of Arctic ozone loss could be developed for use in coupled chemistry climate models. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10 17 8499 8510 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 |
spellingShingle |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 N. R. P. Harris R. Lehmann M. Rex P. von der Gathen A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds |
topic_facet |
Physics QC1-999 Chemistry QD1-999 |
description |
The empirical relationship found between column-integrated Arctic ozone loss and the potential volume of polar stratospheric clouds inferred from meteorological analyses is recalculated in a self-consistent manner using 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 leading to the ozone loss shows that activation is limited by the photolysis of nitric acid. This step produces nitrogen dioxide 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 the interannual variation in the ozone loss is caused by the extent and persistence of the polar stratospheric clouds. In early spring the ozone loss rate increases as the solar insolation increases the photolysis of the chlorine monoxide dimer in the near ultraviolet. However the length of the ozone loss period is determined by the photolysis of nitric acid which also occurs in the near ultraviolet. As a result of these compensating effects, the amount of the ozone loss is principally limited by the extent of original activation rather than its timing. In addition a number of factors, including the vertical changes in pressure and total inorganic chlorine as well as denitrification and renitrification, offset each other. As a result the extent of original activation is the most important factor influencing ozone loss. These results indicate that relatively simple parameterisations of Arctic ozone loss could be developed for use in coupled chemistry climate models. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
N. R. P. Harris R. Lehmann M. Rex P. von der Gathen |
author_facet |
N. R. P. Harris R. Lehmann M. Rex P. von der Gathen |
author_sort |
N. R. P. Harris |
title |
A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds |
title_short |
A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds |
title_full |
A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds |
title_fullStr |
A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds |
title_full_unstemmed |
A closer look at Arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds |
title_sort |
closer look at arctic ozone loss and polar stratospheric clouds |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-8499-2010 https://doaj.org/article/0bb38d1b903043508bd6b3e78dadfc42 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol 10, Iss 17, Pp 8499-8510 (2010) |
op_relation |
http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/8499/2010/acp-10-8499-2010.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7316 https://doaj.org/toc/1680-7324 doi:10.5194/acp-10-8499-2010 1680-7316 1680-7324 https://doaj.org/article/0bb38d1b903043508bd6b3e78dadfc42 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-8499-2010 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
17 |
container_start_page |
8499 |
op_container_end_page |
8510 |
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1766327735295148032 |