Variability and trends in stratospheric NO 2 in Antarctic summer, and implications for stratospheric NO y

• Main Authors: H. K. Roscoe, P. A. Cook
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2009
• Subjects: Physics; QC1-999; Chemistry; QD1-999; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/84acb4c3796d4f96b9ee54a4a3854ba7

NO 2 measurements during 1990–2007, obtained from a zenith-sky spectrometer in the Antarctic, are analysed to determine the long-term changes in NO 2 . An atmospheric photochemical box model and a radiative transfer model are used to improve the accuracy of determination of the vertical columns from the slant column measurements, and to deduce the amount of NO y from NO 2 . We find that the NO 2 and NO y columns in midsummer have large inter-annual variability superimposed on a broad maximum in 2000, with little or no overall trend over the full time period. These changes are robust to a variety of alternative settings when determining vertical columns from slant columns or determining NO y from NO 2 . They may signify similar changes in speed of the Brewer-Dobson circulation but with opposite sign, i.e. a broad minimum around 2000. Multiple regressions show significant correlation with solar and quasi-biennial-oscillation indices, and weak correlation with El Nino, but no significant overall trend, corresponding to an increase in Brewer-Dobson circulation of 1.4±3.5%/decade. There remains an unexplained cycle of amplitude and period at least 15% and 17 years, with minimum speed in about 2000.