Determination of ozone loss rates over the Arctic and Antarctic using ozone sonde and satellite data

• Main Author: Streibel, M.
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Arctic; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_331301

The subject of this thesis is the destruction of ozone in the stratospheric polar vortex of the Arctic and Antarctic. It is caused by decomposition products of anthropogenic emitted Chlorofluorocarbons and Halons, radicals of chlorine and bromine. Studies which are dealing with the comparison of measured and modelled ozone loss show that the processes are known but that the quantitative development is not fully understood yet. The processes that lead to ozone destruction are similar in both polar vortices. But as a consequence of different meteorological conditions the chemical ozone loss in the arctic polar vortex is less dramatic than over the Antarctic. On average the Arctic polar vortex is stronger perturbed and exhibit a stronger annual variability. In order to distinguish between chemical ozone loss and the dynamical redistribution of ozone in the Arctic vortex the Match method was developed. Air parcels in the polar vortex are probed several times in order to quantify the chemical change in ozone. To identify those air parcels trajectories are calculated using wind fields. When it is possible to connect two measurements by a trajectory within certain quality criteria the difference in ozone can be calculated and is interpreted as chemical ozone loss. Such a coincidence is called a Match. The Match method is a statistical approach which needs many of those doubly probed air parcels in order to draw significant conclusions about the destruction of ozone. So the ozone destruction can be calculated for a certain period in time which gives ozone loss rates. In order to enhance the number of doubly probed air masses an active coordination was established. Within the scope of the thesis Match campaigns were performed during the Arctic winter 2002/2003 and for the first time during the Antarctic winter 2003. The achieved data was used in order to determine ozone loss rates in both polar vortices. The loss rates serve for the evaluation of numerical models but allow as well the direct comparison of ozone loss ...