Characteristics of Type I PSCs Derived from POAM Observations

• Main Authors: Alfred, Jerome M., Fromm, Michael D., Bokarius, Konstantin, Strawa, Anthony W., Drdla, Katja
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: Meteorology and Climatology; Arctic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20040081060

The characteristics of Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement III (POAM 3) observations of Type I Arctic Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) from 1998 to 2003 are studied using a scheme that discriminates Type la from Ib PSCs. The PSCs observed in these years are studied simultaneously by aligning the day in each year when the temperature associated with a POAM observation first reaches T(sub NAT). It is observed that PSC formation occurs within days of the minimum observation temperature reaching T(sub NAT) and that the majority of these first PSCs are Type Ia. Our observations support the hypothesis that heterogeneous freezing contributes at least in part to the freezing of solid phase PSCs.