Stratospheric clouds and ozone depletion in the Arctic during January 1989

• Published in: Nature
• Main Authors: Hofmann, D., J., Deshler, T., L., Aimedieu, Patrick, Matthews, W., A., Johnston, P., Kondo, Y., Sheldon, W., R., Byrne, G., J., Benbrook, J., R.
• Other Authors: Department of Physics and Astronomy Laramie, University of Wyoming (UW), Service d'aéronomie (SA), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), DSIR/PEL Lauder, Nagoya University, Department of Physics and Astronomy Houston, Rice University Houston
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 1989
• Subjects: [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; Arctic; Austral; Kiruna; McMurdo Station; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-03581902; https://doi.org/10.1038/340117a0

International audience Stratospheric clouds, believed to be necessary for springtime polar ozone depletion to take place, were detected with balloon-borne sensors at Kiruna, Sweden during January 1989, the coldest January in the north polar stratosphere for at least 25 years. Comparison of the ozone profile in the region of the clouds with those obtained during the past three austral spring seasons at McMurdo Station in Antarctica suggests the beginning of ozone depletion at a height of 22–26 km.