| Summary: | © 2003 American Geophysical Union A 3-D off-line transport model is used to examine the breakup of the Antarctic ozone hole in late November and early December 2000. The use of a transport model enables an analysis of the vortex breakup that is not possible from the use of ozonesonde observations alone. By initializing ozone mixing ratio on 1 September 2000, and using parameterized ozone production and loss rates, the evolution of the Antarctic ozone hole is simulated. The model simulation shows that during late November and early December 2000, the Antarctic ozone hole splits into two sections, with low-ozone air subsequently transported over New Zealand and south-eastern Australia. Modeled ozone values agree well with ozonesonde profiles, confirming the role of horizontal transport in the dilution of mid-latitude ozone.
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