Vol. 37, issue 02, article # 9

Abstract:

The paper is devoted to thermodynamic and chemical processes inside the stratospheric polar vortex, leading to a decrease in ozone content in this region. The winter-spring seasons in the Arctic with the strongest stratospheric vortices and, as a result, the greatest ozone losses are considered. To study the ozone variations and ozone-active components averaged over the vortex, we used an ensemble of backward trajectories inside the vortex and M2-SCREAM stratospheric reanalysis data, which includes some chemical components that affect the ozone concentration. It is shown that the record ozone depletion in the winter of 2020 was due to not only the long-lived stable stratospheric polar vortex, but also the earlier transformation of chlorine reservoirs into the active form and stronger denitrification and dehydration of air masses. The proposed approach can be used to analyze processes in the polar stratosphere over the past winters, as well as to validate chemical-climate models.

Keywords:

stratospheric polar vortex, ozone, denitrification, trajectory model

Figures:

References:

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