Evidence for a substantial role for dilution in northern mid-latitude ozone depletion

Satellite measurements have shown a significant decline in ozone at mid‐latitudes, and this has only partially been explained by chemical models. Here we show that the large ozone depletion in the Arctic vortex in spring 1997 leads to a dilution of northern mid‐latitude ozone after break‐up of the v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 1998-12, Vol.25 (24), p.4501-4504
Main Authors: Knudsen, Bjørn M., Lahoz, William A., O'Neill, Alan, Morcrette, Jean-Jacques
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atmospheric composition. Chemical and photochemical reactions
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Physics of the high neutral atmosphere
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Summary:Satellite measurements have shown a significant decline in ozone at mid‐latitudes, and this has only partially been explained by chemical models. Here we show that the large ozone depletion in the Arctic vortex in spring 1997 leads to a dilution of northern mid‐latitude ozone after break‐up of the vortex of about 3% or more than 1/3 of the observed change in TOMS total ozone at 30–60°N from May 1979 to May 1997. The dilution in spring 1993–96 is crudely estimated to be 2–4%. These results indicate that dilution plays a substantial role in the mid‐latitude ozone depletion in spring and summer, when the harmful effects of increases in UV radiation are largest.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/1998GL900215