Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net
1680-7367
1680-7375
4
6
2004
10.5194/acpd-4-7121-2004
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/4/7121/2004/
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/4/7121/2004/acpd-4-7121-2004.html
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/4/7121/2004/acpd-4-7121-2004.pdf
7121
7138
2004-11-03
Rapid meridional transport of tropical airmasses to the Arctic during the major stratospheric warming in January 2003
A. Kleinböhl
kleinb@iup.physik.uni-bremen.de
J. Kuttippurath
M. Sinnhuber
B. M. Sinnhuber
H. Küllmann
K. Künzi
J. Notholt
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
We present observations of unusually high values of ozone and N<sub>2</sub>O
in the middle stratosphere
that were observed by the airborne submillimeter radiometer ASUR in the Arctic.
The observations took place in the meteorological situation of a major stratospheric warming
that occurred in mid-January 2003 and was dominated by a wave 2 event.
On 23 January 2003 the observed N<sub>2</sub>O and O<sub>3</sub> mixing ratios around 69° N
in the middle stratosphere reached maximum values of ~190 ppb
and ~10 ppm, respectively.
The similarities of these N<sub>2</sub>O profiles in a potential temperature range
between 800 and 1200 K
with N<sub>2</sub>O observations around 20° N on 1 March 2003 by the same instrument
suggest that the observed Arctic airmasses were transported from the tropics
by isentropic transport. Using a linearized ozone chemistry model along idealized
trajectories at different altitudes transport times between about 3 and 7 days are estimated
from the difference between the Arctic and tropical O<sub>3</sub>mixing ratios observed
in this potential temperature range.
PV distributions suggest that these airmasses did not stay confined
in the Arctic region which makes it unlikely that this
dynamical situation lead to the formation of dynamically caused pockets of low ozone.