Prolonged stratospheric ozone loss in the 1995–96 Arctic winter

Markus Rex, Neil R. P. Harris, Peter von der Gathen, Ralph Lehmann, Geir O. Braathen, Eberhard Reimer, Alexander Beck, Martyn P. Chipperfield, Reimond Alfier, Marc Allaart, Fiona O'Connor, Horst Dier, Valery Dorokhov, Hans Fast, Manuel Gil, Esko Kyrö, Zenobia Litynska, Ib Steen Mikkelsen, Mike G. Molyneux, Hideaki Nakane, Justus Notholt, Markku Rummukainen, Pierre Viatte and John Wenger
Additional contact information
Markus Rex: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Neil R. P. Harris: European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit, Union Road
Peter von der Gathen: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Ralph Lehmann: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Geir O. Braathen: NILU
Eberhard Reimer: Meteorological Institute, Free University Berlin
Alexander Beck: Meteorological Institute, Free University Berlin
Martyn P. Chipperfield: Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Cambridge
Reimond Alfier: Meteorological Institute, Free University Berlin
Marc Allaart: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Section of Climate Scenarios and Ozone
Fiona O'Connor: University of Wales
Horst Dier: Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg
Valery Dorokhov: Central Aerological Observatory
Hans Fast: Atmospheric Environment Service
Manuel Gil: Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aerospacial, Torrejón de Ardoz
Esko Kyrö: Finnish Meteorological Institute
Zenobia Litynska: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Centre of Aerology
Ib Steen Mikkelsen: Danish Meteorological Institute
Mike G. Molyneux: The Meteorological Office
Hideaki Nakane: National Institute for Environmental Studies
Justus Notholt: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Markku Rummukainen: Finnish Meteorological Institute
Pierre Viatte: Swiss Meteorological Institute, Station aerologique Payerne
John Wenger: University College Dublin

Nature, 1997, vol. 389, issue 6653, 835-838

Abstract: Abstract It is well established that extensive depletion of ozone, initiated by heterogenous reactions on polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) can occur in both the Arctic and Antarctic lower stratosphere1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Moreover, it has been shown that ozone loss rates in the Arctic region in recent years reached values comparable to those over the Antarctic8,9. But until now the accumulated ozone losses over the Arctic have been the smaller, mainly because the period of Arctic ozone loss has not—unlike over the Antarctic—persisted well into springtime8,9,10. Here we report the occurrence—during the unusually cold 1995–96 Arctic winter—of the highest recorded chemical ozone loss over the Arctic region. Two new kinds of behaviour were observed. First, ozone loss at some altitudes was observed long after the last exposure to PSCs. This continued loss appears to be due to a removal of the nitrogen species that slow down chemical ozone depletion. Second, in another altitude range ozone loss rates decreased while PSCs were still present, apparently because of an early transformation of the ozone-destroying chlorine species into less active chlorinenitrate. The balance between these two counteracting mechanisms is probably a fine one, determined by small differences in wintertime stratospheric temperatures. If the apparent cooling trend in the Arctic stratosphere11 is real, more dramatic ozone losses may occur in the future.

Date: 1997
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DOI: 10.1038/39849

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