Ozone variations in the Northern polar region

Summary All total ozone observations ever made in the Northern polar region, including some from the 1930's, have been corrected and the basic climatology presented. The long-term ozone changes were considered in relation to the stratospheric temperatures. For each deviation from the monthly normal of the 100 hPa temperature by 1°C, there was found to be a corresponding 5–6 m atm-cm change in the monthly ozone deviation. A distinction between the ozone regimes over the Scandinavian, Canadian and East Siberian sectors of the polar region was noted. The strong appearance of the QBO (Quasi Biennial Oscillation) in the interannual ozone fluctuations was obvious. It is demonstrated that for the past three decades the total ozone experienced a few periods with positive and a few periods with negative deviations. In view of this, trends in ozone must obviously be based on greater than 10 years of data. During 1964–86, the weighted trend over the polar stations was (–0.9±0.4)% per decade. There have been, however, three periods (1958–64, 1968–76 and 1979–86), coinciding with the declining phase of the 11 year sunspot cycle, during which the ozone at all polar stations has been declining by about 0.5% per year (or less if the QBO component is filtered out). Some of the differences with Antarctic ozone are mentioned and the dominant role of the stratospheric circulation for the ozone variations is discussed. In general the Arctic ozone observations show no evidence of a major ozone decline similar to that over Antarctica.With 9 Figures     

Tropospheric Ozone at the Swedish Mountain Site Åreskutan: Budget and Trends

Ozone measurements, performed since 1987, at the Swedish TOR/EUROTRACstation Åreskutan (lat. 63.4° N, long. 13.1° E, 1250 m abovesea level) are analyzed. The annual average ozone concentration at the sitehas increased by about 0.4 ppbv (1%) per year during the period1987–1994. The corresponding trends for individual months show adecrease during April–September and an increase during the rest of theyear. The ozone budget at Åreskutan has been investigated using backtrajectories of the air parcels, and the cosmogenic radionuclide⁷Be as a tracer of stratospheric air. From a simple diagnosticmodel, it is estimated that the contribution of stratospheric ozone to theconcentrations measured at Åreskutan is 5 ppbv (or 14% of themeasured values) on average, reaching a maximum of 23 ppbv (50%),during the episodes of direct stratospheric influence. In spring, thestratospheric contribution to ozone budget at Åreskutan is at itsmaximum, and approximately equal to the net photochemical ozone productionin the air mass affecting the site, whereas in winter, it is compensated byozone chemical sink during the transport of air masses from pollutedEuropean regions, to Scandinavia.     

Measurement of atmospheric total ozone by the filter photometric method

The total ozone content in the atmosphere was determined from the multichannel photometer observations of direct solar radiation made in the urban environment at Pune (18° 32 N, 73° 51E, 559 m ASL) and Sinhagad hill station (18° 22N, 73° 45E, 1305 m ASL) during March 1980-February 1982. The total ozone content of the atmosphere was computed making use of the differential absorption of solar radiation due to ozone at 0.4 and 0.6 m wavelengths in the Chappuis band. The values of the ozone data obtained from the photometer observations at Pune and Sinhagad were compared with the corresponding ozone data obtained from the Dobson spectrophotometer located at Pune. Values of ozone obtained by the photometric method were found to be smaller by 8–18% than the Dobson values when Vigroux's absorption coefficients were used. Similarly, when the absorption coefficients of Inn and Tanaka (1953) were used, the ozone values obtained by the photometric method were smaller by 4–14% than the Dobson values. The ozone values at the hill station obtained from the photometric method were in better agreement (5%) with the Dobson values.     

A reassessment of stratospheric ozone: Credibility of the threat

A recent review of ozone observations and model predictions designed to determine the credibility of current stratospheric models, arrived at the following conclusions. Aside from prompt variations at altitudes above 30 km, observed variations in stratospheric ozone cannot be explained by the process of catalytic destruction; i.e. past variations in the ozone layer have been controlled by processes not included in current models. Past episodic stratospheric injections of oxides of nitrogen and chlorine have not induced changes in total ozone identifiable in the observational data. Species concentrations from different models differ greatly; by up to two orders of magnitude in some features. Even models with highly unlikely chemical reaction rates compute species concentration profiles currently considered to be in reasonable agreement with available observations. Observations of stratospheric species, particularly nitrous oxide and nitric acid, suggest that the natural stratospheric source of odd nitrogen has been underestimated by most models by 2- to 5-fold. These apparent disparities between observations and theory suggest flaws or omissions in our understanding of stratospheric ozone and a need for caution in accepting the predictions of current stratospheric models.A slightly amended but unupdated version of an invited paper presented at the Environmental Health Sciences Symposium: SST Pollution and Skin Cancer at the 50th Anniversary Congress of the Pan American Medical Association, Hollywood, Florida, October 25–29, 1976. Editor's Note: This paper, while containing an unsual number of personal opinions - which are, commendably, stated as such - does focus on an important controversy. Thus, it is published in the interest of stimulating further debate on the subject.     

A Comparison of Match Ozonesonde-Derived and 3D Model Ozone Loss Rates in the Arctic Polar Vortex during the Winters of 1994/95 and 1995/96

Ozone loss rates from ozonesonde data reported in the Match experiments of winters 1994/95 and 1995/96 inside the Arctic polar vortex are compared with simulations of the same winters performed using the SLIMCAT 3D chemistry and transport model. For 1994/95 SLIMCAT reproduces the location and timing of the diagnosed ozone destruction, reaching 10 ppbv/sunlit hour in late January as observed. SLIMCAT underestimates the loss rates observed in February and March by 1–3 ppbv/sunlit hour. By the end of March, SLIMCAT ozone exceeds the observations by 25–35%. In January 1995 the ozonesonde-derived loss rates at levels above 525 K are not chemical in origin but due to poor conservation of air parcels. Correcting temperature biases in the model forcing data significantly improved the agreement between the model and observed ozone at the end of winter 1994/95, increasing ozone destruction in SLIMCAT in February and March. The SLIMCAT simulation of winter 1995/96 does not reproduce the maximum ozone loss rates diagnosed by Match of 13 ppbv/sunlit hour. Comparing the data for the two winters reveals that the SLIMCAT photochemistry is least able to reproduce observed losses at low temperatures or when low temperatures coincide with high solar zenith angles (SZA). When cold (T = 192 K), high SZA (90°)matches are excluded from the 1995/96 analysis, agreement between the diagnoses and SLIMCAT is better with ozone loss rates of up to 6 ppbv/sunlit hour. For the rest of the winter SLIMCAT consistently underestimates the Match rates of ozone loss by 1–3 ppbv/sunlit hour. In March 1996 the monthly mean SLIMCAT ozone is 50% greater than observations at 430–540 K. In both winters, ozone destruction rates peaked more rapidly and declined more slowly in the Match observations than in the SLIMCAT simulations. The differences between the observed and modelled cumulative ozone losses demonstrate that the total ozone destruction by the end of the winter is sensitive to errors in the instantaneous ozone loss rates of 1–3 ppbv/sunlit hour.     

Characteristics of the ozone decline in the northern polar and middle latitudes during the winter-spring

Summary The total ozone decline during the past twenty years, especially strong during the winter-spring season poleward from 50° N, is well established with known average trends of 5–7% per decade. This study presents a number of additional characteristics such as ozone-mass deficiency (O₃MD) from the pre- 1976 base average, and areal extent with negative deviations greater than2 and3. Gridded satellite data combined with ground-based total ozone maps, permit calculations of daily and regional ozone deficiencies from the anthropogenically undisturbed average ozone levels of the 1960s and early 1970s. Then the quantity of the O₃MD and the changes in surface area, with deficiencies larger than-10 and-15% are integrated for the 1 January to 15 April period for each of the last 20 years, and compared. In addition, the polar vortex extent during the last 10 years is determined using the PV at 475°K. The quantity of the O₃MD within the sunlit part of the vortex is shown to contribute from15 to 35% of the overall ozone deficiency within the-10% contours over the area 35–90°N. The ozone deficiency, integrated for the first 105 days of each year, has increased dramatically from 2,800Mt in the early 1980s to7,800Mt in the 1990s, exceeded 12,000Mt in the winter-springs of 1993 and 1995. The latter quantity is comparable with the average O₃MD over the same Southern latitudes in the last ten austral springs. During the 1990s over the 35–90° latitudes the average ozone deficiency in the Southern hemisphere belt is less than over the Northern hemisphere belt by40%. It is known that the main ozone decline is observed in the lower stratosphere and the ozone loss over the Arctic is very sensitive to decreasing stratospheric temperatures; negative 50hPa monthly anomalies greater than 4°C have occurred during 7 of the springs in the last decade, thus possibly facilitating doubling the area with negative ozone deviations greater than-10% in the 1990s to5,000.10⁶km² and nearly tripling the O₃MD as stated above. The changes in total eddy heat fluxes as a proxy indicator of the long wave perturbations are positively correlated with the ozone deficiency in the 45–75°N. The strong anticorrelation between the ozone deficiency in the region>55° N. versus the 35–50° N belt is discussed in relation to possible transport of air masses with low ozone from the sub-tropics, which in some years are the dominant reason for the observed ozone deficiency.With 11 Figures     

Extremely low temperatures in the stratosphore and very low total ozone amount above northern and central Europe during winter 1989

On 1 February 1989, -83.5°C was recorded in 27.8 hPa over Hohenpeißenberg, the lowest temperature in the 22-year series. This was measured together with a very low total ozone amount of 266 DU. This may be compared with nearly twice this amount on 27 February 1989. The situation was very unusual: following an extremely cold winter in the Arctic stratosphere, the stratospheric cold pole was located over southern Scandinavia on 1 February in a very southerly position. The analyzed temperatures of -92 °C in 30 hPa were also unusual. Even though the low ozone amounts over Hohenpeißenberg were probably dynamically caused, an additional very small ozone decrease due to heterogeneous reactions in altitudes from 23–28 km, where the temperatures lie below -80 °C, cannot be ruled out. Extinction measurements by the orbitting SAGE II instrument indeed show polar stratospheric clouds over Europe near 50° N during the period 31 January–2 February. Also, polar stratospheric clouds were previously observed over Kiruna at similarly low temperatures and signs of a corresponding small ozone decrease were noted there.     

Changes in ozone trends over the northern hemisphere middle latitudes during the period 1970–1990

Summary Composite time series combining the results of total ozone measurements taken at Dobson stations located within the latitude band 30°N–60°N, in Europe, and North America, have been examined in order to detect any trends. Various regression trend models were used to identify any trend variations over the regions during the period 1970–1990. The results of fitting the models to the data imply that the model which assumes a linear trend provides precise information about the long-term ozone trends (trends during the period 1970–1990). The study identifies short-term summer trends in the 1980s that are evidently more strongly negative than trends that occur in the 1970s (the differences are statistically significant at the 2 level). The year-round loss (in all analyzed regions) and the winter loss in total ozone (the belt 30°N–60°N) N. America, during the 1980s are about 2–3 times higher than the losses during the 1970s (the differences are statistically significant at the 1 level).With 1 Figure     

Intercomparison of Stratospheric Chemistry Models under Polar Vortex Conditions

Several stratospheric chemistry modules from box, 2-D or 3-D models, have been intercompared. The intercomparison was focused on the ozone loss and associated reactive species under the conditions found in the cold, wintertime Arctic and Antarctic vortices. Comparisons of both gas phase and heterogeneous chemistry modules show excellent agreement between the models under constrained conditions for photolysis and the microphysics of polar stratospheric clouds. While the mean integral ozone loss ranges from 4–80% for different 30–50 days long air parcel trajectories, the mean scatter of model results around these values is only about ±1.5%. In a case study, where the models employed their standard photolysis and microphysical schemes, the variation around the mean percentage ozone loss increases to about ±7%. This increased scatter of model results is mainly due to the different treatment of the PSC microphysics and heterogeneous chemistry in the models, whereby the most unrealistic assumptions about PSC processes consequently lead to the least representative ozone chemistry. Furthermore, for this case study the model results for the ozone mixing ratios at different altitudes were compared with a measured ozone profile to investigate the extent to which models reproduce the stratospheric ozone losses. It was found that mainly in the height range of strong ozone depletion all models underestimate the ozone loss by about a factor of two. This finding corroborates earlier studies and implies a general deficiency in our understanding of the stratospheric ozone loss chemistry rather than a specific problem related to a particular model simulation.     

The Impact of Arctic Ozone Depletion on Northern Middle Latitudes: Interannual Variability and Dynamical Control

We have investigated the effect of the export of Arctic ozone loss, or`dilution', on mid-latitude ozone depletion during the 1990s, and its relation tointerannual meteorological variability. A stratospheric chemical-transport modelincorporated a simple gas-phase ozone scheme with the addition of a parameterisation ofpolar depletion which depended only on temperature and duration of sunlight. Themodel was forced with the U.K. Meteorological Office analyses from 1991 to 1999 covering eight Northern Hemisphere winters. The modelled Arctic ozone column losses wereabout half the magnitude of those in the Antarctic and showed a considerablevariation from year to year. The northern middle latitudes (40°–60° N)were mainly affected through dilution and experienced a variable 5–20%depletion. Year-round there is a depletion of about 1% in northern middle latitudes due toactivation at the pole but there is no evidence that this depletion increases with timeduring this integration. A series of inert tracer experiments for the winters from 1996 to 1999 showed that the dilution occurs primarily at the 560 K and 465 K isentropic levels where up to 30% of the airoriginating northward of 67° N on 1 March is found at 47° N later in spring. Thestrength and persistence of the Arctic vortex were crucial in determining the severity and the timing of the ozone dilution every year by influencing, respectively, the magnitude of the high-latitude depletion and the effectiveness of mixing to lower latitudes. This spring dilution was correlated with the winter/spring planetary wave activity indicating the important role of dynamical processes in regulating the polar-driven mid-latitude ozone depletion.     

Reconstruction of erythemal UV irradiance and dose at Hohenpeissenberg (1968–2001) considering trends of total ozone, cloudiness and turbidity

Summary Erythemal ultraviolet (UV) doses reaching the earths surface depend in a complex manner on the amount of total ozone, cloud cover, cloud type and the structure of the cloud field. A statistical model was developed allowing the reconstruction of UV from measured total ozone and a cloud modification factor (CMF) for the GAW site Hohenpeissenberg, Germany (48°N, 11°E). CMF is derived from solar global radiation G, normalized against a Rayleigh scattering atmosphere. By this way the complex influence of the cloud field is accounted for by introduction of a measured parameter, exposed also to this complex field. The statistical relations are derived from the period 1990–1998 where UV measurements and relevant meteorological parameters are available. With these relations daily UV doses could be reconstructed back to 1968. Tests show that the model works remarkably well even for time scales of a minute except for situations with high albedo. The comparison of measured and calculated UV irradiances shows that the model explains 97% of the variance for solar elevations above 18° on average over the period 1968–2001. The reconstruction back to 1968 indicates that maximum UV irradiances (clear days) have increased due to long-term ozone decline. Clouds show seasonally depending long-term changes, especially an increase of cirrus. Consequently the UV doses have increased less or even decreased in some months in comparison to the changes expected from the ozone decline alone. In May to August total cloud frequency and cloud cover have decreased. Therefore, the average UV doses have increased much more than can be explained by the ozone decline alone. It is also shown that the optical thickness of cirrus clouds has increased since 1953. The higher frequency of cirrus is caused in part by more frequent contrails. Besides that an observed long-term rise and cooling of the tropopause favors an easier cirrus formation. However, whether climate change and an intensification of the water cycle is responsible for the cirrus trends has not been investigated in detail.     

Sensitivity Tests with a One-Dimensional Boundary-Layer Mars Model

We present a series of sensitivity studies conducted using a one-dimensional Mars model (hereafter 1D model) of the University of Helsinki (UH). The reference case was the Pathfinder simulation for the second Martian day. Pathfinder temperatures and new wind speed observations from near the surface were available for validation. The Monin–Obukhov similarity parametrization for surface-layer turbulence was tested with various forms for the stability functions, and compared with the Pathfinder observations. The Dyer–Businger (DB) forms proved appropriate in the highly turbulent daytime Martian boundary layer. An iterative surface-layer treatment was introduced; this did not significantly change the results but showed that the Obukhov length L was about –30 m during daytime and +%5 m during nighttime. The importance of including water vapour and dust in the radiative transfer was tested in the Pathfinder simulations. Water vapour seems to have a significant effect, especially on the nighttime surface temperatures, by increasing the downwelling longwave radiation. Dust acts similarly and has an even greater longwave effect. It also extinguishes solar radiation strongly, thereby damping the surface temperature cycle. The sensitivity of the diurnal surface temperature variation on various physical properties of the soil (regolith) was studied. Thermal inertia and thermal conductivity had the largest effects. The Beagle 2 Lander of the European Space Agency (ESA) landed unsuccessfully on Mars at the end of the year 2003. The selected landing site was in the Northern Hemisphere tropics where seasonal variations are small, and the landing time corresponded roughly to early spring (L_s = 330°). The expected weather conditions at the site were simulated for four approximate Martian months consisting of 60 Martian solar days each. The driving conditions for the simulations were taken from the Mars climate database.     

Stratospheric temperature trends: impact of ozone variability and the QBO

In most climate simulations used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 fourth assessment report, stratospheric processes are only poorly represented. For example, climatological or simple specifications of time-varying ozone concentrations are imposed and the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of equatorial stratospheric zonal wind is absent. Here we investigate the impact of an improved stratospheric representation using two sets of perturbed simulations with the Hadley Centre coupled ocean atmosphere model HadGEM1 with natural and anthropogenic forcings for the 1979–2003 period. In the first set of simulations, the usual zonal mean ozone climatology with superimposed trends is replaced with a time series of observed zonal mean ozone distributions that includes interannual variability associated with the solar cycle, QBO and volcanic eruptions. In addition to this, the second set of perturbed simulations includes a scheme in which the stratospheric zonal wind in the tropics is relaxed to appropriate zonal mean values obtained from the ERA-40 re-analysis, thus forcing a QBO. Both of these changes are applied strictly to the stratosphere only. The improved ozone field results in an improved simulation of the stepwise temperature transitions observed in the lower stratosphere in the aftermath of the two major recent volcanic eruptions. The contribution of the solar cycle signal in the ozone field to this improved representation of the stepwise cooling is discussed. The improved ozone field and also the QBO result in an improved simulation of observed trends, both globally and at tropical latitudes. The Eulerian upwelling in the lower stratosphere in the equatorial region is enhanced by the improved ozone field and is affected by the QBO relaxation, yet neither induces a significant change in the upwelling trend.     

Fluxes of gases and particles above a deciduous forest in wintertime

Eddy-correlation measurements of the vertical fluxes of ozone, carbon dioxide, fine particles with diameter near 0.1 m, and particulate sulfur, as well as of momentum, heat and water vapor, have been taken above a tall leafless deciduous forest in wintertime. During the experimental period of one week, ozone deposition velocities varied from about 0.1 cm s^–1 at night to more than 0.4 cm s^-1 during the daytime, with the largest variations associated primarily with changes in solar irradiation. Most of the ozone removal took place in the upper canopy. Carbon dioxide fluxes were directed upward due to respiration and exhibited a strong dependence on air temperature and solar heating. The fluxes were approximately zero at air temperatures less than 5 °C and approached 0.8 mg m^–2 s^–1 when temperatures exceeded 15 °C during the daytime. Fine-particle deposition rates were large at times, with deposition velocities near 0.8 cm s^–1 when turbulence levels were high, but fluxes directed upward were found above the canopy when the surface beneath was covered with snow. Diffusional processes seemed to dominate fine-particle transfer across quasilaminar layers and subsequent deposition to the upper canopy. Deposition velocities for particulate sulfur were highly variable and averaged to a value small in magnitude as compared to similar measurements taken previously over a pine forest in summer.     

Solar-hydrogen electricity generation in the context of global CO2 emission reduction

The relative costs and CO₂ emission reduction benefits of advanced centralized fossil fuel electricity generation, hybrid photovoltaic-fossil fuel electricity generation, and total solar electricity generation with hydrogen storage are compared. Component costs appropriate to the year 2000–2010 time frame are assumed throughout. For low insolation conditions (160 W m^–2 mean annual solar radiation), photovoltaic electricity could cost 5–13 cents/kWh by year 2000–2010, while for high insolation conditions (260 W m^–2) the cost could be 4–9 cents/kWh. Advanced fossil fuel-based power generation should achieve efficiencies of 50% using coal and 55% using natural gas. Carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by a factor of 2 to 3 compared to conventional coal-based electricity production in industrialized countries. In a solar-fossil fuel hybrid, some electricity would be supplied from solar energy whenever the sun is shining and remaining demand satisfied by fossil fuels. This increases total capital costs but saves on fuel costs. For low insolation conditions, the costs of electricity increases by 0–2 cents/kWh, while the cost of electricity decreases in many cases for high insolation conditions. Solar energy would provide 20% or 30% of electricity demand for the low and high insolation cases, respectively. In the solar-hydrogen energy system, some photovoltaic arrays would provide current electricity demand while others would be used to produce hydrogen electrolytically for storage and later use in fuel cells to generate electricity. Electricity costs from the solar-hydrogen system are 0.2–5.4 cents/kWh greater than from a natural gas power plant, and 1.0–4.5 cents/kWh greater than from coal plant for the cost and performance assumptions adopted here. The carbon tax required to make the solar-hydrogen system competitive with fossil fuels ranges from $70–660/tonne, depending on the cost and performance of system components and the future price of fossil fuels.Leakage of hydrogen from storage into the atmosphere, and the eventual transport of a portion of the leaked hydrogen to the stratosphere, would result in the formation of stratospheric water vapor. This could perturb stratospheric ozone amounts and contribute to global warming. Order-of-magnitude calculations indicate that, for a leakage rate of 0.5% yr^–1 of total hydrogen production -which might be characteristic of underground hydrogen storage - the global warming effect of solarhydrogen electricity generation is comparable to that of a natural gas-solar energy hybrid system after one year of emission, but is on the order of 1% the impact of the hybrid system at a 100 year time scale. Impacts on stratospheric ozone are likely to be minuscule.     

On the Role of Lightning NOx in the Formation of Tropospheric Ozone Plumes: A Global Model Perspective

A series of ozone transects measured each year from 1987 to 1990 over thewestern Pacific and eastern Indian oceans between mid-November andmid-Decembershows a prominent ozone maximum reaching 50–80 ppbv between 5 and 10 kmin the 20° S–40° S latitude band. This maximum contrasts with ozonemixing ratios lower than20 ppbv measured at the same altitudes in equatorial regions. Analyses witha globalchemical transport model suggest that these elevated ozone values are part ofa large-scale tropospheric ozone plume extending from Africa to the western Pacific acrosstheIndian ocean. These plumes occur several months after the peak in biomassburninginfluence and during a period of high lightning activity in the SouthernHemispheretropical belt. The composition and geographical extent of these plumes aresimilar to theozone layers previously encountered during the biomass burning season in thisregion.Our model results suggest that production of nitrogen oxides from lightningstrokes sustains the NO_x (= NO+NO₂) levels and the ozonephotochemical productionrequired in the upper troposphere to form these persistent elevated ozonelayers emanating from biomass burning regions.     

A review of global stratospheric aerosol: Measurements, importance, life cycle, and local stratospheric aerosol

Stratospheric aerosol, noted after large volcanic eruptions since at least the late 1800s, were first measured in the late 1950s, with the modern continuous record beginning in the 1970s. Stratospheric aerosol, both volcanic and non-volcanic are sulfuric acid droplets with radii (concentrations) on the order of 0.1–0.5 µm (0.5–0.005 cm^− 3), increasing by factors of 2–4 (10–10³) after large volcanic eruptions. The source of the sulfur for the aerosol is either through direct injection from sulfur-rich volcanic eruptions, or from tropical injection of tropospheric air containing OCS, SO₂, and sulfate particles. The life cycle of non-volcanic stratospheric aerosol, consisting of photo-dissociation and oxidation of sulfur source gases, nucleation/condensation in the tropics, transport pole-ward and downward in the global planetary wave driven tropical pump, leads to a quasi steady state relative maximum in particle number concentration at around 20 km in the mid latitudes. Stratospheric aerosol have significant impacts on the Earth's radiation balance for several years following volcanic eruptions. Away from large eruptions, the direct radiation impact is small and well characterized; however, these particles also may play a role in the nucleation of near tropopause cirrus, and thus indirectly affect radiation. Stratospheric aerosol play a larger role in the chemical, particularly ozone, balance of the stratosphere. In the mid latitudes they interact with both nitrous oxides and chlorine reservoirs, thus indirectly affecting ozone. In the polar regions they provide condensation sites for polar stratospheric clouds which then provide the surfaces necessary to convert inactive to active chlorine leading to polar ozone loss. Until the mid 1990s the modern record has been dominated by three large sulfur-rich eruptions: Fuego (1974), El Chichón (1982) and Pinatubo (1991), thus definitive conclusions concerning the trend of non-volcanic stratospheric aerosol could only recently be made. Although anthropogenic emissions of SO₂ have changed somewhat over the past 30 years, the measurements during volcanically quiescent periods indicate no long term trend in non-volcanic stratospheric aerosol.     

Seasonal and Diurnal Ozone Variations: Observations and Modeling

Ozone mixing ratios observed by the Bordeaux microwave radiometer between 1995 and 2002 in an altitude range 25–75 km show diurnal variations in the mesosphere and seasonal variations in terms of annual and semi-annual oscillations (SAO) in the stratosphere and in the mesosphere. The observations with 10–15 km altitude resolution are presented and compared to photochemical and transport model results.Diurnal ozone variations are analyzed by averaging the years 1995–1997 for four representative months and six altitude levels. The photochemical models show a good agreement with the observations for altitudes higher than 50 km. Seasonal ozone variations mainly appear as an annual cycle in the middle and upper stratosphere and a semi-annual cycle in the mesosphere with amplitude and phase depending on altitude. Higher resolution (2 km) HALOE (halogen occultation experiment) ozone observations show a phase reversal of the SAO between 44 and 64 km. In HALOE data, a tendancy for an opposite water vapour cycle can be identified in the altitude range 40–60 km.Generally, the relative variations at all altitudes are well explained by the transport model (up to 54 km) and the photochemical models. Only a newly developed photochemical model (1-D) with improved time-dependent treatment of water vapour profiles and solar flux manages to reproduce fairly well the absolute values.     

Buoy and satellite observations of mesoscale cellular convection during AMTEX 75

Buoy and satellite observations of mesoscale cellular convection (MCC) over the East China Sea in the vicinity of the Kuroshio current have been made during 14–18 February 1975, as a part of the Air Mass Transformation Experiment (AMTEX). Surface observations of solar radiation from spar buoys indicate the distinct passage of open and closed MCC that formed and continued for three consecutive days during an outbreak of cold polar air over the much warmer Kuroshio. A critical air-sea temperature of –5 °C for the occurrence of MCC has been substantiated. The time required for the passage of solar radiation peaks coupled with the buoy wind speed gave a computed closed cell diameter of 28 km, comparable to estimates from satellite photographs.The horizontal component of wind beneath the cloudy portion of a closed cell, due to convection, has been estimated as 0.6 m s^–1. This represents the speed at which air near the sea surface moves from the edge toward the center of a closed cell. Also, the temperature difference obtained near the sea surface between the relatively cold descending branch and the warm ascending branch is 0.2°C. Similarly, the specific humidity difference of the less moist descending air near the edge and the moist ascending air near cell center is 9% (0.4 g/kg). Some indications were also found in the variation of horizontal wind direction with the passage of closed cells, since wind variations at the edge of passing cells exceeded the mean sequential variability (10.6 ° compared to 9.4 °).Sensible heat flux calculations associated with closed MCC suggest that strong surface heating can be associated with closed cells, previously reported by Hubert (1966) to be a characteristic of only open cells.Finally, the results of this study should remove any disclaimers that MCC appear in satellite photography simply because of a resolution bias and that the consideration of all visible clouds actually present would remove any periodicity one might expect to see in surface observations.