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Zurek/Manney UARS Theoretical Investigation

NH late winters: LIMS ozone in 1979, MLS ozone and ClO in 1992-96,
and UKMO potential vorticity

Page 1 above shows the 1978-79 (LIMS data), 1991-92 and 1992-93 (MLS data) arctic late winters; page 2 shows the 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 (MLS) late winters.

Left panels on each page: Ozone change in the lower stratosphere over a period of 69 days during the northern hemisphere late winter, plotted as a function of potential temperature and potential vorticity (expressed as equivalent latitude, which is the latitude that would enclose the same area as the potential vorticity contour). Blue colors indicate a decrease in ozone over the period.

Right panels on each page: Chlorine monoxide (ClO, colors) and scaled potential vorticity contours representative of the vortex edge region (three black contours), averaged over the three days on which MLS observed the highest ClO at 465K potential temperature in each winter (LIMS did not measure ClO: LIMS scaled potential vorticity are averaged for three days near the coldest part of the 1978-79 winter).

These figures adapted from Manney et al. 1994 [Nature 370, 429-434]; Manney et al. 1995 [Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 2941-2944]; Manney et al. 1996a [Geophys. Res. Lett. 23 , 85-88]; Manney et al. 1996b [Geophys. Res. Lett. 23, 3203-3206]; Santee et al. 1996 [Geophys. Res. Lett. 23, 3207-3210]

See also:

• Time-series of temperature, ClO and ozone for 5 Arctic winters from 1991-92
• Maps of ClO, O3 and HNO3 during the 1995-96 NH winter

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