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1
Kirk-Davidoff, D. B., and J. F. Lamarque. "Maintenance of polar stratospheric clouds in a moist stratosphere." Climate of the Past 4, no. 1 (March 31, 2008): 69–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-4-69-2008.
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Abstract. Previous work has shown that polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) could have acted to substantially warm high latitude regions during past warm climates such as the Eocene (55 Ma). Using a simple model of stratospheric water vapor transport and polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) formation, we investigate the dependence of PSC optical depth on tropopause temperature, cloud microphysical parameters, stratospheric overturning, and tropospheric methane. We show that PSC radiative effects can help slow removal of water from the stratosphere via self-heating. However, we also show that the ability of PSCs to have a substantial impact on climate depends strongly on the PSC particle number density and the strength of the overturning circulation. Thus even a large source of stratospheric water vapor (e.g. from methane oxidation) will not result in substantial PSC radiative effects unless PSC ice crystal number density is high compared to most current observations, and stratospheric overturning (which modulates polar stratospheric temperatures) is low. These results are supported by analysis of a series of runs of the NCAR WACCM model with methane concentrations varying up to one thousand times present levels.
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Kirk-Davidoff, D. B., and J. F. Lamarque. "Maintenance of polar stratospheric clouds in a moist stratosphere." Climate of the Past Discussions 3, no. 4 (July 10, 2007): 935–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cpd-3-935-2007.
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Abstract. Previous work has shown that polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) could have acted to substantially warm high latitude regions during past warm climates such as the Eocene (55 Ma). Using a simple model of stratospheric water vapor transport and polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) formation, we investigate the dependence of PSC optical depth on tropopause temperature, cloud microphysical parameters, stratospheric overturning, and tropospheric methane. We show that PSC radiative effects can help slow removal of water from the stratosphere via self-heating. However, we also show that the ability of PSCs to have a substantial impact on climate depends strongly on the PSC particle number density and the strength of the overturning circulation. Thus even a large source of stratospheric water vapor (e.g. from methane oxidation) will not result in substantial PSC radiative effects unless PSC ice crystal number density is high, and stratospheric overturning (which modulates polar stratospheric temperatures) is low. These results are supported by analysis of a series of runs of the NCAR WACCM model with methane concentrations varying up to one thousand times present levels.
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Fonteyn, D., and N. Larsen. "Detailed PSC formation in a two-dimensional chemical transport model of the stratosphere." Annales Geophysicae 14, no. 3 (March 31, 1996): 315–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00585-996-0315-0.
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Abstract. A new two-dimensional zonal model of the stratosphere, based on a formulation in an isentropic framework, with complete chemistry has been coupled with a high resolution detailed microphysical model for polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). The 2D model chemistry includes all presently known heterogeneous processes on sulfate aerosols and PSCs. The coupling of these two models, with inherently different time scales, is discussed. It is demonstrated that in order to obtain a realistic interrelationship between NOy and N2O an accurate simulation of the sedimentation by PSC particles is necessary. A good agreement of model PSC presence and observations is found for the Antarctic polar winter without the need to impose additional artificial temperature variations in the model. The calculated occurrence of polar stratospheric clouds and resulting heterogeneous chemistry during the Antarctic winter are discussed. Sensitivity of the polar stratospheric chemical composition and cloud formation for different perturbations is investigated by studying the effects of transport across the polar vortex boundary and heterogeneous processing by an enhanced sulfate aerosol load. The importance of including sedimentation for all cases is also discussed.
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Achtert, P., M. Karlsson Andersson, F. Khosrawi, and J. Gumbel. "Do tropospheric clouds influence Polar Stratospheric cloud occurrence in the Arctic?" Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 11, no. 12 (December 7, 2011): 32065–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-11-32065-2011.
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Abstract. The type of Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) as well as their temporal and spatial extent are important for the occurrence of heterogeneous reactions in the polar stratosphere. The formation of PSCs depends strongly on temperature. However, the mechanisms of the formation of solid PSCs are still poorly understood. Recent satellite studies of Antarctic PSCs have shown that their formation can be associated with deep-tropospheric clouds which have the ability to cool the lower stratosphere radiatively and/or adiabatically. In the present study, lidar measurements aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite were used to investigate whether the formation of Arctic PSCs can be associated with deep-tropospheric clouds as well. Deep-tropospheric cloud systems have a vertical extent of more than 6.5 km with a cloud top height above 7 km altitude. PSCs observed by CALIPSO during the Arctic winter 2007/2008 were classified according to their type (STS, NAT, or ice) and to the kind of underlying tropospheric clouds. Our analysis reveals that 172 out of 211 observed PSCs occurred in connection with tropospheric clouds. 72% of these 172 observed PSCs occured above deep-tropospheric clouds. We also find that the type of PSC seems to be connected to the characteristics of the underlying tropospheric cloud system. During the Arctic winter 2007/2008 PSCs consisting of ice were mainly observed in connection with deep-tropospheric cloud systems while no ice PSC was detected above cirrus. Furthermore, we find no correlation between the occurrence of PSCs and the top temperature of tropospheric clouds. These findings suggest that Arctic PSC formation is connected to adiabatice cooling, i.e. dynamic effects rather than radiative cooling.
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Vargin, Pavel N., Andrey V. Koval, and Vladimir V. Guryanov. "Arctic Stratosphere Dynamical Processes in the Winter 2021–2022." Atmosphere 13, no. 10 (September 22, 2022): 1550. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101550.
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The Arctic stratosphere winter season of 2021–2022 was characterized by a stable, cold stratospheric polar vortex with a volume of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) close to the maximum values since 1980, before the beginning of minor sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events in the late February and early March and major SSW on 20 March. Analysis of dynamical processes of the Arctic stratosphere using reanalysis data indicates that the main reasons for the strengthening of the stratospheric polar vortex in January–February are the minimum propagation of planetary wave activity from the troposphere to the stratosphere over the past 40 years and its reflection in the upper stratosphere–lower mesosphere in the second half of January. The first minor SSW was limited to the upper polar stratosphere, whereas the second one propagated to the middle and lower stratosphere and led to the disappearance of the PSC, which prevented significant ozone depletion. Both minor and major SSW events led to a weakening of the residual meridional circulation in the upper Arctic stratosphere and its intensification in the middle and lower stratosphere, which contributed to additional warming of the subpolar region and weakening of the polar vortex.
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Enell, C. F., Å. Steen, T. Wagner, U. Frieß, K. Pfeilsticker, U. Platt, and K. H. Fricke. "Occurrence of polar stratospheric clouds at Kiruna." Annales Geophysicae 17, no. 11 (November 30, 1999): 1457–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00585-999-1457-7.
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Abstract. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are often observed in the Kiruna region in northern Sweden, east of the Scandinavian mountain range, during wintertime. PSC occurrence can be detected by ground-based optical instruments. Most of these require clear tropospheric weather. By applying the zenith-sky colour index technique, which works under most weather conditions, the data availability can be extended. The observations suggest that PSC events, especially of type II (water PSCs) may indeed more common than predicted by synoptic models, which is expected because of the frequent presence of mountain-induced leewaves. However, it will be of importance to increase the density of independent observations.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (aerosols and particles · cloud physics and chemistry) · Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (mesoscale meteorology)
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Meerkoetter, R. "Detection of polar stratospheric clouds with ERS-2/GOME data." Annales Geophysicae 13, no. 4 (April 30, 1995): 395–405. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00585-995-0395-2.
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Abstract. Based on radiative transfer calculations, it is studied whether polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) can be detected by the new Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) on board the second European Research Satellite (ERS-2) planned to be launched in 1995. It is proposed to identify PSC-covered areas by use of an indicator, the Normalized Radiance Difference (NRD), which relates the difference of two spectral radiances at 0.515 µm and 0.67 µm to one radiance measured in the centre of the oxygen A-band at 0.76 µm. Simulations are carried out for two solar zenith angles, θ=78.5° and θ=86.2°. They indicate that, in presence of PSCs and with increasing solar zenith angles above θ=80°, the NRD decrease to values clearly below those derived under conditions of a cloud-free stratosphere. Results for θ=86.2° show that the method is successful independent of existing tropospheric clouds, of different tropospheric aerosol loadings, and of surface albedos. Results for θ=78.5° illustrate that PSC detection under conditions of smaller solar zenith angles θ80° needs additional information about tropospheric clouds.
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von Savigny, C., E. P. Ulasi, K. U. Eichmann, H. Bovensmann, and J. P. Burrows. "Detection and mapping of polar stratospheric clouds using limb scattering observations." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 5, no. 4 (August 22, 2005): 7169–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-5-7169-2005.
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Abstract. Satellite-based measurements of Visible/NIR limb-scattered solar radiation are well suited for the detection and mapping of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). This publication describes a method to detect PCSs from limb scattering observations with the Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY) on the European Space Agency's Envisat spacecraft. The method is based on a color-index approach and requires a priori knowledge of the stratospheric background aerosol loading in order to avoid false PSC identifications by stratospheric background aerosol. The method is applied to a sample data set including the 2003 PSC season in the Southern Hemisphere. The PSCs are correlated with coincident UKMO model temperature data, and with very few exceptions, the detected PSCs occur at temperatures below 195–198 K. Monthly averaged PSC descent rates are about 1.5 km/month for the −50° S to −75° S latitude range and assume a maximum between August and September with a value of about 2.5 km/month. The main cause of the PSC descent is the slow descent of the lower stratospheric temperature minimum.
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von Savigny, C., E. P. Ulasi, K. U. Eichmann, H. Bovensmann, and J. P. Burrows. "Detection and mapping of polar stratospheric clouds using limb scattering observations." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 5, no. 11 (November 16, 2005): 3071–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-5-3071-2005.
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Abstract. Satellite-based measurements of Visible/NIR limb-scattered solar radiation are well suited for the detection and mapping of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). This publication describes a method to detect PCSs from limb scattering observations with the Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY) on the European Space Agency's Envisat spacecraft. The method is based on a color-index approach and requires a priori knowledge of the stratospheric background aerosol loading in order to avoid false PSC identifications by stratospheric background aerosol. The method is applied to a sample data set including the 2003 PSC season in the Southern Hemisphere. The PSCs are correlated with coincident UKMO model temperature data, and with very few exceptions, the detected PSCs occur at temperatures below 195–198 K. Monthly averaged PSC descent rates are about 1.5 km/month for the −50° S to −75° S latitude range and assume a maximum between August and September with a value of about 2.5 km/month. The main cause of the PSC descent is the slow descent of the lower stratospheric temperature minimum.
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Ebert, Martin, Ralf Weigel, Konrad Kandler, Gebhard Günther, Sergej Molleker, Jens-Uwe Grooß, Bärbel Vogel, Stephan Weinbruch, and Stephan Borrmann. "Chemical analysis of refractory stratospheric aerosol particles collected within the arctic vortex and inside polar stratospheric clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 16, no. 13 (July 12, 2016): 8405–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8405-2016.
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Abstract. Stratospheric aerosol particles with diameters larger than about 10 nm were collected within the arctic vortex during two polar flight campaigns: RECONCILE in winter 2010 and ESSenCe in winter 2011. Impactors were installed on board the aircraft M-55 Geophysica, which was operated from Kiruna, Sweden. Flights were performed at a height of up to 21 km and some of the particle samples were taken within distinct polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). The chemical composition, size and morphology of refractory particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. During ESSenCe no refractory particles with diameters above 500 nm were sampled. In total 116 small silicate, Fe-rich, Pb-rich and aluminum oxide spheres were found. In contrast to ESSenCe in early winter, during the late-winter RECONCILE mission the air masses were subsiding inside the Arctic winter vortex from the upper stratosphere and mesosphere, thus initializing a transport of refractory aerosol particles into the lower stratosphere. During RECONCILE, 759 refractory particles with diameters above 500 nm were found consisting of silicates, silicate ∕ carbon mixtures, Fe-rich particles, Ca-rich particles and complex metal mixtures. In the size range below 500 nm the presence of soot was also proven. While the data base is still sparse, the general tendency of a lower abundance of refractory particles during PSC events compared to non-PSC situations was observed. The detection of large refractory particles in the stratosphere, as well as the experimental finding that these particles were not observed in the particle samples (upper size limit ∼ 5 µm) taken during PSC events, strengthens the hypothesis that such particles are present in the lower polar stratosphere in late winter and have provided a surface for heterogeneous nucleation during PSC formation.
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Achtert, P., M. Karlsson Andersson, F. Khosrawi, and J. Gumbel. "On the linkage between tropospheric and Polar Stratospheric clouds in the Arctic as observed by space–borne lidar." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 12, no. 8 (April 25, 2012): 3791–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-3791-2012.
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Abstract. The type of Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) as well as their temporal and spatial extent are important for the occurrence of heterogeneous reactions in the polar stratosphere. The formation of PSCs depends strongly on temperature. However, the mechanisms of the formation of solid PSCs are still poorly understood. Recent satellite studies of Antarctic PSCs have shown that their formation can be associated with deep-tropospheric clouds which have the ability to cool the lower stratosphere radiatively and/or adiabatically. In the present study, lidar measurements aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite were used to investigate whether the formation of Arctic PSCs can be associated with deep-tropospheric clouds as well. Deep-tropospheric cloud systems have a vertical extent of more than 6.5 km with a cloud top height above 7 km altitude. PSCs observed by CALIPSO during the Arctic winter 2007/2008 were classified according to their type (STS, NAT, or ice) and to the kind of underlying tropospheric clouds. Our analysis reveals that 172 out of 211 observed PSCs occurred in connection with tropospheric clouds. 72% of these 172 observed PSCs occurred above deep-tropospheric clouds. We also find that the type of PSC seems to be connected to the characteristics of the underlying tropospheric cloud system. During the Arctic winter 2007/2008 PSCs consisting of ice were mainly observed in connection with deep-tropospheric cloud systems while no ice PSC was detected above cirrus. Furthermore, we find no correlation between the occurrence of PSCs and the top temperature of tropospheric clouds. Thus, our findings suggest that Arctic PSC formation is connected to adiabatice cooling, i.e. dynamic effects rather than radiative cooling.
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Enell, C. F., U. Brändström, B. Gustavsson, S. Kirkwood, K. Stebel, and A. Steen. "Case study of the development of polar stratospheric clouds using bistatic imaging." Annales Geophysicae 21, no. 8 (August 31, 2003): 1869–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/angeo-21-1869-2003.
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Abstract. The formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) is closely related to wave activity on different scales since waves propagating into the stratosphere perturb the temperature profile. We present here a case study of the development of visible PSCs (mother-of-pearl clouds), appearing at the polar vortex edge on 9 January 1997, under-taken by means of ground-based cameras. It is shown that the presence of stratospheric clouds may be detected semi-automatically and that short-term dynamics such as altitude variations can be tracked in three dimensions. The PSC field showed distinct features separated by approximately 20 km, which implies wave-induced temperature variations on that scale. The wave-induced characteristics were further emphasised by the fact that the PSCs moved within a sloping spatial surface. The appearance of visible mother-of-pearl clouds seems to be related to leewave-induced cooling of air masses, where the synoptic temperature has been close to (but not necessarily below) the threshold temperatures for PSC condensation.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (aerosols and particles) – Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (middle atmosphere dynamics; instruments and techniques)
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Tesche, Matthias, Peggy Achtert, and Michael C. Pitts. "On the best locations for ground-based polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) observations." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 21, no. 1 (January 15, 2021): 505–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-505-2021.
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Abstract. Spaceborne observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) with the Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite provide a comprehensive picture of the occurrence of Arctic and Antarctic PSCs as well as their microphysical properties. However, advances in understanding PSC microphysics also require measurements with ground-based instruments, which are often superior to CALIOP in terms of, for example, time resolution, measured parameters, and signal-to-noise ratio. This advantage is balanced by the location of ground-based PSC observations and their dependence on tropospheric cloudiness. CALIPSO observations during the boreal winters from December 2006 to February 2018 and the austral winters 2012 and 2015 are used to assess the effect of tropospheric cloudiness and other measurement-inhibiting factors on the representativeness of ground-based PSC observations with lidar in the Arctic and Antarctic, respectively. Information on tropospheric and stratospheric clouds from the CALIPSO Cloud Profile product (05kmCPro version 4.10) and the CALIPSO polar stratospheric cloud mask version 2, respectively, is combined on a profile-by-profile basis to identify conditions under which a ground-based lidar is likely to perform useful measurements for the analysis of PSC occurrence. It is found that the location of a ground-based measurement together with the related tropospheric cloudiness can have a profound impact on the derived PSC statistics and that these findings are rarely in agreement with polewide results from CALIOP observations. Considering the current polar research infrastructure, it is concluded that the most suitable sites for the expansion of capabilities for ground-based lidar observations of PSCs are Summit and Villum in the Arctic and Mawson, Troll, and Vostok in the Antarctic.
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Fortin, T. J., K. Drdla, L. T. Iraci, and M. A. Tolbert. "Ice condensation on sulfuric acid tetrahydrate: implications for polar stratospheric ice clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 3, no. 1 (February 17, 2003): 867–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-3-867-2003.
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Abstract. The mechanism of ice nucleation to form Type 2 PSCs is important for controlling the ice particle size and hence the possible dehydration in the polar winter stratosphere. This paper probes heterogeneous ice nucleation on sulfuric acid tetrahydrate (SAT). Laboratory experiments were performed using a thin-film, high-vacuum apparatus in which the condensed phase is monitored via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and water pressure is monitored with the combination of an MKS baratron and an ionization gauge. Results show that SAT is an efficient ice nucleus with a critical ice saturation ratio of Sice= 1.3 to 1.02 over the temperature range 169.8–194.5 K. This corresponds to a necessary supercooling of 0.1–1.3 K below the ice frost point. The laboratory data is used as input for a microphysical/photochemical model to probe the effect that this heterogeneous nucleation mechanism could have on Type 2 PSC formation and stratospheric dehydration. In the model simulations, even a very small number of SAT particles (e.g. 10−4 cm−3) result in ice nucleation on SAT as the dominant mechanism for Type 2 PSC formation. As a result, Type 2 PSC formation is more widespread, leading to larger-scale dehydration. The characteristics of the clouds are controlled by the assumed number of SAT particles present, demonstrating that a proper treatment of SAT is critical for correctly modeling Type 2 PSC formation and stratospheric dehydration.
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Fortin, T. J., K. Drdla, L. T. Iraci, and M. A. Tolbert. "Ice condensation on sulfuric acid tetrahydrate: Implications for polar stratospheric ice clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 3, no. 4 (July 9, 2003): 987–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-3-987-2003.
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Abstract. The mechanism of ice nucleation to form Type 2 PSCs is important for controlling the ice particle size and hence the possible dehydration in the polar winter stratosphere. This paper probes heterogeneous ice nucleation on sulfuric acid tetrahydrate (SAT). Laboratory experiments were performed using a thin-film, high-vacuum apparatus in which the condensed phase is monitored via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and water pressure is monitored with the combination of an MKS baratron and an ionization gauge. Results show that SAT is an efficient ice nucleus with a critical ice saturation ratio of S*ice = 1.3 to 1.02 over the temperature range 169.8-194.5 K. This corresponds to a necessary supercooling of 0.1-1.3 K below the ice frost point. The laboratory data is used as input for a microphysical/photochemical model to probe the effect that this heterogeneous nucleation mechanism could have on Type 2 PSC formation and stratospheric dehydration. In the model simulations, even a very small number of SAT particles (e.g., 10-3 cm-3) result in ice nucleation on SAT as the dominant mechanism for Type 2 PSC formation. As a result, Type 2 PSC formation is more widespread, leading to larger-scale dehydration. The characteristics of the clouds are controlled by the assumed number of SAT particles present, demonstrating that a proper treatment of SAT is critical for correctly modeling Type 2 PSC formation and stratospheric dehydration.
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Lowe, D., A. R. MacKenzie, H. Schlager, C. Voigt, A. Dörnbrack, M. J. Mahoney, and F. Cairo. "Liquid particle composition and heterogeneous reactions in a mountain wave Polar Stratospheric Cloud." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 6, no. 11 (September 6, 2006): 3611–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-3611-2006.
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Abstract. Mountain wave polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) were detected on 8 February 2003 above the Scandinavian Mountains by in-situ instruments onboard the M55 Geophysica aircraft. PSC particle composition, backscatter and chlorine activation for this case are studied with a recently developed non-equilibrium microphysical box model for liquid aerosol. Results from the microphysical model, run on quasi-lagrangian trajectories, show that the PSC observed was composed of supercooled ternary (H2O/HNO3/H2SO4) solution (STS) particles, which are out of equilibrium with the gas phase. The measured condensed nitric acid and aerosol backscatter of the PSC can well be simulated with the model. Up to 0.15 ppbv Cl2 can be released by the PSC within 2 h, showing the propensity of these small-scale clouds for chlorine activation. Equilibrium calculations – of the sort commonly used in large scale chemistry transport models – overestimate the measured condensed nitrate by up to a factor of 3, and overestimates chlorine activation by 10%, in this mountain wave cloud.
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Blum, U., F. Khosrawi, G. Baumgarten, K. Stebel, R. Müller, and K. H. Fricke. "Simultaneous lidar observations of a polar stratospheric cloud on the east and west sides of the Scandinavian mountains and microphysical box model simulations." Annales Geophysicae 24, no. 12 (December 21, 2006): 3267–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/angeo-24-3267-2006.
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Abstract. The importance of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) for polar ozone depletion is well established. Lidar experiments are well suited to observe and classify polar stratospheric clouds. On 5 January 2005 a PSC was observed simultaneously on the east and west sides of the Scandinavian mountains by ground-based lidars. This cloud was composed of liquid particles with a mixture of solid particles in the upper part of the cloud. Multi-colour measurements revealed that the liquid particles had a mode radius of r≈300 nm, a distribution width of σ≈1.04 and an altitude dependent number density of N≈2–20 cm−3. Simulations with a microphysical box model show that the cloud had formed about 20 h before observation. High HNO3 concentrations in the PSC of 40–50 weight percent were simulated in the altitude regions where the liquid particles were observed, while this concentration was reduced to about 10 weight percent in that part of the cloud where a mixture between solid and liquid particles was observed by the lidar. The model simulations also revealed a very narrow particle size distribution with values similar to the lidar observations. Below and above the cloud almost no HNO3 uptake was simulated. Although the PSC shows distinct wave signatures, no gravity wave activity was observed in the temperature profiles measured by the lidars and meteorological analyses support this observation. The observed cloud must have formed in a wave field above Iceland about 20 h prior to the measurements and the cloud wave pattern was advected by the background wind to Scandinavia. In this wave field above Iceland temperatures potentially dropped below the ice formation temperature, so that ice clouds may have formed which can act as condensation nuclei for the nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles observed at the cloud top above Esrange.
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Keckhut, P., Ch David, M. Marchand, S. Bekki, J. Jumelet, and A. Hauchecorne. "Observation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds down to the Mediterranean coast." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 7, no. 3 (May 15, 2007): 6557–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-7-6557-2007.
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Abstract. A Polar Stratospheric Cloud (PSC) was detected for the first time in January 2006 over Southern Europe after 25 years of systematic lidar observations. This cloud was observed while the polar vortex was highly distorted during the initial phase of a major stratospheric warming. Very cold stratospheric temperatures (<190 K) centred over the Northern-Western Europe were reported, extending down to the South of France where lidar observations were performed. CTM (Chemical Transport Model) investigations show that this event led to a significant direct ozone destruction (35 ppb/day), within and outside the vortex as chlorine activated air masses were moved to sunlight regions allowing ozone destruction. If such exceptional events of mid-latitudes PSCs were to become frequent in the future, they should not compromise the ozone recovery because their effect appears to be limited temporally and spatially. More importantly, these events might tend to be associated with the initial phase of a stratospheric warming that results into a weakening and warming of the polar vortex and hence into a reduced probability occurrence of PSC temperatures during the rest of the winter.
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Keckhut, P., Ch David, M. Marchand, S. Bekki, J. Jumelet, A. Hauchecorne, and M. Höpfner. "Observation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds down to the Mediterranean coast." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 7, no. 19 (October 12, 2007): 5275–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-5275-2007.
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Abstract. A Polar Stratospheric Cloud (PSC) was detected for the first time in January 2006 over Southern Europe after 25 years of systematic lidar observations. This cloud was observed while the polar vortex was highly distorted during the initial phase of a major stratospheric warming. Very cold stratospheric temperatures (<190 K) centred over the Northern-Western Europe were reported, extending down to the South of France where lidar observations were performed. CTM (Chemical Transport Model) investigations show that this event led to a significant direct ozone destruction (35 ppb/day), within and outside the vortex as chlorine activated air masses were moved to sunlight regions allowing ozone destruction. If such exceptional events of mid-latitudes PSCs were to become frequent in the future, they should not compromise the ozone recovery because their effect appears to be limited temporally and spatially. More importantly, these events might tend to be associated with the initial phase of a stratospheric warming that results into a weakening and warming of the polar vortex and hence into a reduced probability occurrence of PSC temperatures during the rest of the winter.
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Eckermann, Stephen D., Andreas Dörnbrack, Harald Flentje, Simon B. Vosper, M. J. Mahoney, T. Paul Bui, and Kenneth S. Carslaw. "Mountain Wave–Induced Polar Stratospheric Cloud Forecasts for Aircraft Science Flights during SOLVE/THESEO 2000." Weather and Forecasting 21, no. 1 (February 1, 2006): 42–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/waf901.1.
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Abstract The results of a multimodel forecasting effort to predict mountain wave–induced polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) for airborne science during the third Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III) Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE)/Third European Stratospheric Experiment on Ozone (THESEO 2000) Arctic ozone campaign are assessed. The focus is on forecasts for five flights of NASA's instrumented DC-8 research aircraft in which PSCs observed by onboard aerosol lidars were identified as wave related. Aircraft PSC measurements over northern Scandinavia on 25–27 January 2000 were accurately forecast by the mountain wave models several days in advance, permitting coordinated quasi-Lagrangian flights that measured their composition and structure in unprecedented detail. On 23 January 2000 mountain wave ice PSCs were forecast over eastern Greenland. Thick layers of wave-induced ice PSC were measured by DC-8 aerosol lidars in regions along the flight track where the forecasts predicted enhanced stratospheric mountain wave amplitudes. The data from these flights, which were planned using this forecast guidance, have substantially improved the overall understanding of PSC microphysics within mountain waves. Observations of PSCs south of the DC-8 flight track on 30 November 1999 are consistent with forecasts of mountain wave–induced ice clouds over southern Scandinavia, and are validated locally using radiosonde data. On the remaining two flights wavelike PSCs were reported in regions where no mountain wave PSCs were forecast. For 10 December 1999, it is shown that locally generated mountain waves could not have propagated into the stratosphere where the PSCs were observed, confirming conclusions of other recent studies. For the PSC observed on 14 January 2000 over northern Greenland, recent work indicates that nonorographic gravity waves radiated from the jet stream produced this PSC, confirming the original forecast of no mountain wave influence. This forecast is validated further by comparing with a nearby ER-2 flight segment to the south of the DC-8, which intercepted and measured local stratospheric mountain waves with properties similar to those predicted. In total, the original forecast guidance proves to be consistent with PSC data acquired from all five of these DC-8 flights. The work discussed herein highlights areas where improvements can be made in future wave PSC forecasting campaigns, such as use of anelastic rather than Boussinesq linearized gridpoint models and a need to forecast stratospheric gravity waves from sources other than mountains.
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Thölix, L., L. Backman, R. Kivi, and A. Karpechko. "Variability of water vapour in the Arctic stratosphere." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 15, no. 16 (August 17, 2015): 22013–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-15-22013-2015.
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Abstract. This study evaluates the stratospheric water vapour distribution and variability in the Arctic. A FinROSE chemistry climate model simulation covering years 1990–2013 is compared to observations (satellite and frostpoint hygrometer soundings) and the sources of stratospheric water vapour are studied. According to observations and the simulations the water vapour concentration in the Arctic stratosphere started to increase after year 2006, but around 2011 the concentration started to decrease. Model calculations suggest that the increase in water vapour during 2006–2011 (at 56 hPa) is mostly explained by transport related processes, while the photochemically produced water vapour plays a relatively smaller role. The water vapour trend in the stratosphere may have contributed to increased ICE PSC occurrence. The increase of water vapour in the precense of the low winter temperatures in the Arctic stratosphere led to more frequent occurrence of ICE PSCs in the Arctic vortex. The polar vortex was unusually cold in early 2010 and allowed large scale formation of the polar stratospheric clouds. The cold pool in the stratosphere over the Northern polar latitudes was large and stable and a large scale persistent dehydration was observed. Polar stratospheric ice clouds and dehydration were observed at Sodankylä with accurate water vapour soundings in January and February 2010 during the LAPBIAT atmospheric sounding campaign. The observed changes in water vapour were reproduced by the model. Both the observed and simulated decrease of the water vapour in the dehydration layer was up to 1.5 ppm.
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Kohma, M., and K. Sato. "The effects of atmospheric waves on the amounts of polar stratospheric clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 11, no. 6 (June 20, 2011): 16967–7012. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-11-16967-2011.
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Abstract. A quantitative analysis on the relationship between atmospheric waves and polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) in the 2008 austral winter and the 2007/2008 boreal winter is made using CALIPSO, COSMIC and Aura MLS observation data and reanalysis data. A longitude-time section of the frequency of PSC occurrence in the Southern Hemisphere indicates that PSC frequency is not regionally uniform and that high PSC frequency regions propagate eastward at different speeds from the background zonal wind. These features suggest a significant influence of atmospheric waves on PSC behavior. Next, three temperature thresholds for PSC existence are calculated using HNO3 and H2O mixing ratios. Among the three, the TSTS (a threshold for super cooled ternary solution)-based estimates of PSC frequency accord best with the observations in terms of the amount, spatial and temporal variation, in particular for the latitude range of 55° S–70° S in the Southern Hemisphere and for 55° N–85° N in the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, the effects of planetary waves, synoptic-scale waves and gravity waves on PSC areal extent are separately examined using the TSTS-based PSC estimates. The latitude range of 55° S–70° S is analyzed because the TSTS-based estimates are not consistent with observations at higher latitudes (< 75° S) above 18 km, and PSCs in lower latitudes are more important to the ozone depletion because of the earlier arrival of solar radiation in spring. It is shown that nearly 100 % of PSCs between 55° S and 70° S at altitudes of 16–24 km are formed by temperature modulation, which is influenced by planetary waves during winter. Although the effects of synoptic-scale waves on PSCs are limited, around an altitude of 12 km more than 60 % of the total PSC areal extent is formed by synoptic-scale waves. The effects of gravity waves on PSC areal extent are not large in the latitude range of 55° S–70° S. However, at higher latitudes, gravity waves act to increase PSC areal extent at an altitude of 15 km by about 30 % in September. Similar analyses are performed for the Northern Hemisphere. It is shown that almost all PSCs observed in the Northern Hemisphere are attributable to low temperature anomalies associated with planetary waves.
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Kohma, M., and K. Sato. "The effects of atmospheric waves on the amounts of polar stratospheric clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 11, no. 22 (November 21, 2011): 11535–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-11535-2011.
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Abstract. A quantitative analysis on the relationship between atmospheric waves and polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) in the 2008 austral winter and the 2007/2008 boreal winter is made using CALIPSO, COSMIC and Aura MLS observation data and reanalysis data. A longitude-time section of the frequency of PSC occurrence in the Southern Hemisphere indicates that PSC frequency is not regionally uniform and that high PSC frequency regions propagate eastward at different speeds from the background zonal wind. These features suggest a significant influence of atmospheric waves on PSC behavior. Next, three temperature thresholds for PSC existence are calculated using HNO3 and H2O mixing ratios. Among the three, the TSTS (a threshold for super cooled ternary solution)-based estimates of PSC frequency accord best with the observations in terms of the amount, spatial and temporal variation, in particular, for the latitude ranges of 55° S–70° S and 55° N–85° N. Moreover, the effects of planetary waves, synoptic-scale waves and gravity waves on PSC areal extent are separately examined using the TSTS-based PSC estimates. The latitude range of 55° S–70° S is analyzed because the TSTS-based estimates are not consistent with observations at higher latitudes (<75° S) above 18 km, and PSCs in lower latitudes are more important to the ozone depletion because of the earlier arrival of solar radiation in spring. It is shown that nearly 100% of PSCs between 55° S and 70° S at altitudes of 16–24 km are formed by temperature modulation, which is influenced by planetary waves during winter. Although the effects of synoptic-scale waves on PSCs are limited, around an altitude of 12 km more than 60% of the total PSC areal extent is formed by synoptic-scale waves. The effects of gravity waves on PSC areal extent are not large in the latitude range of 55° S–70° S. However, at higher latitudes, gravity waves act to increase PSC areal extent at an altitude of 15 km by about 30% in September. Similar analyses are performed for the Northern Hemisphere. It is shown that almost all PSCs observed in the Northern Hemisphere are attributable to low temperature anomalies associated with planetary waves.
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Pitts, M. C., L. W. Thomason, L. R. Poole, and D. M. Winker. "Characterization of Polar Stratospheric Clouds with spaceborne lidar: CALIPSO and the 2006 Antarctic season." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 7, no. 19 (October 10, 2007): 5207–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-5207-2007.
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Abstract. The role of polar stratospheric clouds in polar ozone loss has been well documented. The CALIPSO satellite mission offers a new opportunity to characterize PSCs on spatial and temporal scales previously impossible. A PSC detection algorithm based on a single wavelength threshold approach has been developed for CALIPSO. The method appears to accurately detect PSCs of all opacities, including tenuous clouds, with a very low rate of false positives and few missed clouds. We applied the algorithm to CALIOP data acquired during the 2006 Antarctic winter season from 13 June through 31 October. The spatial and temporal distribution of CALIPSO PSC observations is illustrated with weekly maps of PSC occurrence. The evolution of the 2006 PSC season is depicted by time series of daily PSC frequency as a function of altitude. Comparisons with "virtual" solar occultation data indicate that CALIPSO provides a different view of the PSC season than attained with previous solar occultation satellites. Measurement-based time series of PSC areal coverage and vertically-integrated PSC volume are computed from the CALIOP data. The observed area covered with PSCs is significantly smaller than would be inferred from the commonly used temperature-based proxy TNAT but is similar in magnitude to that inferred from TSTS. The potential of CALIOP measurements for investigating PSC composition is illustrated using combinations of lidar backscatter and volume depolarization for two CALIPSO PSC scenes.
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Khosrawi, Farahnaz, Oliver Kirner, Gabriele Stiller, Michael Höpfner, Michelle L. Santee, Sylvia Kellmann, and Peter Braesicke. "Comparison of ECHAM5/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) simulations of the Arctic winter 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 with Envisat/MIPAS and Aura/MLS observations." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 18, no. 12 (June 25, 2018): 8873–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8873-2018.
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Abstract. We present model simulations with the atmospheric chemistry–climate model ECHAM5/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) nudged toward European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim reanalyses for the Arctic winters 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. This study is the first to perform an extensive assessment of the performance of the EMAC model for Arctic winters as previous studies have only made limited evaluations of EMAC simulations which also were mainly focused on the Antarctic winter stratosphere. We have chosen the two extreme Arctic winters 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 to evaluate the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and the representation of the chemistry and dynamics of the polar winter stratosphere in EMAC. The EMAC simulations are compared to observations by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Soundings (Envisat/MIPAS) and the observations from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (Aura/MLS). The Arctic winter 2010/2011 was one of the coldest stratospheric winters on record, leading to the strongest depletion of ozone measured in the Arctic. The Arctic winter 2009/2010 was, from the climatological perspective, one of the warmest stratospheric winters on record. However, it was distinguished by an exceptionally cold stratosphere (colder than the climatological mean) from mid-December 2009 to mid-January 2010, leading to prolonged PSC formation and existence. Significant denitrification, the removal of HNO3 from the stratosphere by sedimentation of HNO3-containing polar stratospheric cloud particles, occurred in that winter. In our comparison, we focus on PSC formation and denitrification. The comparisons between EMAC simulations and satellite observations show that model and measurements compare well for these two Arctic winters (differences for HNO3 generally within ±20 %) and thus that EMAC nudged toward ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalyses is capable of giving a realistic representation of the evolution of PSCs and associated sequestration of gas-phase HNO3 in the polar winter stratosphere. However, simulated PSC volume densities are smaller than the ones derived from Envisat/MIPAS observations by a factor of 3–7. Further, PSCs in EMAC are not simulated as high up (in altitude) as they are observed. This underestimation of PSC volume density and vertical extension of the PSCs results in an underestimation of the vertical redistribution of HNO3 due to denitrification/re-nitrification. The differences found here between model simulations and observations stipulate further improvements in the EMAC set-up for simulating PSCs.
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David, C., P. Keckhut, A. Armetta, J. Jumelet, M. Snels, M. Marchand, and S. Bekki. "Radiosonde stratospheric temperatures at Dumont d'Urville (Antarctica): trends and link with polar stratospheric clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10, no. 8 (April 23, 2010): 3813–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-3813-2010.
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Abstract. Temperature profiles measurements are performed daily (00:00 UT) in Dumont d'Urville (66°40' S, 140°01' E) by Météo-France, using standard radiosondes, since the International Geophysical Year in 1957. Yet, due to a 16 years data gap between 1963 and 1978, the entire dataset is only used for a qualitative overview. Only the most recent series, between 1979 and 2008, is used to investigate the inter-annual stratospheric temperatures variability. Over Dumont d'Urville, at the edge of the vortex, the annual mean temperature cooling of about 1 K/decade at 20 km is the result of the cooling trends between 0.5 and 1.4 K/decade, in summer and autumn and a warming of about 1.1 K/decade in spring. These values are consistent with values obtained using data from inner vortex stations, but with smaller amplitude. No statistically significant trend is detected in winter. We propose here the first attempt to link stratospheric temperature trends to Polar Stratospheric Cloud (PSC) trends in Antarctica based on the only continuous 20 years database of PSC lidar detection. Despite the absence of mean temperature trend during winter, the occurrence of temperatures below the NAT threshold between 1989 and 2008 reveals a significant trend of about +6%/decade. The PSCs occurrences frequency exhibits a concomitant trend of about +3%/decade, although not statistically significant. Yet, this is consistent with results obtained in the Northern Hemisphere. Such a possible positive trend in PSC occurrence has to be further explored to be confirmed or invalidated. If confirmed, this PSC trend is likely to have strong impacts, both on ozone recovery and climate evolution in Antarctica. The study also reveals the importance of trends on extreme temperatures, and not only on mean temperatures.
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Müller, M., R. Neuber, F. Fierli, A. Hauchecorne, H. Vömel, and S. J. Oltmans. "Stratospheric water vapour as tracer for vortex filamentation in the Arctic winter 2002/2003." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 3, no. 4 (August 5, 2003): 4393–410. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-3-4393-2003.
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Abstract. During winter 2002/2003, three balloon-borne frost point hygrometers measured high-resolution profiles of stratospheric water vapour above Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen. All measurements reveal a high H2O mixing ratio of about 7 ppmv above 24 km, thus differing significantly from the 5 ppmv that are commonly assumed for the calculation of polar stratospheric cloud existence temperatures. The profiles obtained on 12 December 2002 and on 17 January 2003 provide an insight into the vertical distribution of water vapour in the core of the polar vortex. Unlike the earlier profiles, the water vapour sounding on 11 February 2003 detected the vortex edge region in the lower part of the stratosphere. Here, a striking diminuition in H2O mixing ratio stands out between 16 and 19 km. The according stratospheric temperatures clarify that this dehydration can not be caused by the presence of polar stratospheric clouds or earlier PSC particle sedimentation. On the same day, ozone observations by lidar indicate a large scale movement of the polar vortex, while an ozone sonde measurement even shows laminae in the same altitude range as in the water vapour profile. Tracer lamination in the vortex edge region is caused by filamentation of the vortex. The link between the observed water vapour diminuition and filaments in the vortex edge region is highlighted by results of the MIMOSA contour advection model. In the altitude of interest, adjoined filaments of polar and mid-latitudinal air can be identified above the Spitsbergen region. A vertical cross-section reveals that the water vapour sonde has flown through polar air in the lowest part of the stratosphere. Where the low water vapour mixing ratio was detected, the balloon passed through air from a mid-latitudinal filament from about 425 to 445 K, before it finally entered the polar vortex above 450 K. The MIMOSA model results elucidate the correlation that on 11 February 2003 the frost point hygrometer measured strongly variable water vapour concentrations as the sonde detected air with different origins, respectively. Instead of being linked to dehydration due to PSC particle sedimentation, the local diminuition in the stratospheric water vapour profile of 11 February 2003 has been found to be caused by dynamical processes in the polar stratosphere.
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Müller, M., R. Neuber, F. Fierli, A. Hauchecorne, H. Vömel, and S. J. Oltmans. "Stratospheric water vapour as tracer for Vortex filamentation in the Arctic winter 2002/2003." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 3, no. 6 (November 13, 2003): 1991–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-3-1991-2003.
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Abstract. Balloon-borne frost point hygrometers measured three high-resolution profiles of stratospheric water vapour above Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen during winter 2002/2003. The profiles obtained on 12 December 2002 and on 17 January 2003 provide an insight into the vertical distribution of water vapour in the core of the polar vortex. The water vapour sounding on 11 February 2003 was obtained within the vortex edge region of the lower stratosphere. Here, a significant reduction of water vapour mixing ratio was observed between 16 and 19 km. The stratospheric temperatures indicate that this dehydration was not caused by the presence of polar stratospheric clouds or earlier PSC particle sedimentation. Ozone observations on this day indicate a large scale movement of the polar vortex and show laminae in the same altitude range as the water vapour profile. The link between the observed water vapour reduction and filaments in the vortex edge region is indicated in the results of the semi-lagrangian advection model MIMOSA, which show that adjacent filaments of polar and mid latitude air can be identified above the Spitsbergen region. A vertical cross-section produced by the MIMOSA model reveals that the water vapour sonde flew through polar air in the lowest part of the stratosphere below 425 K, then passed through filaments of mid latitude air with lower water vapour concentrations, before it finally entered the polar vortex above 450 K. These results indicate that on 11 February 2003 the frost point hygrometer measured different water vapour concentrations as the sonde detected air with different origins. Instead of being linked to dehydration due to PSC particle sedimentation, the local reduction in the stratospheric water vapour profile was in this case caused by dynamical processes in the polar stratosphere.
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Pitts, M. C., L. W. Thomason, L. R. Poole, and D. M. Winker. "Characterization of Polar Stratospheric Clouds with Space-Borne Lidar: CALIPSO and the 2006 Antarctic Season." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 7, no. 3 (June 5, 2007): 7933–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-7-7933-2007.
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Abstract. The role of polar stratospheric clouds in polar ozone loss has been well documented. The CALIPSO satellite mission offers a new opportunity to characterize PSCs on spatial and temporal scales previously impossible. A PSC detection algorithm based on a single wavelength threshold approach has been developed for CALIPSO. The method appears to accurately detect PSCs of all opacities, including tenuous clouds, with a very low rate of false positives and few missed clouds. We applied the algorithm to CALIOP data acquired during the 2006 Antarctic winter season from 13 June through 31 October. The spatial and temporal distribution of CALIPSO PSC observations is illustrated with weekly maps of PSC occurrence. The evolution of the 2006 PSC season is depicted by time series of daily PSC frequency as a function of altitude. Comparisons with "virtual" solar occultation data indicate that CALIPSO provides a different view of the PSC season than attained with previous solar occultation satellites. Measurement-based time series of PSC areal coverage and vertically-integrated PSC volume are computed from the CALIOP data. The observed area covered with PSCs is significantly smaller than would be inferred from the commonly used temperature-based proxy TNAT but is similar in magnitude to that inferred from TSTS . The potential of CALIOP measurements for investigating PSC composition is illustrated using combinations of lidar backscatter and volume depolarization for two CALIPSO PSC scenes.
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Tritscher, Ines, Jens-Uwe Grooß, Reinhold Spang, Michael C. Pitts, Lamont R. Poole, Rolf Müller, and Martin Riese. "Lagrangian simulation of ice particles and resulting dehydration in the polar winter stratosphere." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 19, no. 1 (January 14, 2019): 543–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-543-2019.
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Abstract. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and cold stratospheric aerosols drive heterogeneous chemistry and play a major role in polar ozone depletion. The Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS) simulates the nucleation, growth, sedimentation, and evaporation of PSC particles along individual trajectories. Particles consisting of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT), which contain a substantial fraction of the stratospheric nitric acid (HNO3), were the focus of previous modeling work and are known for their potential to denitrify the polar stratosphere. Here, we carried this idea forward and introduced the formation of ice PSCs and related dehydration into the sedimentation module of CLaMS. Both processes change the simulated chemical composition of the lower stratosphere. Due to the Lagrangian transport scheme, NAT and ice particles move freely in three-dimensional space. Heterogeneous NAT and ice nucleation on foreign nuclei as well as homogeneous ice nucleation and NAT nucleation on preexisting ice particles are now implemented into CLaMS and cover major PSC formation pathways. We show results from the Arctic winter 2009/2010 and from the Antarctic winter 2011 to demonstrate the performance of the model over two entire PSC seasons. For both hemispheres, we present CLaMS results in comparison to measurements from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS), and the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). Observations and simulations are presented on season-long and vortex-wide scales as well as for single PSC events. The simulations reproduce well both the timing and the extent of PSC occurrence inside the entire vortex. Divided into specific PSC classes, CLaMS results show predominantly good agreement with CALIOP and MIPAS observations, even for specific days and single satellite orbits. CLaMS and CALIOP agree that NAT mixtures are the first type of PSC to be present in both winters. NAT PSC areal coverages over the entire season agree satisfactorily. However, cloud-free areas, next to or surrounded by PSCs in the CALIOP data, are often populated with NAT particles in the CLaMS simulations. Looking at the temporal and vortex-averaged evolution of HNO3, CLaMS shows an uptake of HNO3 from the gas into the particle phase which is too large and happens too early in the simulation of the Arctic winter. In turn, the permanent redistribution of HNO3 is smaller in the simulations than in the observations. The Antarctic model run shows too little denitrification at lower altitudes towards the end of the winter compared to the observations. The occurrence of synoptic-scale ice PSCs agrees satisfactorily between observations and simulations for both hemispheres and the simulated vertical redistribution of water vapor (H2O) is in very good agreement with MLS observations. In summary, a conclusive agreement between CLaMS simulations and a variety of independent measurements is presented.
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Khosrawi, F., J. Urban, S. Lossow, G. Stiller, K. Weigel, P. Braesicke, M. C. Pitts, A. Rozanov, J. P. Burrows, and D. Murtagh. "Sensitivity of polar stratospheric cloud formation to changes in water vapour and temperature." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 15, no. 13 (July 1, 2015): 17743–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-15-17743-2015.
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Abstract. More than a decade ago it was suggested that a cooling of stratospheric temperatures by 1 K or an increase of 1 ppmv of stratospheric water vapour could promote denitrification, the permanent removal of nitrogen species from the stratosphere by solid polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) particles. In fact, during the two Arctic winters 2009/10 and 2010/11 the strongest denitrification in the recent decade was observed. Sensitivity studies along air parcel trajectories are performed to test how a future stratospheric water vapour (H2O) increase of 1 ppmv or a temperature decrease of 1 K would affect PSC formation. We perform our study based on measurements made during the Arctic winter 2010/11. Air parcel trajectories were calculated 6 days backward in time based on PSCs detected by CALIPSO (Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder satellite observations). The sensitivity study was performed on single trajectories as well as on a trajectory ensemble. The sensitivity study shows a clear prolongation of the potential for PSC formation and PSC existence when the temperature in the stratosphere is decreased by 1 K and water vapour is increased by 1 ppmv. Based on 15 years of satellite measurements (2000–2014) from UARS/HALOE, Envisat/MIPAS, Odin/SMR, Aura/MLS, Envisat/SCIAMACHY and SCISAT/ACE-FTS it is further investigated if there is a decrease in temperature and/or increase of water vapour (H2O) observed in the polar regions similar to that observed at midlatitudes and in the tropics. Although in the polar regions no significant trend is found in the lower stratosphere, we found from the observations a correlation between cold winters and enhanced water vapour mixing ratios.
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Vanhellemont, F., D. Fussen, C. Bingen, E. Kyrölä, J. Tamminen, V. Sofieva, S. Hassinen, et al. "A 2003 stratospheric aerosol extinction and PSC climatology from GOMOS measurements on Envisat." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 5, no. 1 (February 16, 2005): 863–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-5-863-2005.
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Abstract. Stratospheric aerosols play an important role in a number of atmospheric issues such as midlatitude ozone depletion, atmospheric dynamics and the Earth radiative budget. Polar stratospheric clouds on the other hand are a crucial factor in the yearly Arctic 5 and Antarctic ozone depletion. It is therefore important to quantify the stratospheric aerosol/PSC abundance. In orbit since March 2002, the GOMOS instrument onboard the European Envisat satellite has provided a vast aerosol extinction data set. In this paper we present an aerosol/PSC climatology that was constructed from this data set, together with a discussion of the results.
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Vanhellemont, F., D. Fussen, C. Bingen, E. Kyrölä, J. Tamminen, V. Sofieva, S. Hassinen, et al. "A 2003 stratospheric aerosol extinction and PSC climatology from GOMOS measurements on Envisat." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 5, no. 9 (September 20, 2005): 2413–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-5-2413-2005.
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Abstract. Stratospheric aerosols play an important role in a number of atmospheric issues such as midlatitude ozone depletion, atmospheric dynamics and the Earth radiative budget. Polar stratospheric clouds on the other hand are a crucial factor in the yearly Arctic and Antarctic ozone depletion. It is therefore important to quantify the stratospheric aerosol/PSC abundance. In orbit since March 2002, the GOMOS instrument onboard the European Envisat satellite has provided a vast aerosol extinction data set. In this paper we present aerosol/PSC zonal median values that were constructed from this data set, together with a discussion of the results.
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Höpfner, M., B. P. Luo, P. Massoli, F. Cairo, R. Spang, M. Snels, G. Di Donfrancesco, et al. "Spectroscopic evidence for β-NAT, STS, and ice in MIPAS infrared limb emission measurements of polar stratospheric clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 5, no. 5 (October 26, 2005): 10685–721. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-5-10685-2005.
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Abstract. We have analyzed mid-infrared limb-emission measurements of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) during the Antarctic winter 2003 with respect to PSC composition. Coincident lidar observations from McMurdo were used for comparison with PSC types 1a, 1b and 2. By application of new refractive index data we could prove that a spectral signature at 820 cm−1 as observed by MIPAS near to the observation of a type 1a PSC is due to a composition of β-NAT. MIPAS infrared spectra collocated with Lidar observations of Type 1b and Type 2 PSCs could only be reproduced by assuming a composition of supercooled ternary H2SO4/HNO3/H2O solution (STS) and of ice, respectively. Particle radius and number density profiles derived from MIPAS were generally consistent with the lidar observations. Only in the case of ice clouds, PSC volumes are underestimated due to large cloud optical thickness in the limb-direction. A comparison of MIPAS cloud composition and lidar PSC-type determination based on all available MIPAS-lidar coincident measurements revealed good agreement between PSC-types 1a, 1b and 2, and NAT, STS and ice, respectively. We could not find any spectroscopic evidence for the presence of nitric acid dihydrate (NAD) from any MIPAS observation of PSCs over Antarctica in 2003.
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Tencé, Florent, Julien Jumelet, Marie Bouillon, David Cugnet, Slimane Bekki, Sarah Safieddine, Philippe Keckhut, and Alain Sarkissian. "14 years of lidar measurements of polar stratospheric clouds at the French Antarctic station Dumont d'Urville." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 23, no. 1 (January 12, 2023): 431–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-431-2023.
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Abstract. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) play a critical role in the stratospheric ozone depletion processes. The last 30 years have seen significant improvements in our understanding of the PSC processes but PSC parametrization in global models still remains a challenge due to the necessary trade-off between the complexity of PSC microphysics and model parametrization constraints. The French Antarctic station Dumont d'Urville (DDU, 66.6∘ S, 140.0∘ E) has one of the few high latitude ground-based lidars in the Southern Hemisphere that has been monitoring PSCs for decades. This study focuses on the PSC data record during the 2007–2020 period. First, the DDU lidar record is analysed through three established classification schemes that prove to be mutually consistent: the PSC population observed above DDU is estimated to be of 30 % supercooled ternary solutions, more than 60 % nitric acid trihydrate mixtures and less than 10 % of water–ice dominated PSC. The Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization PSC detection around the station are compared to DDU PSC datasets and show a good agreement despite more water–ice PSC detection. Detailed 2015 lidar measurements are presented to highlight interesting features of PSC fields above DDU. Then, combining a temperature proxy to lidar measurements, we build a trend of PSC days per year at DDU from ERA5 (the fifth generation of European ReAnalysis) and NCEP (National Centers for Environment Protection reanalysis) reanalyses fitted on lidar measurements operated at the station. This significant 14-year trend of −4.6 PSC days per decade is consistent with recent temperature satellite measurements at high latitudes. Specific DDU lidar measurements are presented to highlight fine PSC features that are often sub-scale to global models and spaceborne measurements.
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Spang, Reinhold, Lars Hoffmann, Michael Höpfner, Sabine Griessbach, Rolf Müller, Michael C. Pitts, Andrew M. W. Orr, and Martin Riese. "A multi-wavelength classification method for polar stratospheric cloud types using infrared limb spectra." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 9, no. 8 (August 9, 2016): 3619–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3619-2016.
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Abstract. The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument on board the ESA Envisat satellite operated from July 2002 until April 2012. The infrared limb emission measurements represent a unique dataset of daytime and night-time observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) up to both poles. Cloud detection sensitivity is comparable to space-borne lidars, and it is possible to classify different cloud types from the spectral measurements in different atmospheric windows regions. Here we present a new infrared PSC classification scheme based on the combination of a well-established two-colour ratio method and multiple 2-D brightness temperature difference probability density functions. The method is a simple probabilistic classifier based on Bayes' theorem with a strong independence assumption. The method has been tested in conjunction with a database of radiative transfer model calculations of realistic PSC particle size distributions, geometries, and composition. The Bayesian classifier distinguishes between solid particles of ice and nitric acid trihydrate (NAT), as well as liquid droplets of super-cooled ternary solution (STS). The classification results are compared to coincident measurements from the space-borne lidar Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument over the temporal overlap of both satellite missions (June 2006–March 2012). Both datasets show a good agreement for the specific PSC classes, although the viewing geometries and the vertical and horizontal resolution are quite different. Discrepancies are observed between the CALIOP and the MIPAS ice class. The Bayesian classifier for MIPAS identifies substantially more ice clouds in the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex than CALIOP. This disagreement is attributed in part to the difference in the sensitivity on mixed-type clouds. Ice seems to dominate the spectral behaviour in the limb infrared spectra and may cause an overestimation in ice occurrence compared to the real fraction of ice within the PSC area in the polar vortex. The entire MIPAS measurement period was processed with the new classification approach. Examples like the detection of the Antarctic NAT belt during early winter, and its possible link to mountain wave events over the Antarctic Peninsula, which are observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument, highlight the importance of a climatology of 9 Southern Hemisphere and 10 Northern Hemisphere winters in total. The new dataset is valuable both for detailed process studies, and for comparisons with and improvements of the PSC parameterizations used in chemistry transport and climate models.
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Eidhammer, T., and T. Deshler. "Technical Note: Evaporation of polar stratospheric cloud particles, in situ, in a heated inlet." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 4, no. 5 (September 27, 2004): 5807–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-4-5807-2004.
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Abstract. In December 2001 and 2002 in situ aerosol measurements were made from balloon-borne platforms within polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) consisting of supercooled ternary solutions, nitric acid trihydrate and ice. Particle size (radius >0.15 m) and number concentrations were measured with two optical particle counters. One of these included an ~80 cm inlet heated to >244 K to obtain measurements, within PSCs, of the size distribution of the stratospheric particles upon which the PSC particles condensed. These measurements are compared to models that calculate the evaporation of PSC particles. The modeled evaporation for supercooled ternary solutions is in good agreement with the measurements. For nitric acid trihydrate it is uncertain what happens to the particle as it is brought to temperatures >50 K above its equilibrium temperature at stratospheric partial pressures. Here the modeled evaporation show too low evaporation compared to the measurements.
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Pitts, M. C., L. R. Poole, A. Dörnbrack, and L. W. Thomason. "The 2009–2010 Arctic polar stratospheric cloud season: a CALIPSO perspective." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 10, no. 10 (October 18, 2010): 24205–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-10-24205-2010.
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Abstract. Spaceborne lidar measurements from CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) are used to provide a vortex-wide perspective of the 2009–2010 Arctic polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) season to complement more focused measurements from the European Union RECONCILE (reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions) field campaign. The 2009–2010 Arctic winter was unusually cold at stratospheric levels, especially from mid-December 2009 until the end of January 2010, and was one of only a few winters from the past 52 years with synoptic-scale regions of temperatures below the frost point. More PSCs were observed by CALIPSO during the 2009–2010 Arctic winter than in the previous three Arctic seasons combined. In particular, there were significantly more observations of high number density nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) mixtures (referred to as Mix 2-enh) and ice PSCs. We found that the 2009–2010 season could roughly be divided into four periods with distinctly different PSC optical characteristics. The early season (15–30 December 2009) was characterized by patchy, tenuous PSCs, primarily low number density liquid/NAT mixtures. The second phase of the season (31 December 2009–14 January 2010) was characterized by frequent mountain wave ice clouds that nucleated widespread NAT particles throughout the vortex, including Mix 2-enh. The third phase of the season (15–21 January 2010) was characterized by synoptic-scale temperatures below the frost point which led to a rare outbreak of widespread ice clouds. The fourth phase of the season (22–28 January) was characterized by a major stratospheric warming that distorted the vortex, displacing the cold pool from the vortex center. This final phase was dominated by supercooled ternary solution (STS) PSCs, although NAT particles may have been present in low number densities, but were masked by the more abundant STS droplets at colder temperatures. We also found distinct variations in the relative proportion of PSCs in each composition class with altitude over the course of the 2009–2010 Arctic season. Lower number density liquid/NAT mixtures were most frequently observed in the lower altitude regions of the clouds (below ∼18–20 km), which is consistent with CALIPSO observations in the Antarctic. Higher number density liquid/NAT mixtures, especially Mix 2-enh, were most frequently observed at altitudes above 18–20 km, primarily downstream of wave ice clouds. This pattern is consistent with the conceptual model whereby low number density, large NAT particles are precipitated from higher number density NAT clouds (i.e. mother clouds) that are nucleated downstream of mountain wave ice clouds.
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Pitts, M. C., L. R. Poole, A. Dörnbrack, and L. W. Thomason. "The 2009–2010 Arctic polar stratospheric cloud season: a CALIPSO perspective." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 11, no. 5 (March 10, 2011): 2161–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-2161-2011.
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Abstract. Spaceborne lidar measurements from CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) are used to provide a vortex-wide perspective of the 2009–2010 Arctic PSC (polar stratospheric cloud) season to complement more focused measurements from the European Union RECONCILE (reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions) field campaign. The 2009–2010 Arctic winter was unusually cold at stratospheric levels from mid-December 2009 until the end of January 2010, and was one of only a few winters from the past fifty-two years with synoptic-scale regions of temperatures below the frost point. More PSCs were observed by CALIPSO during the 2009–2010 Arctic winter than in the previous three Arctic seasons combined. In particular, there were significantly more observations of high number density NAT (nitric acid trihydrate) mixtures (referred to as Mix 2-enh) and ice PSCs. We found that the 2009–2010 season could roughly be divided into four periods with distinctly different PSC optical characteristics. The early season (15–30 December 2009) was characterized by patchy, tenuous PSCs, primarily low number density liquid/NAT mixtures. No ice clouds were observed by CALIPSO during this early phase, suggesting that these early season NAT clouds were formed through a non-ice nucleation mechanism. The second phase of the season (31 December 2009–14 January 2010) was characterized by frequent mountain wave ice clouds that nucleated widespread NAT particles throughout the vortex, including Mix 2-enh. The third phase of the season (15–21 January 2010) was characterized by synoptic-scale temperatures below the frost point which led to a rare outbreak of widespread ice clouds. The fourth phase of the season (22–28 January) was characterized by a major stratospheric warming that distorted the vortex, displacing the cold pool from the vortex center. This final phase was dominated by STS (supercooled ternary solution) PSCs, although NAT particles may have been present in low number densities, but were masked by the more abundant STS droplets at colder temperatures. We also found distinct variations in the relative proportion of PSCs in each composition class with altitude over the course of the 2009–2010 Arctic season. Lower number density liquid/NAT mixtures were most frequently observed in the lower altitude regions of the clouds (below ~18–20 km), which is consistent with CALIPSO observations in the Antarctic. Higher number density liquid/NAT mixtures, especially Mix 2-enh, were most frequently observed at altitudes above 18–20 km, primarily downstream of wave ice clouds. This pattern is consistent with the conceptual model whereby low number density, large NAT particles are precipitated from higher number density NAT clouds (i.e. mother clouds) that are nucleated downstream of mountain wave ice clouds.
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Kirner, O., R. Ruhnke, J. Buchholz-Dietsch, P. Jöckel, C. Brühl, and B. Steil. "Simulation of polar stratospheric clouds in the chemistry-climate-model EMAC via the submodel PSC." Geoscientific Model Development 4, no. 1 (March 11, 2011): 169–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gmd-4-169-2011.
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Abstract. The submodel PSC of the ECHAM5/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry model (EMAC) has been developed to simulate the main types of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC). The parameterisation of the supercooled ternary solutions (STS, type 1b PSC) in the submodel is based on Carslaw et al. (1995b), the thermodynamic approach to simulate ice particles (type 2 PSC) on Marti and Mauersberger (1993). For the formation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles (type 1a PSC) two different parameterisations exist. The first is based on an instantaneous thermodynamic approach from Hanson and Mauersberger (1988), the second is new implemented and considers the growth of the NAT particles with the aid of a surface growth factor based on Carslaw et al. (2002). It is possible to choose one of this NAT parameterisation in the submodel. This publication explains the background of the submodel PSC and the use of the submodel with the goal of simulating realistic PSC in EMAC.
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Kirner, O., R. Ruhnke, J. Buchholz-Dietsch, P. Jöckel, C. Brühl, and B. Steil. "Simulation of polar stratospheric clouds in the chemistry-climate-model EMAC via the submodel PSC." Geoscientific Model Development Discussions 3, no. 4 (November 4, 2010): 2071–108. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gmdd-3-2071-2010.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. The submodel PSC of the ECHAM5/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry model (EMAC) has been developed to simulate the main types of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC). The parameterisation of the supercooled ternary solutions (STS, type 1b PSC) in the submodel is based on Carslaw et al. (1995b), the thermodynamical approach to simulate ice particles (type 2 PSC) on Marti and Mauersberger (1993). For the formation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles (type 1a PSC) two different parameterisations exist. The first one is based on an instantaneous thermodynamical approach from Hanson and Mauersberger (1988), the second one (new implemented by Kirner, 2008) considers the growth of the NAT particles with aid of a surface growth factor based on Carslaw et al. (2002). Via namelist switches the NAT parameterisation, as well as some parameters for the NAT and ice formation can be chosen. This publication explains the background of the submodel PSC and the use of the submodel with the goal to simulate realistic PSC in EMAC.
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Remsberg, Ellis, and V. Lynn Harvey. "Effects of polar stratospheric clouds in the Nimbus 7 LIMS Version 6 data set." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 9, no. 7 (July 12, 2016): 2927–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2927-2016.
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Abstract. The historic Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) measurements of 1978–1979 from the Nimbus 7 satellite were re-processed with Version 6 (V6) algorithms and archived in 2002. The V6 data set employs updated radiance registration methods, improved spectroscopic line parameters, and a common vertical resolution for all retrieved parameters. Retrieved profiles are spaced about every 1.6° of latitude along orbits and include the additional parameter of geopotential height. Profiles of O3 are sensitive to perturbations from emissions of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). This work presents results of implementing a first-order screening for effects of PSCs using simple algorithms based on vertical gradients of the O3 mixing ratio. Their occurrences are compared with the co-located, retrieved temperatures and related to the temperature thresholds needed for saturation of H2O and/or HNO3 vapor onto PSC particles. Observed daily locations where the major PSC screening criteria are satisfied are validated against PSCs observed with the Stratospheric Aerosol Monitor (SAM) II experiment also on Nimbus 7. Remnants of emissions from PSCs are characterized for O3 and HNO3 following the screening. PSCs may also impart a warm bias in the co-located LIMS temperatures, but by no more than 1–2 K at the altitudes of where effects of PSCs are a maximum in the ozone; thus, no PSC screening was applied to the V6 temperatures. Minimum temperatures vary between 187 and 194 K and often occur 1 to 2 km above where PSC effects are first identified in the ozone (most often between about 21 and 28 hPa). Those temperature–pressure values are consistent with conditions for the existence of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) mixtures and to a lesser extent of super-cooled ternary solution (STS) droplets. A local, temporary uptake of HNO3 vapor of order 1–3 ppbv is indicated during mid-January for the 550 K surface. Seven-month time series of the distributions of LIMS O3 and HNO3 are shown based on their gridded Level 3 data following the PSC screening. Zonal coefficients of both species are essentially free of effects from PSCs on the 550 K surface, based on their average values along PV contours and in terms of equivalent latitude. Remnants of PSCs are still present in O3 on the 450 K surface during mid-January. It is judged that the LIMS Level 3 data are of good quality for analyzing the larger-scale, stratospheric chemistry and transport processes during the Arctic winter of 1978–1979.
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Lloyd, N. D., D. A. Degenstein, F. Sigernes, E. J. Llewellyn, and D. A. Lorentzen. "The red sky enigma over Svalbard in December 2002: a model using polar stratospheric clouds." Annales Geophysicae 23, no. 5 (July 27, 2005): 1603–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/angeo-23-1603-2005.
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Abstract. An anomalous red glow due to scattered sunlight was observed at Longyearbyen (78° N, 15° E) on 6 December 2002 from 07:30 UT to 13:30 UT when the solar zenith angle varied between 100.7° and 104°. A model for this red sky event using sunlight scattered in a two stage process by Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSC) at 25km is presented and demonstrated to be feasible. The model requires a significant fraction of the polar vortex, which is cold enough for the formation of ice PSC, to be occupied with PSC with an integrated vertical extinction of approximately 0.037 at 845nm. Given these conditions, the model is able to predict, within an order of magnitude, the spatial distribution of intensities measured by meridional scanning photometers located at Longyearbyen across the visible and near infra-red spectrum. Keywords. Aerosols and particles; Transmission and scattering of radiation; Polar Meteorology
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Maturilli, M., R. Neuber, P. Massoli, F. Cairo, A. Adriani, M. L. Moriconi, and G. Di Donfrancesco. "Differences in Arctic and Antarctic PSC occurrence as observed by lidar in Ny-Ålesund (79° N, 12° E) and McMurdo (78° S, 167° E)." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 5, no. 8 (August 9, 2005): 2081–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-5-2081-2005.
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Abstract. The extent of springtime Arctic ozone loss does not reach Antarctic ``ozone hole'' dimensions because of the generally higher temperatures in the northern hemisphere vortex and consequent less polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) particle surface for heterogeneous chlorine activation. Yet, with increasing greenhouse gases stratospheric temperatures are expected to further decrease. To infer if present Antarctic PSC occurrence can be applied to predict future Arctic PSC occurrence, lidar observations from McMurdo station (78° S, 167° E) and NyÅlesund (79° N, 12° E) have been analysed for the 9 winters between 1995 (1995/1996) and 2003 (2003/2004). Although the statistics may not completely cover the overall hemispheric PSC occurrence, the observations are considered to represent the main synoptic cloud features as both stations are mostly situated in the centre or at the inner edge of the vortex. Since the focus is set on the occurrence frequency of solid and liquid particles, the analysis has been restricted to volcanic aerosol free conditions. In McMurdo, by far the largest part of PSC observations is associated with NAT PSCs. The observed persistent background of NAT particles and their potential ability to cause denoxification and irreversible denitrification is presumably more important to Antarctic ozone chemistry than the scarcely observed ice PSCs. Meanwhile in Ny-Ålesund, ice PSCs have never been observed, while solid NAT and liquid STS clouds both occur in large fraction. Although they are also found solely, the majority of observations reveals solid and liquid particle layers in the same profile. For the Ny-Ålesund measurements, the frequent occurrence of liquid PSC particles yields major significance in terms of ozone chemistry, as their chlorine activation rates are more efficient. The relationship between temperature, PSC formation, and denitrification is nonlinear and the McMurdo and Ny-Ålesund PSC observations imply that for predicted stratospheric cooling it is not possible to directly apply current Antarctic PSC occurrence to the Arctic stratosphere. Future Arctic PSC occurrence, and thus ozone loss, is likely to depend on the shape and barotropy of the vortex rather than on minimum temperature alone.
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Höpfner, M., B. P. Luo, P. Massoli, F. Cairo, R. Spang, M. Snels, G. Di Donfrancesco, et al. "Spectroscopic evidence for NAT, STS, and ice in MIPAS infrared limb emission measurements of polar stratospheric clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 6, no. 5 (April 20, 2006): 1201–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-1201-2006.
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Abstract. We have analyzed mid-infrared limb-emission measurements of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) during the Antarctic winter 2003 with respect to PSC composition. Coincident Lidar observations from McMurdo were used for comparison with PSC types 1a, 1b and 2. Application of new refractive index data of β-NAT have allowed to accurately simulate the prominent spectral band at 820 cm-1 observed by MIPAS at the location where the Lidar instrument observed type 1a PSCs. Broadband spectral fits covering the range from 780 to 960 cm-1 and from 1220 to 1490 cm-1 showed best agreement with the MIPAS measurements when spectroscopic data of NAT were used to simulate the MIPAS spectra. MIPAS measurements collocated with Lidar observations of Type 1b and Type 2 PSCs could only be reproduced by assuming a composition of supercooled ternary H2SO4/HNO3/H2O solution (STS) and of ice, respectively. Particle radius and number density profiles derived from MIPAS were generally consistent with the Lidar observations. Only in the case of ice clouds, PSC volumes are partly underestimated by MIPAS due to large cloud optical thickness in the limb-direction. A comparison of MIPAS cloud composition and Lidar PSC-type determination based on all available MIPAS-Lidar coincident measurements revealed good agreement between PSC-types 1a, 1b and 2, and NAT, STS and ice, respectively. We could not find spectroscopic evidence for the presence of nitric acid dihydrate (NAD) from MIPAS observations of PSCs over Antarctica in 2003.
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Knudsen, B. M., S. B. Andersen, B. Christiansen, N. Larsen, M. Rex, N. R. P. Harris, and B. Naujokat. "Extrapolating future Arctic ozone losses." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 4, no. 3 (June 16, 2004): 3227–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-4-3227-2004.
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Abstract. Future increases in the concentration of greenhouse gases and water vapour are likely to cool the stratosphere further and to increase the amount of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). Future Arctic PSC areas have been extrapolated using the highly significant trends in the temperature record from 1958–2001. Using a tight correlation between PSC area and the total vortex ozone depletion and taking the decreasing amounts of ozone depleting substances into account we make empirical estimates of future ozone. The result is that Arctic ozone losses increase until 2010–2020 and only decrease slightly up to 2030. This approach is an alternative method of prediction to that based on the complex coupled chemistry-climate models (CCMs).
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Pitts, Michael C., Lamont R. Poole, and Ryan Gonzalez. "Polar stratospheric cloud climatology based on CALIPSO spaceborne lidar measurements from 2006 to 2017." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 18, no. 15 (August 3, 2018): 10881–913. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10881-2018.
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Abstract. The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) on the CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) satellite has been observing polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) from mid-June 2006 until the present. The spaceborne lidar profiles PSCs with unprecedented spatial (5 km horizontal×180 m vertical) resolution and its dual-polarization capability enables classification of PSCs according to composition. Nearly coincident Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements of the primary PSC condensables (HNO3 and H2O) provide additional constraints on particle composition. A new CALIOP version 2 (v2) PSC detection and composition classification algorithm has been implemented that corrects known deficiencies in previous algorithms and includes additional refinements to improve composition discrimination. Major v2 enhancements include dynamic adjustment of composition boundaries to account for effects of denitrification and dehydration, explicit use of measurement uncertainties, addition of composition confidence indices, and retrieval of particulate backscatter, which enables simplified estimates of particulate surface area density (SAD) and volume density (VD). The over 11 years of CALIOP PSC observations in each v2 composition class conform to their expected thermodynamic existence regimes, which is consistent with previous analyses of data from 2006 to 2011 and underscores the robustness of the v2 composition discrimination approach. The v2 algorithm has been applied to the CALIOP dataset to produce a PSC reference data record spanning the 2006–2017 time period, which is the foundation for a new comprehensive, high-resolution climatology of PSC occurrence and composition for both the Antarctic and Arctic. Time series of daily-averaged, vortex-wide PSC areal coverage versus altitude illustrate that Antarctic PSC seasons are similar from year to year, with about 25 % relative standard deviation in Antarctic PSC spatial volume at the peak of the season in July and August. Multi-year average, monthly zonal mean cross sections depict the climatological patterns of Antarctic PSC occurrence in latitude–altitude and also equivalent-latitude–potential-temperature coordinate systems, with the latter system better capturing the microphysical processes controlling PSC existence. Polar maps of the multi-year mean geographical patterns in PSC occurrence frequency show a climatological maximum between longitudes 90∘ W and 0∘, which is the preferential region for forcing by orography and upper tropospheric anticyclones. The climatological mean distributions of particulate SAD and VD also show maxima in this region due to the large enhancements from the frequent ice clouds. Stronger wave activity in the Northern Hemisphere leads to a more disturbed Arctic polar vortex, whose evolution and lifetime vary significantly from year to year. Accordingly, Arctic PSC areal coverage is distinct from year to year with no “typical” year, and the relative standard deviation in Arctic PSC spatial volume is >100 % throughout most of the season. When PSCs are present in the Arctic, they most likely occur between longitudes 60∘ W and 90∘ E, which is consistent with the preferential location of the Arctic vortex. Comparisons of CALIOP v2 and Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) Antarctic PSC observations show excellent correspondence in the overall spatial and temporal evolution, as well as for different PSC composition classes. Climatological patterns of CALIOP v2 PSC occurrence frequency in the vicinity of McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen, are similar in nature to those derived from local ground-based lidar measurements. To investigate the possibility of longer-term trends, appropriately subsampled and averaged CALIOP v2 PSC observations from 2006 to 2017 were compared with PSC data during the 1978–1989 period obtained by the spaceborne solar occultation instrument SAM II (Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement II). There was good consistency between the two instruments in column Antarctic PSC occurrence frequency, suggesting that there has been no long-term trend. There was less overall consistency between the Arctic records, but it is very likely due to the high degree of interannual variability in PSCs rather than a long-term trend.
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Nakajima, H., I. Wohltmann, T. Wegner, M. Takeda, M. C. Pitts, L. R. Poole, R. Lehmann, M. L. Santee, and M. Rex. "Polar Stratospheric Cloud evolution and chlorine activation measured by CALIPSO and MLS, and modelled by ATLAS." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 15, no. 16 (August 18, 2015): 22141–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-15-22141-2015.
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Abstract. We examined observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) by CALIPSO and of HCl, ClO and HNO3 by MLS along air mass trajectories to investigate the dependence of the inferred PSC composition on the temperature history of the air parcels, and the dependence of the level of chlorine activation on PSC composition. Several case studies based on individual trajectories from the Arctic winter 2009/10 were conducted, with the trajectories chosen such that the first processing of the air mass by PSCs in this winter occurred on the trajectory. Transitions of PSC composition classes were observed to be highly dependent on the temperature history. In cases of a gradual temperature decrease, nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) and super-cooled ternary solution (STS) mixture clouds were observed. In cases of rapid temperature decrease, STS clouds were first observed, followed by NAT/STS mixture clouds. When temperatures dropped below the frost point, ice clouds formed, and then transformed into NAT/STS mixture clouds when temperature increased above the frost point. The threshold temperature for rapid chlorine activation on PSCs is approximately 4 K below the NAT existence temperature, TNAT. Furthermore, simulations of the ATLAS chemistry and transport box model along the trajectories were used to corroborate the measurements and show good agreement with the observations. Rapid chlorine activation was observed when an airmass encountered PSCs. The observed and modelled dependence of the rate of chlorine activation on the PSC composition class was small. Usually, chlorine activation was limited by the amount of available ClONO2. Where ClONO2 was not the limiting factor, a large dependence on temperature was evident.
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Voigt, Christiane, Andreas Dörnbrack, Martin Wirth, Silke M. Groß, Michael C. Pitts, Lamont R. Poole, Robert Baumann, et al. "Widespread polar stratospheric ice clouds in the 2015–2016 Arctic winter – implications for ice nucleation." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 18, no. 21 (October 30, 2018): 15623–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15623-2018.
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Abstract. Low planetary wave activity led to a stable vortex with exceptionally cold temperatures in the 2015–2016 Arctic winter. Extended areas with temperatures below the ice frost point temperature Tice persisted over weeks in the Arctic stratosphere as derived from the 36-year temperature climatology of the ERA-Interim reanalysis data set of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). These extreme conditions promoted the formation of widespread polar stratospheric ice clouds (ice PSCs). The space-borne Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument on board the CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) satellite continuously measured ice PSCs for about a month with maximum extensions of up to 2×106 km2 in the stratosphere. On 22 January 2016, the WALES (Water Vapor Lidar Experiment in Space – airborne demonstrator) lidar on board the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft HALO detected an ice PSC with a horizontal length of more than 1400 km. The ice PSC extended between 18 and 24 km altitude and was surrounded by nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles, supercooled ternary solution (STS) droplets and particle mixtures. The ice PSC occurrence histogram in the backscatter ratio to particle depolarization ratio optical space exhibits two ice modes with high or low particle depolarization ratios. Domain-filling 8-day back-trajectories starting in the high particle depolarization (high-depol) ice mode are continuously below the NAT equilibrium temperature TNAT and decrease below Tice∼10 h prior to the observation. Their matches with CALIPSO PSC curtain plots demonstrate the presence of NAT PSCs prior to high-depol ice, suggesting that the ice had nucleated on NAT. Vice versa, STS or no PSCs were detected by CALIPSO prior to the ice mode with low particle depolarization ratio. In addition to ice nucleation in STS potentially having meteoric inclusions, we find evidence for ice nucleation on NAT in the Arctic winter 2015–2016. The observation of widespread Arctic ice PSCs with high or low particle depolarization ratios advances our understanding of ice nucleation in polar latitudes. It further provides a new observational database for the parameterization of ice nucleation schemes in atmospheric models.
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Lowe, D., A. R. MacKenzie, H. Schlager, C. Voigt, A. Dörnbrack, M. J. Mahoney, and F. Cairo. "Liquid particle composition and heterogeneous reactions in a mountain wave Polar Stratospheric Cloud." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 5, no. 5 (October 4, 2005): 9547–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-5-9547-2005.
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Abstract. Mountain wave polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) were detected on 8 February 2003 above the Scandinavian Mountains by in-situ instruments onboard the M55 Geophysica aircraft. The observations of PSC particle composition, backscatter and chlorine activation are studied with a recently developed dynamical microphysical non-equilibrium box model. Results from the microphysical model, run on quasi-lagrangian trajectories, show that the PSC is composed of supercooled ternary (H2O/HNO3/H2SO4) solutions (STS) particles, which are out of equilibrium with the gas phase. The optical properties of the PSC can well be simulated with the model. Up to 0.15 ppbv Cl2 can be released by the PSC within 2 h in reasonable agreement with the measured ClOx concentrations, but high solar zenith angles prevent a direct comparison. Equilibrium calculations commonly used in large scale chemistry transport models poorly represent the measured PSC particle composition and chlorine activation under mountain wave conditions.