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Near complete local reduction of Arctic stratospheric ozone by severe chemical loss in spring 2020
  • +9
  • Ingo Wohltmann,
  • Peter von der Gathen,
  • Ralph Lehmann,
  • Marion Maturilli,
  • Holger Deckelmann,
  • Gloria L Manney,
  • Jonathan Davies,
  • David W. Tarasick,
  • Nis Jepsen,
  • Rigel Kivi,
  • Norrie Lyall,
  • Markus Rex
Ingo Wohltmann
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Peter von der Gathen
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
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Ralph Lehmann
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
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Marion Maturilli
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
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Holger Deckelmann
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
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Gloria L Manney
Northwest Research Associates
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Jonathan Davies
Environment and Climate Change Canada
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David W. Tarasick
Environment and Climate Change Canada
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Nis Jepsen
Danish Meteorological Institute
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Rigel Kivi
Finnish Meteorological Institute
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Norrie Lyall
UK Met Office
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Markus Rex
Alfred Wegener Institute
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Abstract

In the Antarctic ozone hole, ozone mixing ratios have been decreasing to extremely low values of 0.01-0.1 ppm in nearly all spring seasons since the late 1980s, corresponding to 95-99 % local chemical loss. In contrast, Arctic ozone loss has been much more limited and mixing ratios have never before fallen below 0.5 ppm. In Arctic spring 2020, however, ozone sonde measurements in the most depleted parts of the polar vortex show a highly depleted layer, with ozone loss averaged over sondes peaking at 93 % at 18 km. Typical minimum mixing ratios of 0.2 ppm were observed, with individual profiles showing values as low as 0.13 ppm (96 % loss). The reason for the unprecedented chemical loss was an unusually strong, long-lasting and cold polar vortex, showing that for individual winters the effect of the slow decline of ozone-depleting substances on ozone depletion may be counteracted by low temperatures.
28 Oct 2020Published in Geophysical Research Letters volume 47 issue 20. 10.1029/2020GL089547