Your search

In March 2002 the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the polar-orbiting environmental satellite Envisat. One of its nine instruments is the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) instrument, which is a medium-resolution stellar occultation spectrometer measuring vertical profiles of ozone. In the first year after launch a large group of scientists performed additional measurements and validation activities to assess the quality of Envisat observations. In this paper, we present validation results of GOMOS ozone profiles from comparisons to microwave radiometer, balloon ozonesonde, and lidar measurements worldwide. Thirty-one instruments/launch sites at twenty-five stations ranging from the Arctic to the Antarctic joined in this activity. We identified 6747 collocated observations that were performed within an 800-km radius and a maximum 20-hour time difference of a satellite observation, for the period between 1 July 2002 and 1 April 2003. The GOMOS data analyzed here have been generated with a prototype processor that corresponds to version 4.02 of the operational GOMOS processor. The GOMOS data initially contained many obviously unrealistic values, most of which were successfully removed by imposing data quality criteria. Analyzing the effect of these criteria indicated, among other things, that for some specific stars, only less than 10% of their occultations yield an acceptable profile. The total number of useful collocated observations was reduced to 2502 because of GOMOS data unavailability, the imposed data quality criteria, and lack of altitude overlap. These collocated profiles were compared, and the results were analyzed for possible dependencies on several geophysical (e.g., latitude) and GOMOS observational (e.g., star characteristics) parameters. We find that GOMOS data quality is strongly dependent on the illumination of the limb through which the star is observed. Data measured under bright limb conditions, and to a certain extent also in twilight limb, should be used with caution, as their usability is doubtful. In dark limb the GOMOS data agree very well with the correlative data, and between 14- and 64-km altitude their differences only show a small (2.5–7.5%) insignificant negative bias with a standard deviation of 11–16% (19–63 km). This conclusion was demonstrated to be independent of the star temperature and magnitude and the latitudinal region of the GOMOS observation, with the exception of a slightly larger bias in the polar regions at altitudes between 35 and 45 km.

A large database of rocket measurements of the D-region electron concentration has been studied. The data were obtained at four sites in the Antarctic (Molodezhnaya and Syowa) and Arctic (Heiss Island, and Andøya/Kiruna). The electron densities were analysed in terms of their variations with solar zenith angle, geomagnetic activity and atmospheric temperature. We found that there is a particle ionisation source in the auroral oval even in quiet conditions. The energy of the particles is such, that they penetrate down to 85km, are partially absorbed between 85 and 80km but do not penetrate (are completely absorbed) below 75km. Analysis of the dependence of the electron concentration [e] on the daily sum of Kp indices, ∑Kp, shows that at all heights considered there is an increase of [e] with ∑Kp up to some saturation value of ∑Kp and beyond this level [e] is either constant (with large scatter of the data) or even decreases. This indicates that when the auroral oval expands with increasing geomagnetic activity, a particular station may move from a position outside or at the boundary of the oval, to a position inside the polar cap. An attempt is made to find the temperature dependence of the electron concentration. It is found that [e] at 75 and 80km increases with temperature T. Analysis of the flights conducted during noctilucent cloud (NLC) events at Andøya/Kiruna reveals a strong dependence of [e] on ∑Kp at 80 and 85km. This dependence is stronger and better defined than that for the entire data set. This may be explained by the low mesopause temperatures observed in summer when NLC occur. A comparison of the electron density data sets with empirical and theoretical models is presented and during quiet magnetic conditions a good agreement with mid-latitude models is found.

This project was undertaken by the Norwegian Polar Institute for the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (Oljedirektoratet) as support for planning of marine geophysical surveys offshore from Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica. The project was carried out by scientists Olga Pavlova and Jan-Gunnar Winther at the Norwegian Polar Institute under the direction of Morten Sand at the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. The main objectives of the project were to: a) calculate 10-day average historical (i.e., 1978-1996) sea ice concentrations off DML for the months of December through April b) identify the minimum and maximum sea ice extent occurring in the period 1978-1996 c) present the above information graphically. Daily microwave satellite data covering the period 1978-1996 with 25 x 25 km spatial resolution were used as basis for this study (see text below for description of data set).

Ground-based zenith sky UV–visible measurements of stratospheric bromine monoxide (BrO) slant column densities are compared with simulations from the SLIMCAT three-dimensional chemical transport model. The observations have been obtained from a network of 11 sites, covering high and midlatitudes of both hemispheres. This data set gives for the first time a near-global picture of the distribution of stratospheric BrO from ground-based observations and is used to test our current understanding of stratospheric bromine chemistry. In order to allow a direct comparison between observations and model calculations, a radiative transfer model has been coupled to the chemical model to calculate simulated slant column densities. The model reproduces the observations in general very well. The absolute amount of the BrO slant columns is consistent with a total stratospheric bromine loading of 20 ± 4 ppt for the period 1998–2000, in agreement with previous estimates. The seasonal and latitudinal variations of BrO are well reproduced by the model. In particular, the good agreement between the observed and modeled diurnal variation provides strong evidence that the BrO-related bromine chemistry is correctly modeled. A discrepancy between observed and modeled BrO at high latitudes during events of chlorine activation can be resolved by increasing the rate constant for the reaction BrO + ClO → BrCl + O2 to the upper limit of current recommendations. However, other possible causes of the discrepancy at high latitudes cannot be ruled out.

A large set of rocket measurements of the electron concentration [e] in the upper D region at four rocket sites (Molodezhnaya (Antarctic), Heiss Island (Arctic), Syowa (Antarctic), and Andoya/Kiruna (Arctic)) is considered. The dependence of [e] on the solar zenith angle X and geomagnetic activity index ∑Kp is analyzed. It has been shown that, the spread in [e] values reaches two orders of magnitude at any assigned value of χ. Nevertheless, it is possible to draw a lower envelope for the entire set of points and to obtain the [e] variation with χ in undisturbed conditions. In an analysis of the envelopes, it is seen that a corpuscular ionization source (presumably, electrons with an energy of above 40 keV) exists in the nonsunlit D region even in quiet conditions. An analysis of the electron concentration dependence on the daily sum of ∑Kp indices (∑Kp) shows that, at all heights considered, increases [e] with increasing ∑Kp to a certain boundary value ∑Kp and then remains either constant (with a rather wide spread in the data) or even decreases. This saturation effect may be caused by the auroral oval equatorward motion. As a result of this motion the site position may change: it may move toward the boundary between the auroral oval and polar cap or even be within the latter. The slope k of the [e] variation plotted versus ∑Kp at different χ is considered. It is shown that k grows with increasing χ and is maximal at χ> 100°.

In this paper a detailed record of major ions from a 20 m deep firn core from Amundsenisen, western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, is presented. The core was drilled at 75° S, 2° E (2900 m a.s.l.) during austral summer 1991/92. The following ions were measured at 3 cm resolution: Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, NO3−, S04 2− and CH3SO3H (MSA). The core was dated back to 1865 using a combination of chemical records and volcanic reference horizons. The volcanic eruptions identified in this core are Mount Ngauruhoe, New Zealand (1974–75), Mount Agung, Indonesia (1963), Azul, Argentina (1932), and a broad peak that corresponds in time toTarawera, New Zealand (1886), Falcon Island, South Shetlands, Southern Ocean (1885), and Krakatau, Indonesia (1883). There are no trends in any of the ion records, but the annual to decadal changes are large. The mean concentrations of the measured ions are in agreement with those from other high-altitude cores from the Antarctic plateau. At this core site there may be a correspondence between peaks in the MSA record and major El Niño–Southern Oscillation events.

The response to realistic total column ozone trends on the troposphere and the stratosphere as simulated by the ARPEGE General Circulation Model (GCM) has been investigated. In both hemispheres, the lower stratosphere cooled and the polar vortex strengthened significantly during spring/early summer. The cooling trend was weaker than the observed trend in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), but stronger than the observed trend in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). In the troposphere, the changes in geopotential height resembled the positive phase of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) in the NH in March and the positive phase of the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) in the SH during summer (December–February).

Several years of total ozone measured from space by the ERS-2 GOME, the Earth Probe TOMS, and the ADEOS TOMS, are compared with high-quality ground-based observations associated with the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC), over an extended latitude range and a variety of geophysical conditions. The comparisons with each spaceborne sensor are combined altogether for investigating their respective solar zenith angle (SZA) dependence, dispersion, and difference of sensitivity. The space- and ground-based data are found to agree within a few percent on average. However, the analysis highlights for both GOME and TOMS several sources of discrepancies: (i) a SZA dependence with TOMS beyond 80° SZA; (ii) a seasonal SZA dependence with GOME beyond 70° SZA; (iii) a difference of sensitivity with GOME at high latitudes; (iv) a difference of sensitivity to low ozone values between satellite and SAOZ sensors around the southern tropics; (v) a north/south difference of TOMS with the ground-based observations; and (vi) internal inconsistencies in GOME total ozone.

The altitude dependent variability of ozone in the polar stratosphere is regularly observed by balloon-borne ozonesonde observations at Neumayer Station (70°S) in the Antarctic and at Koldewey Station (79°N) in the Arctic. The reasons for observed seasonal and interannual variability and long-term changes are discussed. Differences between the hemispheres are identified and discussed in light of differing dynamical and chemical conditions. Since the mid- 1980s, rapid chemical ozone loss has been recorded in the lower Antarctic stratosphere during the spring season. Using coordinated ozone soundings in some Arctic winters, similar chemical ozone loss rates have been detected related to periods of low temperatures. The currently observed cooling trend of the stratosphere, potentially caused by the increase of anthropogenic greenhouse gases, may further strengthen chemical ozone removal in the Arctic. However, the role of internal climate oscillations in observed temperature trends is still uncertain. First results of a 10000 year integration of a low order climate model indicate significant internal climate variability. on decadal time scales, that may alter the effect of increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the polar stratosphere.

A number of campaigns have been conducted in order to study Polar Mesosphere Summer Echos (PMSE) and Noctilucent Clouds (NLC) in the period 1991–1994. Several sounding rockets have been launched through these layers with measurements being performed on upleg as well as downleg. These include measurements of positive ions and electrons in both ram and wake positions, as well as measurements of charged aerosols in ram on upleg. In this paper we will review these measurements and make a preliminary classification of the data based upon the presence of PMSE and/or NLC. One of the mechanisms responsible for PMSE is the presence of neutral air turbulence in combination with a high Schmidt number. We will briefly discuss this type of echo using in situ rocket data. Differences and similarities of PMSE and NLC as observed both in the Arctic and the Antarctic will be discussed. Observations show that especially PMSE are much more frequent in the Arctic. This may be due to a difference in the water vapour content or the temperature at mesopause heights. Lack of data in the Antarctic makes it difficult to decide which of these two factors are the most important. More measurements, especially co-ordinated in situ and ground-based lidar and radar measurements, are needed to discuss the Arctic and Antarctic similarities and differences in further detail.

For ease in discerning an Antarctic circumpolar wave in the perimeter of the ice pack, we construct a time series of the sea ice extents (essentially the area within the ice perimeter) in 1-degree longitudinal sectors for the period 1978-1996, as observed with the multichannel microwave imagers on board the NASA Nimbus 7 and the DOD (Dept. of Defense) DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) F8, F11, and F13 satellites. After converting the time series into complex numbers by means of a Hilbert transform, we decompose the time series of the 360 sectors into its complex principal components (CPCs), effectively separating the spatial and temporal values. Then we decompose the real and imaginary parts of the temporal portions of the first three CPCs (complex principal compenents) by Empirical Mode Decomposition into their intrinsic modes, each representing a narrow frequency band, resulting in a collection of three CPCs for each intrinsic mode. Finally, we reconstruct the data in two different ways. First, we low-pass filter the data by combining all of the intrinsic modes of each CPC with periods longer than two years, which we designate as lowpass filtered. Next, we select the intrinsic mode of each CPC with periods of approximately four years, which we designate the quasiquadrennial (QQ) modes. The low-pass filtered time series shows eastward propagating azimuthal motion in the Ross and Weddell Seas, but no clearly circumpolar motion. The QQ time series, on the other hand, clearly shows eastward propagating circumpolar waves, but with occasional retrograde motion to the west.

The paper presents a new global modeling tool, Stratospheric Chemical Transport Model 2. It has been developed for effective three-dimensional multiyear stratospheric chemistry studies, featuring an extensive chemistry scheme, heterogeneous processing on sulfate aerosols, and some polar stratospheric cloud processes. The transport algorithm maintains sub-grid-scale distributions and connects vertically the stratospheric layers, even in a coarse vertical grid. The model has been integrated for 49 months, recycling 1 year of precalculated transport from a middle atmosphere general circulation model. One year of daily National Centers for Environmental Prediction global analyses are used as temperatures. Diurnal cycles of photolysis rates are recalculated every 7 days to give interaction with ozone changes. The model is able to describe most of the geographical and seasonal ozone variability and the meridional distributions of ozone, reactive nitrogen, chlorine, and bromine. Stratospheric diurnal cycles for nitrogen, hydrogen, chlorine, and bromine species are captured in detail. The upper stratosphere ozone deficiency, typical to models, is large. Its sensitivity to different ways of tuning are explored. Midlatitude, rather than polar, wintertime processes have so far been the focus in this model tool. The present transport and grid resolution are not suited for realistic simulations at high latitudes. As there is only a limited inclusion of polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) microphysics, chemical processing in the cold polar lower stratosphere also cannot be well simulated. For example, the Antarctic ozone hole is not simulated, but the modeled chemistry should be suitable for warm Arctic winters when type II PSCs and particle sedimentation do not occur.

Observation of the retreat and disintegration of ice shelves around the Antarctic Peninsula during the last three decades and associated changes in air temperature, measured at various meteorological stations on the Antarctic Peninsula, are reviewed. The climatically induced retreat of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf on the east coast and of the Wordie, George VI, and Wilkins ice shelves on the west coast amounted to about 10 000 km2 since the mid-1960s. A summary is presented on the recession history of the Larsen Ice Shelf and on the collapse of those sections north of Robertson Island in early 1995. The area changes were derived from images of various satellites, dating back to a late 1963 image from the recently declassified US Argon space missions. This photograph reveals a previously unknown, minor advance of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf before 1975. During the period of retreat a consistent and pronounced warming trend was observed at the stations on both east and west coasts of the Antarctic Peninsula, but a major cause of the fast retreat and final collapse of the northernmost sections of the Larsen Ice Shelf were several unusually warm summers. Temperature records from the nearby station Marambio show that a positive mean summer temperature was reached for the first time in 1992-93. Recent observations indicate that the process of ice shelf disintegration is proceeding further south on both sides of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Temperature, density and accumulation data were obtained from shallow firn cores, drilled during an overland traverse through a previously unknown part of Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. The traverse area is characterised by high mountains that obstruct the ice flow, resulting in a sudden transition from the polar plateau to the coastal region. The spatial variations of potential temperature, near-surface firn density and accumulation suggest that katabatic winds are active in this region. Proxy wind data derived from firn-density profiles confirm that annual mean wind speed is strongly related to the magnitude of the surface slope. The high elevation of the ice sheet south of the mountains makes for a dry, cold climate, in which mass loss owing to sublimation is small and erosion of snow by the wind has a potentially large impact on the surface mass balance. A simple katabatic-wind model is used to explain the variations of accumulation along the traverse line in terms of divergence/convergence of the local transport of drifting snow. The resulting wind- and snowdrift patterns are closely connected to the topography of the ice sheet: ridges are especially sensitive to erosion, while ice streams and other depressions act as collectors of drifting snow.

We report in this study the distribution of 10Be in the top 40 m of the Renland ice core (East Greenland) and in a 30 m long core from DML (Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica) for the period 1931–1988. The two sites show differences in10Be content, the Antarctica site showing smaller variance and a lower average 10Be annual flux. Similarly, the average accumulation rate (cm water equivalent year−1) is higher in the Renland relative to DML. The variability in accumulation (precipitation) rates seems to explain part of the difference in10Be flux between the two polar sites. Cyclic fluctuations of 10Be flux correlate with the 11-year sunspot number and cosmic ray intensity than with the aa index (perturbation of the geomagnetic activity by the solar wind). Our data corroborate 10Be cyclic fluctuation pattern from the Dye 3 ice core and confirm a promising potential for correlation of global and local events.

Levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides have been determined in ambient air at Signy Island, Antarctica, over a period of 17 weeks. Mean concentrations for single polychlorinated biphenyls (0.02–17 pg/m3), for chlordanes (0.04–0.9 pg/m3), DDT compounds (0.07–0.40 pg/m3) and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, 22 pg/m3) were comparable to those in Arctic air. However, α-HCH levels were approximately one order of magnitude lower. Compared to the Arctic, differences were also observed in the concentration ratios of α-/γ-HCH and chlordane compounds. Two possible atmospheric long-range transport episodes from South America were found by comparing 10-day back trajectories with observed concentration changes. The lower limits of determination (LOD) were mainly governed by the field blanks. They were satisfactory for the most volatile PCBs. However, many concentrations for DDT and chlordane compounds were below the LODs (range 0.1–1 pg/m3) or even the instrumental detection limit (0.01–0.03 pg/m3).

A parameterization is introduced for the prediction of cloud water in the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3). The new parameterization makes a much closer connection between the meteorological processes that determine condensate formation and the condensate amount. The parameterization removes some constraints from the simulation by allowing a substantially wider range of variation in condensate amount than in the standard CCM3 and tying the condensate amount to local physical processes. The parameterization also allows cloud drops to form prior to the onset of grid-box saturation and can require a significant length of time to convert condensate to a precipitable form, or to remove the condensate. The free parameters of the scheme were adjusted to provide reasonable agreement with top of atmosphere and surface fluxes of energy. The parameterization was evaluated by a comparison with satellite and in situ measures of liquid and ice cloud amounts. The effect of the parameterization on the model simulation was then examined by comparing long model simulations to a similar run with the standard CCM and through comparison with climatologies based upon meteorological observations. Global ice and liquid water burdens are higher in the revised model than in the control simulation, with an accompanying increase in height of the center of mass of cloud water. Zonal averages of cloud water contents were 20%–50% lower near the surface and much higher above. The range of variation of cloud water contents is much broader in the new parameterization but was still not as large as measurements suggest. Differences in the simulation were generally small. The largest significant changes found to the simulation were seen in polar regions (winter in the Arctic and all seasons in the Antarctic). The new parameterization significantly changes the Northern Hemisphere winter distribution of cloud water and improves the simulation of temperature and cloud amount there. Small changes were introduced in the cloud fraction to improve consistency of the meteorological parameterizations and to attempt to alleviate problems in the model (in particular, in the marine stratocumulus regime). The small changes did not make any appreciable improvement to the model simulation. The new parameterization adds significantly to the flexibility in the model and the scope of problems that can be addressed. Such a scheme is needed for a reasonable treatment of scavenging of atmospheric trace constituents, and cloud aqueous or surface chemistry. The addition of a more realistic condensate parameterization provides opportunities for a closer connection between radiative properties of the clouds, and their formation and dissipation. These processes must be treated for many problems of interest today (e.g., anthropogenic aerosol–climate interactions).