Antarctic Ozone Hole Review 2012 Craig S. Long 1 Larry Flynn 2,
Bryan Johnson 3 NOAA 1-NWS/NCEP/Climate Prediction Center
2-NESDIS/STAR/Satellite Meteorology & Climatology Division
3-OAR/ESRL/Global Monitoring Division
Slide 2
Quick ozone review Ozone generation cycle Ozone depletion
cycles Ozone recovery expectations NOAA-centric perspective 2012
ozone hole in context of 32 previous years Various ways to monitor
and measure ozone hole Meteorological conditions accountable for
2012 ozone size and longevity Outline
Slide 3
Ozone Life Cycle
Slide 4
Ozone Destruction Cycle From 2010 Ozone Assessment
Slide 5
Reservoir molecules DeNitrification Activation
Slide 6
Why Ozone Holes form over Antarctica and Not the Arctic From
2010 Ozone Assessment
Slide 7
Ozone Recovery Protocols From 2010 Ozone Assessment
Slide 8
Ozone Recovery Expectations From 2010 Ozone Assessment
Slide 9
Ozone Recovery Expectations
Slide 10
2012 Antarctic Ozone Hole Ozone Hole definition: Area in which
total column ozone is less than 220 DU Satellite Perspective South
Pole Perspective
Slide 11
Suomi-NPP OMPS Total Ozone
Slide 12
Ozone Hole Time Series
Slide 13
Ozone Hole Annual Maximum Size Using SBUV/2 v8 analyses
Slide 14
Ozone Hole Annual Mean Size Late Sept
Slide 15
Ozone Hole Monthly Mean
Slide 16
Monthly Mean Ozone Analysis
Slide 17
South Pole Ozonesonde Measurements Comparison of 2012 with 2006
which had near complete ozone depletion
Slide 18
South Pole Ozonesonde Measurements
Slide 19
Slide 20
Slide 21
South Pole Spectrophotometer Measurements Late October By late
October the break down of the polar vortex lead to the early end of
the 2012 ozone hole resulting in anomalously high total ozone
values.
Slide 22
Meteorological Conditions PSC Area Defines the potential size
of ozone depleted air Vortex Area Separates cold/ozone depleted
polar air from ozone rich warmer mid-latitude air Defines longevity
of ozone hole What modulates these: Wave activity and heat flux
from mid-latitudes
Slide 23
Area of PSC Temps and Polar Vortex
Slide 24
Vortex, Temperature, Ozone Relationship Note how the high ozone
values coincide with the warm temperatures surrounding the polar
vortex. Note how the polar vortex separates the ozone rich middle
latitudes from the depleted ozone values inside.
Slide 25
SH Polar Temperatues 50hPa SH high latitude temperatures were
warm than last year and near the long term average during the SH
winter/spring months. The temps raise rapidly in October due to the
early vortex breakdown. 2hPa SH high latitude temperatures were
consistently warm during the SH winter/spring months.
Slide 26
2006 2012 Volume of Cold Air Compared to a year (2006) with a
large ozone hole, the PSC area at various levels in 2012 were much
smaller.
Slide 27
Comparison of 2012 PSC Area with Previous Years Zonal Mean
Temperature Anomaly
Slide 28
SH Poleward Heat Flux Heat flux activity showed several pulses
in 2012 which raised temperatures and decreased the size of the PSC
area/volume. The strong pulse in mid October lead to the vortex
break- down and filling in of the ozone hole.
Slide 29
Heat Flux [vT] (deg m sec -1 ) 50 hPa Temperature Jul/Aug 100mb
Heat Flux vs Aug/Sep 50mb Temps 2012
Slide 30
Heat Flux [vT] (deg m sec -1 ) 50 hPa Temperature Comparison of
Heat Flux/Temp Relationship between MERRA and CFSR
Slide 31
Wave 1 and 2 activity transports heat towards polar region.
Increases the temperature in the polar vortex. Shrinks the area of
PSCs. Heat Flux Impacts on Polar Temperatures
Slide 32
Descending easterlies Role of QBO
Slide 33
Low Tropical Ozone High Polar Ozone BD Circulation Speeds Up
High Polar Ozone Descending Easterlies
Slide 34
Descending cold anom
Slide 35
Low Ozone in Tropics, High in Extra-tropics and South Polar
Region
Slide 36
SP August Ozone Levels are well above mean
Slide 37
Summary SH Polar temperatures were warm Heat Flux activity was
great PSC area was small Ozone Hole size is extremely small Wave
activity and temperatures dont necessarily explain why the ozone
hole size was so small. South Pole ozonesondes imply ozone levels
were well above normal. Perhaps ozone depletion was equivalent to
other years yet due to higher starting point the area below 240 DU
threshold was smaller than those same years. Strong wave activity
in Oct resulted in early end of ozone hole