Arctic ozone and circulation changes during boreal spring

Abstract

The interannual variations of the Arctic total column ozone in spring from 1979 to 2011 are analyzed using measurements of the Total Ozone Unit (TOU) onboard the second generation polar orbiting meteorological satellite of China, Fengyun-3 (FY3/TOU) and other satellites. It is found that the interannual variations are very distinct and are connected with the stratospheric temperatures (with a correlation coefficient of 0.75). The daily and monthly variability of Arctic ozone are extremely different in the anomalous year. The chemical impact is pronounced in the strongest ozone loss years (1997 and 2011), but not obvious in the weakest ozone loss years (1999 and 2010). The daily variations in the weak ozone loss years could be regulated by the weather system process. The Arctic ozone variations are modulated by the atmospheric circulation, accounting for change of AO, polar vortex and stratospheric temperature. When AO index is positive and the polar vortex is stronger with colder stratosphere, the Arctic ozone loss is larger. When AO index is negative and polar vortex is weaker with warmer stratosphere, the Arctic ozone loss is smaller.