The ozone, aerosol depletion and condensation nuclei events in the stratosphere

Abstract

Recently, the depletion in ozone and aerosol extinctions inside Antarctic Spring westerly vortex and condensation nuclei enhancement events in the mid latitudes stratosphere were related to downward transport of aerosols by subsidence and sedimentation. However, the problems associated with such hypothesis would keep a constraint on photochemical theories on ozone hole and stratospheric condensation nuclei (CN) events. Alternately, the gross features of aerosol hole are better explicable assuming a reversed residual circulation. Independently, we relate the CN events to the growth and transport of negative ion complexes above the Peak of Junge Layer (PJL) without invoking photochemistry in order to be consistent with the observed interhemispheric differences in the planetary wave activity and CN concentration.