Case study of a tropopause fold and of subsequent mixing in the subtropics of the Southern Hemisphere
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Authors
Gouget, H.
Discipline
Physical sciences
Subject
Atmospheric chemistry
Atmospheric composition
Atmospheric humidity
Atmospheric movements
Atmospheric temperature
Carbon monoxide
Methane
Ozone
Tropics
Troposphere
Upper atmosphere
Vortex flow
Equivalent potential temperature
Stratosphere-troposphere exchanges (STE)
Tropopause
Air pollution
ozone
atmospheric dynamics
fold
mixing
Southern Hemisphere
subtropical region
tropopause
Argentina
article
humidity
meteorology
ozone layer
priority journal
stratosphere
temperature
troposphere
Audience
Scientific
Date
2000Metadata
Show full item recordDescription
Aircraft measurements of ozone, methane, carbon monoxide, relative humidity and equivalent potential temperature were performed during the TROPOZ II campaign. During the descent down to Buenos Aires (34°S, 58°W) at 19:00 UTC on 22 January 1991, a double-peaked layer of elevated ozone was observed. Both a physico-chemical interpretation of each peak and diagnoses based on potential vorticity and ageostrophic circulations indicate the stratospheric origin of the ozone maxima. The relative minimum of ozone and significant increase of relative humidity present in the shallow layer between the peaks, in a region of wind shear, is identified as the signature of real mixing. This intermediate layer shows that ozone originating in the stratosphere was subsequently mixed into the troposphere by folding processes associated with the jet. This result suggests the relative importance of stratosphere-troposphere exchanges to the ozone budget in the Southern Hemisphere, due to a lesser extent of anthropogenic sources in this hemisphere. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.Aircraft measurements of ozone, methane, carbon monoxide, relative humidity and equivalent potential temperature were performed during the TROPOZ II campaign. During the descent down to Buenos Aires (34°S, 58°W) at 19:00 UTC on 22 January 1991, a double-peaked layer of elevated ozone was observed. Both a physico-chemical interpretation of each peak and diagnoses based on potential vorticity and ageostrophic circulations indicate the stratospheric origin of the ozone maxima. The relative minimum of ozone and significant increase of relative humidity present in the shallow layer between the peaks, in a region of wind shear, is identified as the signature of real mixing. This intermediate layer shows that ozone originating in the stratosphere was subsequently mixed into the troposphere by folding processes associated with the jet. This result suggests the relative importance of stratosphere-troposphere exchanges to the ozone budget in the Southern Hemisphere, due to a lesser extent of anthropogenic sources in this hemisphere.
Citation
Gouget, H. (2000). Case study of a tropopause fold and of subsequent mixing in the subtropics of the Southern Hemisphere. , Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 34, Issue 16, 2653-2658, DOI: 10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00508-7.Identifiers
scopus: 2-s2.0-0034079172
Type
Article
Peer-Review
Yes
Language
eng