Objective Arctic ozone observations during recent years have shown that under certain conditions chemical reactions can destroy large amounts of ozone inside the wintertime Arctic polar vortex. The ozone depleted air masses are then transported to middle northern latitudes and significantly influence the total column amount of ozone over Europe. Accurate quantification of the chemically induced contribution to observed changes in the ozone amounts requires precise evaluation of dynamical activity. Several approaches have been developed in order to provide a quantitative estimate of the chemical ozone loss. Most approaches assume that mixing processes between the stratospheric Arctic and mid-latitude regions are negligible. The main objectives of this proposal is to investigate the mixing processes between the stratospheric mid-latitude and Arctic regions in order to provide an estimate on a multi-annual basis of the influence of these processes on the Arctic ozone depletion. The work will be based on the use of a high-resolution chemical transport model that will be installed at the host Institution. It will involve the implementation of several chemical tracers into the model, in order to investigate the irreversible mixing of mid-latitude polar air into the Arctic polar stratosphere. The proposed work will allow AWI to provide a better evaluation of the Arctic ozone depletion on a multi-annual basis. It will also provide a test for other methods used in the quantification of Arctic chemical loss and assumed to be less sensitive then the "vortex average" technique to mixing processes. Since Arctic chemical ozone loss has an influence on ozone amounts in the mid-latitude region, a better understanding of the overall stratospheric ozone budget will be obtained. Furthermore, the proposed work will enhance the modelling capacity of AWI, since high-resolution transport models can be used to study various mesoscale phenomena. The advection scheme of the MIMOSA-CHIM model can be run on a higher 0.3°x0.3° horizontal resolution, providing PV maps which resolve small scale features such as polar filaments or mid-latitude intrusion in the polar vortex. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencesozone depletionnatural scienceschemical sciences Programme(s) FP5-HUMAN POTENTIAL - Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on "Improving the human research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base" (1998-2002) Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships) Coordinator ALFRED WEGENER INSTITUTE FOR POLAR AND MARINE RESEARCH EU contribution No data Address Telegraphenberg 43 A 14473 GROSS GLIENICKE POTSDAM Germany See on map Total cost No data
