Influence of mountains on Arctic tropospheric ozone

• Published in: Journal of geophysical research. Atmospheres Vol. 121; no. 4; pp. 1935 - 1942
• Main Authors: Seabrook, Jeffrey, Whiteway, James
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Blackwell Publishing Ltd 27-02-2016
• Subjects: Absorption; Air; Air flow; Arctic; Arctic ozone; Blocking; Brackish; Case studies; Climatology; Depletion; Differential absorption lidar; Distribution; Emission measurements; Frozen; Geophysics; Lidar; Marine; Mountains; Ozone; Ozone depletion; Ozone measurements; Sea ice; Spring; Surface chemistry; Troposphere; Tropospheric ozone; Vertical distribution; Weather; Weather stations; Arctic Ocean; PN, Arctic Ocean; INE, USA, California, Eureka; ANW, Canada, Nunavut, Ellesmere I
• ISSN: 2169-897X; 2169-8996
• DOI: 10.1002/2015JD024114

Tropospheric ozone was measured above Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic during spring of 2008 using a differential absorption lidar. The observations were carried out at Eureka Weather Station, which is located between various mountain ranges. Analysis of the observations revealed that mountains had a significant effect on the vertical distribution of ozone. Ozone depletion events were observed when air that had spent significant time near to the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean reached Eureka. This air arrived at Eureka by flowing over the surrounding mountains. Surface level ozone depletions were not observed during periods when mountains blocked the flow of air from over the sea ice. In the case of blocking there was an enhancement in the amount of ozone near the surface as air from the midtroposphere descended in the lee of the mountains. Three case studies from spring of 2008 are described.
Key Points
Differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements of Arctic tropospheric ozone
Measurements provide an unprecedented view of variations in arctic ozone near the surface
Mountain blocking of airflow had a significant impact on the vertical distribution of ozone