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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 30, NO. 15, 1796, doi:10.1029/2003GL017577, 2003

POAM measurements of PSCs and water vapor in the 2002 Antarctic vortex

Gerald E. Nedoluha

Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., USA


Richard M. Bevilacqua

Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., USA


Michael D. Fromm

Computational Physics Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, USA


Karl W. Hoppel

Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., USA


Douglas R. Allen

Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., USA


Abstract

We present Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) PSC and water vapor measurements obtained in the Antarctic stratosphere in 2002, and compare these with POAM measurements from 1993–1996 and 1998–2002 (PSCs) and 1998–2002 (water vapor). Through mid-September 2002 POAM observed significantly fewer PSCs than in other years. However, ice PSC observations were only slightly reduced from previous years, and the dehydration was similar to that observed from 1998–2001. After an unprecedented major warming in September 2002, POAM observed only very few PSCs. This sudden decline in PSC activity in 2002 occurred a full month earlier than in any previous POAM measurement years.

Received 22 April 2003; accepted 7 July 2003; published 6 August 2003.

Index Terms: 0340 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere—composition and chemistry; 0341 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere—constituent transport and chemistry (3334); 3349 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Polar meteorology.

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Citation: Nedoluha, G. E., R. M. Bevilacqua, M. D. Fromm, K. W. Hoppel, and D. R. Allen (2003), POAM measurements of PSCs and water vapor in the 2002 Antarctic vortex, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(15), 1796, doi:10.1029/2003GL017577.