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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L05802, doi:10.1029/2004GL022003, 2005

Stratospheric effects of energetic particle precipitation in 2003–2004

C. E. Randall

Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA


V. L. Harvey

Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA


G. L. Manney

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA


Y. Orsolini

Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway


M. Codrescu

NOAA Space Environment Center and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA


C. Sioris

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA


S. Brohede

Department of Radio and Space Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden


C. S. Haley

Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada


L. L. Gordley

GATS, Inc., Newport News, Virginia, USA


J. M. Zawodny

NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, USA


J. M. Russell III

Center for Atmospheric Sciences, Physics Department, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, USA


Abstract

Upper stratospheric enhancements in NOx (NO and NO2) were observed at high northern latitudes from March through at least July of 2004. Multi-satellite data analysis is used to examine the temporal evolution of the enhancements, to place them in historical context, and to investigate their origin. The enhancements were a factor of 4 higher than nominal at some locations, and are unprecedented in the northern hemisphere since at least 1985. They were accompanied by reductions in O3 of more than 60% in some cases. The analysis suggests that energetic particle precipitation led to substantial NOx production in the upper atmosphere beginning with the remarkable solar storms in late October 2003 and possibly persisting through January. Downward transport of the excess NOx, facilitated by unique meteorological conditions in 2004 that led to an unusually strong upper stratospheric vortex from late January through March, caused the enhancements.

Received 15 November 2004; accepted 2 February 2005; published 2 March 2005.

Index Terms: 0340 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere: composition and chemistry; 0341 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere: constituent transport and chemistry (3334); 0342 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere: energy deposition (3334); 2716 Magnetospheric Physics: Energetic particles: precipitating; 3360 Atmospheric Processes: Remote sensing.

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Citation: Randall, C. E., et al. (2005), Stratospheric effects of energetic particle precipitation in 2003–2004, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L05802, doi:10.1029/2004GL022003.