HALOE Antarctic observations in the spring of 1991

HALOE observations of O3, CH4, HF, H2O, NO, NO2, and HCl collected during the October 1991 Antarctic spring period are reported. The data show a constant CH4 mixing ratio of about 0.25 ppmv for the altitude range from 65 km down to about 25 km at the position of minimum wind speed in the vortex: i.e., the vortex center, and depressions in pressure versus longitude contours of NO, NO2, HF, and HCl in this same region. Water vapor, HF, and HCl enhancement are also observed in the vortex center region above about 25 km. Between 10 and 20 km, the expected mixing ratio signatures exist within the vortex, i.e., low ozone and dehydration. The water vapor increased by 50 percent, and the ozone level doubled inside the vortex between October 11 and 24 in the 15-20 km layer. These changes imply a time constant for recovery from ozone hole conditions of 19 and 30 days for O3 and H2O, respectively. The data further show the presence of air inside the vortex between 3 and 30 mb which has mixing ratios characteristic of midlatitudes.