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Dehydration and Denitrification in the Arctic Polar Vortex During the 1995-1996 WinterDehydration of more than 0.5 ppmv water was observed between 18 and 19 km (theta = 450-465 K) at the edge of the Arctic polar vortex on February 1, 1996. More than half the reactive nitrogen (NOy) had also been removed, with layers of enhanced NOy at lower altitudes. Back trajectory calculations show that air parcels sampled inside the vortex had experienced temperatures as low as 188 K within the previous 12 days, consistent with a small amount of dehydration. The depth of the dehydrated layer (approx. 1 km) and the fact that trajectories passed through the region of ice saturation in one day imply selective growth of a small fraction of particles to sizes large enough (>10 micrometers) to be irreversibly removed on this timescale. Over 25% of the Arctic vortex in a 20-30 K range of theta is estimated to have been dehydrated in this event.
Document ID
20010062493
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Hintsa, E. J.
(Harvard Univ. MA United States)
Newman, P. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Jonsson, H. H.
(Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA United States)
Webster, C. R.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
May, R. D.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Herman, R. L.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Lait, L. R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Schoerberl, M. R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Elkins, J. W.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Washington, DC United States)
Wamsley, P. R.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Washington, DC United States)
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
February 15, 1998
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Volume: 25
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0094-8534
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
Paper-98GL00115
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NCC2-913
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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