Atmospheric effects of energetic particle precipitation in the Arctic winter 1978-1979 revisited

DOI: 
10.1029/2011JD016663
Publication date: 
15/03/2012
Main author: 
Holt L.A.
IAA authors: 
Funke B.
Authors: 
Holt L.A., Randall C.E., Harvey V.L., Remsberg E.E., Stiller G.P., Funke B., Bernath P.F., Walker K.A.
Journal: 
Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
Publication type: 
Article
Volume: 
117
Pages: 
Number: 
D05315
Abstract: 
The Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) measured polar stratospheric enhancements of NO<inf>2</inf> mixing ratios due to energetic particle precipitation (EPP) in the Arctic winter of 1978-1979. Recently reprocessed LIMS data are compared to more recent measurements from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) to place the LIMS measurements in the context of current observations. The amount of NO<inf>x</inf> (NO + NO<inf>2</inf>) entering the stratosphere that has been created by EPP in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (EPP-NO<inf>x</inf>) has been quantified for the 1978-1979 and 2002-2003 through 2008-2009 Arctic winters. The NO<inf>2</inf> enhancements in the LIMS data are similar to those in MIPAS and ACE-FTS data in the Arctic winters of 2002-2003, 2004-2005, 2006-2007, and 2007-2008. The largest enhancement by far is in 2003-2004 (∼2.2 Gmol at 1500 K), which is attributed to a combination of elevated EPP and unusual dynamics that led to strong descent in the upper stratosphere/lower mesosphere in late winter. The enhancements in 2005-2006 and 2008-2009, during which large stratospheric NO<inf>x</inf> enhancements were caused by a dynamical situation similar to that in 2003-2004, are larger than in all the other years (except 2003-2004) at 3000 K. However, by 2000 K the enhancements in 2005-2006 (2008-2009) are on the same order of magnitude as (smaller than) all other years. These results highlight the importance of the timing of the descent in determining the potential of EPP-NO<inf>x</inf> for reaching the middle stratosphere. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.
Database: 
WOK
SCOPUS
ADS
URL: 
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/2012JGRD..117.5315H/abstract
ADS Bibcode: 
2012JGRD..117.5315H
Keywords: