On the role of the lower-stratospheric circulation to the vertical ozone structure

Abstract

The examination of the role of the lower stratospheric circulation to the vertical ozone distribution, is attempted by using the vertical ozone profiles collected by balloon-borne sondes released at Athens, Greece (38°N, 24°E), throughout the period 1989-1997. The most pronounced special features of the ozone structure, such as lamination phenomenon, minimum of ozone partial pressure at the height region of 14-17 km and ozone minima at the height region of 20-25 km, have been used in order to create groups of relevant profiles. The occurrence of the above mentioned features, correlated with the circulation pattern, leads to the following preliminary results: a) Laminated features are associated with the north-northwest circulation in the lower stratosphere; b) The lower stratosphere's characteristic ozone minimum is related to the influence of the subtropical jet stream circulation; and c) The observed ozone depletion at the height region of 20-25 km, is characterized by the movement of the polar vortex to the mid-latitudes, resulting more intense north-western circulation above our experimental site.