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Anomalous Ozone Depletion in the Arctic from January to April 2020: Polar Vortex Dynamics under the Influence of Planetary Waves

  • USE OF SPACE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARTH SATELLITE STUDIES OF THE ARCTIC
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Abstract

In the winter–spring period of 2020, the unprecedented destruction of stratospheric ozone over the Arctic (in terms of duration and depth) was observed. For the first time in 42 years of observations, a decrease in ozone was recorded within 4 months, which is comparable in duration to the Antarctic ozone hole. At the same time, the average total ozone content over the Arctic reached its minimum values for 1979–2020 for 57% of the time from January to April 2020. The duration and depth of ozone depletion over the polar region are determined by the dynamics of the stratospheric polar vortex. The polar vortex weakening, as a rule, is observed under conditions of high activity of vertically propagating planetary waves. In the winter–spring period 2019/2020, a relatively low activity of planetary waves was observed. In this paper, the Arctic ozone anomaly of 2020 is considered, which was formed in the conditions of strengthening in the polar vortex with a decrease in wave activity.

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Funding

This study was carried out as part of state budgetary theme no. АААА-А17-117013050038-7.

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  1. Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634055, Tomsk, Russia

    V. V. Zuev & E. S. Savelieva

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  1. V. V. Zuev
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Correspondence to E. S. Savelieva.

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Translated by V. Selikhanovich

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Zuev, V.V., Savelieva, E.S. Anomalous Ozone Depletion in the Arctic from January to April 2020: Polar Vortex Dynamics under the Influence of Planetary Waves. Izv. Atmos. Ocean. Phys. 57, 1066–1075 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001433821090681

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