Abstract
Continuous air mass exchange is occurring between the stratosphere and troposphere. It is characterized by a mean meridional flow from the tropics towards the extratropics in the stratosphere and downward cross-tropopause mass flux at middle to higher latitudes. The paper is focusing on the latter part of the exchange system. Calculations of downward fluxes derived from dynamical arguments (downward control principle) are compared with estimates obtained from cross-tropopause fluxes of ozone and other tracers. Prominent features causing ozone intrusions are tropopause folds and cut-off lows. Model results, observations and weather statistics point towards rather large downward ozone fluxes due to intrusions (more than 10 x 1010 molecules cm -2 s -1). They should be accompanied by air mass fluxes at least 3 times as large as derived on the basis of the downward control principle or from the mean residual meridional circulation. The discrepancy between both air mass flux estimates is apparently due to assumptions about the structure of flows controlling troposphere-stratosphere exchange of air. Larger fluxes are an indication of comparatively short turnover times for the lowest stratosphere. Implications for upward cross-tropopause fluxes of tropospheric air and the ozone budget of the tropopause region are briefly addressed.
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Ebel, A., Elbern, H., Oberreuter, A. (1993). Stratosphere—Troposphere Air Mass Exchange and Cross—Tropopause Fluxes of Ozone. In: Thrane, E.V., Blix, T.A., Fritts, D.C. (eds) Coupling Processes in the Lower and Middle Atmosphere. NATO ASI Series, vol 387. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1594-0_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1594-0_4
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