| Unlike the Antarctic, Arctic ozone loss can undergo large interannual variability due to the changing dynamics and meteorological conditions. In order to explore the interannual variability, a comprehensive ozone loss analysis will be presented for ten Arctic winters. Ozone loss calculations will be inferred from observations from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite Microwave Limb Sounder (UARS MLS), Earth Observing System MLS (EOS MLS), Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM II/III), Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II/III), Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS), Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS), and Measurement of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation (MAESTRO) instruments using the chemical transport model (CTM) Passive Subtraction technique. In addition, the inferred ozone loss calculations will be compared to modeled loss from the SLIMCAT CTM. Theoretical models have historically underestimated ozone loss rates in much of the lower polar stratosphere compared to inferred loss rates from observations [e.g., Becker et al., 2000; Guirlet et al., 2000; Pierce et al., 2003]. It is vital that CTMs correctly simulate stratospheric O3, because they are an integral part of the development of chemistry modules in Chemistry Climate Models. Results from this thesis will be used to improve the treatment of polar ozone in the CTM and thus CCMs, with a view toward improving our understanding of the coupling between stratospheric ozone loss and climate. |
