CLAES's PLOTS

Polar orthographic projections of 24 hours of ClONO2 data at 21 km as measured by CLAES in the Antarctic stratosphere for individual days between January 1992 and January 1993. These days emphasize the southern winter vortex region and the band or collar of increased ClONO2 around it. [Similar to figures and discussion in "Observations of Lower-Stratospheric ClONO2, HNO3, and Aerosol by the UARS CLAES Experiment between January 1992 and April 1993", by Roche et al., J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 2877-2902, Oct. 15, 1994.]

Polar orthographic projections of 24 hours of HNO3 data at 21 km as measured by CLAES in the Arctic stratosphere for individual days between July 1992 and May 1993. These days emphasize the northern winter vortex region and the depletion of HNO3 therein. [Similar to figures and discussion in "Observations of Lower-Stratospheric ClONO2, HNO3, and Aerosol by the UARS CLAES Experiment between January 1992 and April 1993", by Roche et al., J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 2877-2902, Oct. 15, 1994.]

Polar orthographic projections of 24 hours of HNO3 data at 21 km as measured by CLAES in the Antarctic stratosphere for individual days between January 1992 and January 1993. These days emphasize the southern winter vortex region and the band or collar of increased HNO3 around it. [Similar to figures and discussion in "Observations of Lower-Stratospheric ClONO2, HNO3, and Aerosol by the UARS CLAES Experiment between January 1992 and April 1993", by Roche et al., J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 2877-2902, Oct. 15, 1994.] 

The CLAES HNO3 zonal-mean maps for March 1992 and March 1993 show a distinct downward trend from year to year at tropical and southern mid latitudes and a smaller trend at northern mid latitudes. This trend is assumed to be due to the decreasing importance of the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 on the sulfate aerosol as the Mt. Pinatubo aerosol loading drops off.

The percent change in CLAES zonal-mean HNO3 for March 1992 and March 1993 is presented and shows a distinct downward trend from year to year at tropical and southern mid latitudes and a smaller trend at northern mid latitudes. This trend is assumed to be due to the decreasing importance of the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 on the sulfate aerosol as the Mt. Pinatubo aerosol loading drops off

Polar projections at 21 km are shown for the CLAES temperature, aerosol, ClONO2, and HNO3 data during the northern hemispheric winter on February 22, 1993. Both the ClONO2 and HNO3 fields have assumed a structure characterized by a partial band or collar region of high values outside the vortex edge, as defined by the steepest temperature gradient, which surrounded the coldest temperatures (below 189 K, mainly over eastern Greenland or between Greenland and Scandinavia). Aerosol extinction at high levels was seen on this day inside the vortex region along with high volume mixing ratios of ClONO2 and a depletion of HNO3. [For more information see Figures 15-19 and their discussion in "Observations of Lower-Stratospheric ClONO2, HNO3, and Aerosol by the UARS CLAES Experiment between January 1992 and April 1993", by Roche et al., J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 2877-2902, Oct. 15, 1994.]