The dynamics of the stratospheric polar vortex and its relation to springtime ozone depletions

Dramatic springtime depletions of ozone in polar regions require that polar stratospheric air has a high degree of dynamical isolation and extremely cold temperatures necessary for the formation of polar stratospheric clouds. Both of these conditions are produced within the stratospheric winter polar vortex. Recent aircraft missions have provided new information about the structure of polar vortices during winter and their relation to polar ozone depletions. The aircraft data show that gradients of potential vorticity and the concentration of conservative trace species are large at the transition from mid-latitude to polar air. The presence of such sharp gradients at the boundary of polar air implies that the inward mixing of heat and constituents is strongly inhibited and that the perturbed polar stratospheric chemistry associated with the ozone hole is isolated from the rest of the stratosphere until the vortex breaks up in late spring. The overall size of the polar vortex thus limits the maximum areal coverage of the annual polar ozone depletions. Because it appears that this limit has not been reached for the Antarctic depletions, the possibility of future increases in the size of the Antarctic ozone hole is left open. In the Northern Hemisphere, the smaller vortex and the more restricted region of cold temperatures suggest that this region has a smaller theoretical maximum for column ozone depletion, about 40 percent of the currently observed change in the Antarctic ozone column in spring.     

Ozone and aerosol changes during the 1991-1992 airborne arctic stratospheric expedition

Stratospheric ozone and aerosol distributions were measured across the wintertime Arctic vortex from January to March 1992 with an airborne lidar system as part of the 1992 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition (AASE II). Aerosols from the Mount Pinatubo eruption were found outside and inside the vortex with distinctly different distributions that clearly identified the dynamics of the vortex. Changes in aerosols inside the vortex indicated advection of air from outside to inside the vortex below 16 kilometers. No polar stratospheric clouds were observed and no evidence was found for frozen volcanic aerosols inside the vortex. Between January and March, ozone depletion was observed inside the vortex from 14 to 20 kilometers with a maximum average loss of about 23 percent near 18 kilometers.     

Free Radicals Within the Antarctic Vortex: The Role of CFCs in Antarctic Ozone Loss

How strong is the case linking global release of chlorofluorocarbons to episodic disappearance of ozone from the Antarctic stratosphere each austral spring? Three lines of evidence defining a link are (i) observed containment in the vortex of ClO concentrations two orders of magnitude greater than normal levels; (ii) in situ observations obtained during ten high-altitude aircraft flights into the vortex as the ozone hole was forming that show a decrease in ozone concentrations as ClO concentrations increased; and (iii) a comparison between observed ozone loss rates and those predicted with the use of absolute concentrations of ClO and BrO, the rate-limiting radicals in an array of proposed catalytic cycles. Recent advances in our understanding of the kinetics, photochemistry, and structural details of key intermediates in these catalytic cycles as well as an improved absolute calibration for ClO and BrO concentrations at the temperatures and pressures encountered in the lower antarctic stratosphere have been essential for defining the link.     

桃果的空气放电保鲜试验

以大久保桃为试材 ,研究了不同时间的放电处理对大久保桃防腐保鲜及生理生化特性的影响。结果表明 :臭氧负离子具有较强的杀菌防腐能力 ,不同时间放电处理均使桃果可溶性固形物含量增大 ,失重加快 ,PG酶活性减小 ,呼吸强度增大。     

The potential for ozone depletion in the arctic polar stratosphere

The nature of the Arctic polar stratosphere is observed to be similar in many respects to that of the Antarctic polar stratosphere, where an ozone hole has been identified. Most of the available chlorine (HCl and ClONO(2)) was converted by reactions on polar stratospheric clouds to reactive ClO and Cl(2)O(2) throughout the Arctic polar vortex before midwinter. Reactive nitrogen was converted to HNO(3), and some, with spatial inhomogeneity, fell out of the stratosphere. These chemical changes ensured characteristic ozone losses of 10 to 15% at altitudes inside the polar vortex where polar stratospheric clouds had occurred. These local losses can translate into 5 to 8% losses in the vertical column abundance of ozone. As the amount of stratospheric chlorine inevitably increases by 50% over the next two decades, ozone losses recognizable as an ozone hole may well appear.     

Stratospheric response to trace gas perturbations: changes in ozone and temperature distributions

The stratospheric concentration of trace gases released in the atmosphere as a result of human activities is increasing at a rate of 5 to 8 percent per year in the case of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), 1 percent per year in the case of methane (CH(4)), and 0.25 percent per year in the case of nitrous oxide (N(2)O). The amount of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) is expected to double before the end of the 21st century. Even if the production of the CFCs remains limited according to the protocol for the protection of the ozone layer signed in September 1987 in Montreal, the abundance of active chlorine (2 parts per billion by volume in the early 1980s) is expected to reach 6 to7 parts per billion by volume by 2050. The impact of these increases on stratospheric temperature and ozone was investigated with a two-dimensional numerical model. The model includes interactive radiation, wave and mean flow dynamics, and 40 trace species. An increase in CFCs caused ozone depletion in the model, with the largest losses near the stratopause and, in the vertical mean, at high latitudes. Increased CO(2) caused ozone amounts to increase through cooling, with the largest increases again near 45 kilometers and at high latitudes. This CO(2)-induced poleward increase reduced the CFC-induced poleward decrease. Poleward and downward ozone transport played a major role in determining the latitudinal variation in column ozone changes.     

Ozone Formation in Air Exposed to Cobalt-60 Gamma Radiation

The amount of ozone formed in air exposed to a 4000-curie cobalt-60 radiation source was determined. In closed glass containers exposed to about I Mrad of gamma radiation, ozone concentrations up to 18 parts per million (by volume) were recorded. In air flowing through a glass structure placed near the source, ozone contents up to 0.1 parts per million were observed. It is suggested that ozone formation might be a factor in the reported germicidal effects of ionizing radiations and that damage to plant tissues, ascribed to radiation, might have resulted from exposure to ozone. The possible health hazards from the ozone produced during irradiation should not be overlooked.     

Interhemispheric Differences in Polar Stratospheric HNO3, H2O, CIO, and O3

Simultaneous global measurements of nitric acid (HNO(3)), water (H(2)O), chlorine monoxide (CIO), and ozone (O(3)) in the stratosphere have been obtained over complete annual cycles in both hemispheres by the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. A sizeable decrease in gas-phase HNO(3) was evident in the lower stratospheric vortex over Antarctica by early June 1992, followed by a significant reduction in gas-phase H(2)O after mid-July. By mid-August, near the time of peak CIO, abundances of gas-phase HNO(3) and H(2)O were extremely low. The concentrations of HNO(3) and H(2)O over Antarctica remained depressed into November, well after temperatures in the lower stratosphere had risen above the evaporation threshold for polar stratospheric clouds, implying that denitrification and dehydration had occurred. No large decreases in either gas-phase HNO(3) or H(2)O were observed in the 1992-1993 Arctic winter vortex. Although CIO was enhanced over the Arctic as it was over the Antarctic, Arctic O(3) depletion was substantially smaller than that over Antarctica. A major factor currently limiting the formation of an Arctic ozone "hole" is the lack of denitrification in the northern polar vortex, but future cooling of the lower stratosphere could lead to more intense denitrification and consequently larger losses of Arctic ozone.     

Observations of Stratospheric NO2 and O3 at Thule, Greenland

Scattered sunlight and direct light from the moon was used in two wavelength ranges to measure the total column abundances of stratospheric ozone(O(3)) and nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) at Thule, Greenland (76.5 degrees N), during the period from 29 January to 16 February 1988. The observed O(3) column varied between about 325 and 400 Dobson units, and the lower values were observed when the center of the Arctic polar vortex was closest to Thule. This gradient probably indicates that O(3) levels decrease due to dynamical processes near the center of the Arctic vortex and should be considered in attempts to derive trends in O(3) levels. The observed NO(2) levels were also lowest in the center of the Arctic vortex and were sometimes as low as 5 x 10(14) molecules per square centimeter, which is even less than comparable values measured during Antarctic spring, suggesting that significant heterogeneous photochemistry takes place during the Arctic winter as it does in the Antarctic.     

Arctic air pollution: origins and impacts

Notable warming trends have been observed in the Arctic. Although increased human-induced emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases are certainly the main driving factor, air pollutants, such as aerosols and ozone, are also important. Air pollutants are transported to the Arctic, primarily from Eurasia, leading to high concentrations in winter and spring (Arctic haze). Local ship emissions and summertime boreal forest fires may also be important pollution sources. Aerosols and ozone could be perturbing the radiative budget of the Arctic through processes specific to the region: Absorption of solar radiation by aerosols is enhanced by highly reflective snow and ice surfaces; deposition of light-absorbing aerosols on snow or ice can decrease surface albedo; and tropospheric ozone forcing may also be contributing to warming in this region. Future increases in pollutant emissions locally or in mid-latitudes could further accelerate global warming in the Arctic.     

可凝气体组分对涡流管能量分离效率的影响分析

建立了涡流管能量分离效率测试的实验系统,以水蒸汽为可凝组分的代表,通过对比含湿空气和干空气2种介质下的实验结果,研究了可凝组分的存在对涡流管能量分离效率的影响。得出可凝组分会显著降低涡流管的能量分离效率,但不会影响其能量分离规律;分析了涡流管关键结构参数和操作参数对能量分离效率的影响,得出了长径比、压比ε和冷流率θ对涡流管温度效率ηT、绝热效率η和制冷效率COP的影响规律。     

臭氧胁迫对水稻光合作用与产量的影响

采用开顶式气室(OTC),对水稻"3694繁"(Oryza sativa L.3694 Fan)进行田间原位臭氧(O_3)熏气实验,研究了不同O_3浓度熏气处理下水稻光合色素、气体交换参数以及产量的响应.实验设置分4个水平:过滤大气组(CF,10 nL·L~(-1))、自然大气组(NF,40nL·L~(-1))和两个不同浓度的O_3处理组(01:100 nL·L~(-1);02:150 nL·L~(-1)).结果表明:(1)与CF组相比,两个不同浓度的O_3处理均导致水稻叶片光合色素含量大幅度下降,加速水稻的衰老过程;(2)在实验进程中,O_3处理导致水稻叶片气体交换参数发生显著变化,饱和CO:浓度的净光合速率(P_(sat))、气孔导度(Gs)、水分利用效率(WUE)、气孔限制值(Ls)和羧化效率(CE)均呈现下降趋势,表明O,浓度的升高使水稻光合作用对CO_2的利用效率降低,水稻在灌浆期对O_3最为敏感;(3)O_3处理使水稻产量损失明显,当AOT40值达到2.32uL·L~(-1)·h时,就能导致水稻产量10%的减产.     

Quantifying Transport Between the Tropical and Mid-Latitude Lower Stratosphere

Airborne in situ observations of molecules with a wide range of lifetimes (methane, nitrous oxide, reactive nitrogen, ozone, chlorinated halocarbons, and halon-1211), used in a tropical tracer model, show that mid-latitude air is entrained into the tropical lower stratosphere within about 13.5 months; transport is faster in the reverse direction. Because exchange with the tropics is slower than global photochemical models generally assume, ozone at mid-latitudes appears to be more sensitive to elevated levels of industrial chlorine than is currently predicted. Nevertheless, about 45 percent of air in the tropical ascent region at 21 kilometers is of mid-latitude origin, implying that emissions from supersonic aircraft could reach the middle stratosphere.     

Ambient levels of ozone reduce net photosynthesis in tree and crop species

Experiments were conducted to measure the photosynthetic response of three crop and four tree species to realistic concentrations of ozone and (for tree species only) simulated acidic rain. The ozone concentrations were representative of those found in clean ambient air, in mildly to moderately polluted air such as occurs in much of the United States during the summer, and in more heavily polluted air. However, the highest concentrations of ozone used were lower than those found regularly in the Los Angeles area. The mean pH of the simulated acid rain treatments ranged from more alkaline to much more acidic than the mean pH of precipitation in the United States. Exposure to any increase in ozone reduced net photosynthesis in all species tested. In contrast, acidic rain had no negative effect on photosynthesis in tree species, and no interaction between ozone and acidic rain was observed. Ozone-induced reductions in photosynthesis were related to declines in growth or yield. Species with higher stomatal conductances and thus higher potential for pollutant uptake exhibited greater negative responses to similar ozone treatments. Since exposure to ozone concentrations typical of levels of the pollutant observed in the eastern half of the United States reduced the rates of net photosynthesis of all species tested, reductions in net photosynthesis may be occurring over much of the eastern United States.     

臭氧浓度增加对超级稻南粳9108稻穗不同部位籽粒氨基酸含量的影响

为了解臭氧浓度升高对稻米品质的影响,2015年以高产优质超级粳稻南粳9108为供试材料,利用自然光气体熏蒸平台,设置对照(18 n L·L~(-1))和高浓度臭氧(100 n L·L~(-1))处理,研究了臭氧浓度增加对成熟期稻穗不同部位糙米氨基酸性质的影响。结果表明:臭氧浓度增加使稻米氨基酸、必需和非必需氨基酸总量显著增加,但对必需或非必需氨基酸占氨基酸总量的百分比无显著影响;从氨基酸组分看,除半胱氨酸外,臭氧浓度增加使糙米中7种必需氨基酸和9种非必需氨基酸的含量均呈增加趋势,其中苏氨酸、丝氨酸、谷氨酸、亮氨酸、络氨酸、天冬氨酸和苯丙氨酸的增幅均达显著或极显著水平;总体上,稻穗下部稻米氨基酸及其组分浓度对臭氧浓度增加的响应大于稻穗上、中部,其中臭氧处理与籽粒着生部位对苯丙氨酸、络氨酸、组氨酸、精氨酸有明显的互作效应(P0.1)。以上数据表明,100 n L·L~(-1)臭氧浓度使供试超级稻稻米氨基酸及其组分浓度明显增加,且多数情况下弱势粒的增加趋势大于强势粒。     

臭氧气体处理对甜瓜和雪花梨果实贮藏品质及效果的影响

【目的】观察臭氧气体处理后甜瓜和雪花梨果实的贮藏品质变化,减少贮藏损失。【方法】以甜瓜和雪花梨为试材,经不同质量浓度臭氧气体处理后于4℃贮藏,定期分析果实品质变化。【结果】与对照相比,臭氧气体处理后甜瓜腐烂率降低50%,抗坏血酸含量下降10%、可滴定酸减少16%;有效维持雪花梨的硬度,延缓可溶性固形物变化,叶绿素含量下降47%;提高了两种果实可溶性蛋白质的含量,抑制丙二醛含量的上升。不同质量浓度的臭氧气体处理对甜瓜和雪花梨的腐烂率和品质的影响有所不同。甜瓜贮藏28d后,20mg/m3臭氧气体显著降低腐烂率,60mg/m3和100mg/m3次之;雪花梨贮藏40d后,100mg/m3臭氧处理的品质显著好于对照,而200mg/m3臭氧与对照的变化趋势相近。【结论】适当质量浓度的臭氧气体处理对甜瓜和雪花梨有一定的保鲜效果。     

Urban leakage of liquefied petroleum gas and its impact on Mexico city air quality

Alkane hydrocarbons (propane, isobutane, and n-butane) from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are present in major quantities throughout Mexico City air because of leakage of the unburned gas from numerous urban sources. These hydrocarbons, together with olefinic minor LPG components, furnish substantial amounts of hydroxyl radical reactivity, a major precursor to formation of the ozone component of urban smog. The combined processes of unburned leakage and incomplete combustion of LPG play a significant role in causing the excessive ozone characteristic of Mexico City. Reductions in ozone levels should be possible through changes in LPG composition and lowered rates of leakage.     

Ultraviolet radiation levels during the antarctic spring

The decrease in atmospheric ozone over Antarctica during spring implies enhanced levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation received at the earth's surface. Model calculations show that UV irradiances encountered during the occurrence of an Antarctic "ozone hole" remain less than those typical of a summer solstice at low to middle latitudes. However, the low ozone amounts observed in October 1987 imply biologically effective irradiances for McMurdo Station, Antarctica, that are comparable to or greater than those for the same location at December solstice. Life indigenous to Antarctica thereby experiences a greatly extended period of summerlike UV radiation levels.     

Sunday and workday variations in photochemical air pollutants in new jersey and new york

Concentration distributions of air contaminants and meteorological variables in New Jersey and New York for workdays (Mondays through Fridays, omitting holidays) and Sundays are compared by means of quantile-quantile plots. The ozone distributions are slightly higher on Sundays, and the primary pollutant distributions are lower. These results raise serious questions about the validity of current concepts underlying ozone reduction in urban atmospheres.     

Global air quality and pollution

The impact of global air pollution on climate and the environment is a new focus in atmospheric science. Intercontinental transport and hemispheric air pollution by ozone jeopardize agricultural and natural ecosystems worldwide and have a strong effect on climate. Aerosols, which are spread globally but have a strong regional imbalance, change global climate through their direct and indirect effects on radiative forcing. In the 1990s, nitrogen oxide emissions from Asia surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. International initiatives to mitigate global air pollution require participation from both developed and developing countries.