April 13, 2011

Extreme depletion of arctic ozone in March/April 2011Total ozone over northern Scandinavia in 2010

The images above show GOME-2 total ozone in Scandinavia in March/April 2010 and 2011.
Parts of Scandinavia are already affected and a significant increase in UVB radiation levels is expected.

Total ozone over northern Scandinavia in 2010

Latest measurements suggest that atmospheric ozone levels are at a record low in the Arctic for March. Unusually low temperatures in the Arctic stratosphere at about 20 km altitude have recently initiated a massive loss of ozone, which was first detected by an international network of over 30 ozone sounding stations spread across the Arctic and Subarctic, and coordinated by the german Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Their measurements show that about half of the ozone that was present has been destroyed over the past weeks.

This is seen also with the O3M-SAF products generated at DLR.

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Contact

Dr. Diego Loyola

Head of Department
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Remote Sensing Technology Institute (IMF)
Atmospheric Processors
Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Weßling
Tel: +49 8153 28-1367