Variability of Stratospheric Reactive Nitrogen and Ozone Related to the QBO. Issue 18 (22nd September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Park, M.; Randel, W. J.; Kinnison, D. E.; Bourassa, A. E.; Degenstein, D. A.; Roth, C. Z.; McLinden, C. A.; Sioris, C. E.; Livesey, N. J.; Santee, M. L.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 122:Issue 18(2017)
• Page Start: 10, 103
• Page End: 10, 118
• Publication Date: 2017-09-22
• Subjects: QBO -- reactive nitrogen -- ozone -- MLS -- OSIRIS -- WACCM4; Atmospheric physics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1002/2017JD027061
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-897X

Abstract

Abstract: The stratospheric quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) dominates interannual variability of dynamical variables and trace constituents in the tropical stratosphere and provides a natural experiment to test circulation‐chemistry interactions. This work quantifies the relationships among ozone (O3 ), reactive nitrogen (NO y ), and source gas N2 O, and their links to the QBO, based on satellite constituent measurements and meteorological data spanning 2005–2014 (over four QBO cycles). Data include O3, HNO3, and N2 O from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder and an NO x proxy derived from Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System NO2 measurements combined with a photochemical box model (= NO x *). Results are compared to simulations from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model, version 4 incorporating a QBO circulation nudged to assimilated winds. Cross correlations and composites with respect to the QBO phase show coherent 180° out‐of‐phase relationships between NO y and N2 O throughout the stratosphere, with the NO x /HNO3 ratio increasing with altitude. The anomalies in NO y species propagate coherently downward with the QBO. Ozone is anticorrelated with reactive nitrogen in the middle stratosphere above ~28 km due to NO x control of ozone catalytic loss cycles. Quantitative comparisons of nitrogen partitioning and O3 sensitivity to NO x show good overall agreement between satellite observations and model results (suggesting closure of the NO y budget), although the model results show larger (up to ~20%) N2 O, NO x, and O3 variations near ~35 km compared to observations. These analyses serve to assess the consistency of diverse satellite‐based data sets and also to evaluate nitrogen partitioning and NO x ‐dependent ozone chemistry in the global model. Key Points: Variations of reactive nitrogen (NO y ) and source gas N2 O show coherent QBO signals in the tropical stratosphere Nitrogen species measured by the Aura MLS and Odin OSIRIS satellite instruments show consistent interannual variability Total NO y budget and its variability obtained from the WACCM4 simulations agree with the satellite measurements