Mixing and ageing in the polar lower stratosphere in winter 2015–2016

Krause, Jens; Hoor, Peter; Engel, Andreas; Plöger, Felix; Grooß, Jens-Uwe; Bönisch, Harald; Keber, Timo; Sinnhuber, Björn-Martin; Woiwode, Wolfgang; Oelhaf, Hermann

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6057-2018

Articles | Volume 18, issue 8

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6057-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

The Polar Stratosphere in a Changing Climate (POLSTRACC) (ACP/AMT...

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6057-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 18, issue 8

Research article

|

02 May 2018

Research article |

| 02 May 2018

Mixing and ageing in the polar lower stratosphere in winter 2015–2016

Jens Krause, Peter Hoor, Andreas Engel, Felix Plöger, Jens-Uwe Grooß, Harald Bönisch, Timo Keber, Björn-Martin Sinnhuber, Wolfgang Woiwode, and Hermann Oelhaf

Data sets

High Altitude and LOng Range database HALO consortium https://doi.org/10.17616/R39Q0T

Short summary

We present tracer measurements of CO and N₂O measured during the POLSTRACC aircraft campaign in winter 2015–2016. We found enhanced CO values relative to N₂O in the polar lower stratosphere in addition to the ageing of this region during winter. By using model simulations it was possible to link this enhancement to an increased mixing of the tropical tropopause. We thus conclude that the polar lower stratosphere in late winter is strongly influenced by quasi-isentropic mixing from the tropics.