Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ACP
Articles | Volume 23, issue 2
Articles | Volume 23, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-843-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-843-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 23, issue 2
Research article
 | 
18 Jan 2023
Research article |  | 18 Jan 2023

Observed changes in stratospheric circulation: decreasing lifetime of N2O, 2005–2021

Michael J. Prather, Lucien Froidevaux, and Nathaniel J. Livesey

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-843-2023-supplement

Data sets

Data from the NOAA web site E. Dlugokencky https://gml.noaa.gov/webdata/ccgg/trends/n2o/n2o_mm_gl.txt

MLS/Aura Level 3 Monthly Binned Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Mixing Ratio on Assorted Grids V005, Greenbelt, MD, USA A. Lambert, N. Livesey, W. Read, and R. Fuller https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datasets/ML3MBN2O_005/summary

MLS/Aura Level 3 Monthly Binned Temperature on Assorted Grids V005, Greenbelt, MD, USA M. Schwartz, N. Livesey, W. Read, and R. Fuller https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datasets/ML3MBT_005/summary

MLS/Aura Level 3 Monthly Binned Ozone (O3) Mixing Ratio on Assorted Grids V005, Greenbelt, MD, USA M. Schwartz, L. Froidevaux, N. Livesey, W. Read, and R. Fuller https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datasets/ML3MBO3_005/summary

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Short summary
From satellite data for nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone and temperature, we calculate the monthly loss of N2O and find it is increasing faster than expected, resulting in a shorter lifetime, which reduces the impact of anthropogenic emissions. We identify the cause as enhanced vertical lofting of high-N2O air into the tropical middle stratosphere, where it is destroyed photochemically. Because global warming is due in part to N2O, this finding presents a new negative climate-chemistry feedback.
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