Articles | Volume 23, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-843-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-843-2023
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

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on acp-2022-650', Anonymous Referee #1, 24 Nov 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Michael Prather, 04 Dec 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on acp-2022-650', Anonymous Referee #2, 02 Dec 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Michael Prather, 04 Dec 2022

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
AR by Michael Prather on behalf of the Authors (05 Dec 2022)  Author's response    Author's tracked changes    Manuscript
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (14 Dec 2022) by Susannah Burrows
AR by Michael Prather on behalf of the Authors (15 Dec 2022)  Author's response    Author's tracked changes    Manuscript
ED: Publish as is (16 Dec 2022) by Susannah Burrows
AR by Michael Prather on behalf of the Authors (04 Jan 2023)  Author's response    Manuscript
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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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