The 1997 Arctic Ozone depletion quantified from three‐dimensional model simulations

Abstract

Three‐dimensional simulations of total ozone are reported for the 1996–97 Arctic winter. The record low ozone values observed by satellite in late March are well reproduced by the chemistry‐transport model. The comparison between the chemically integrated ozone and a passive tracer with identical initialization allows us to discrimate chemical changes from variations due to dynamical processes. In addition to a substantial total ozone chemical loss (60 to 120 Dobson Units), the simulation reveals an dynamically‐induced reduction of ∼70 DU also responsible for the ozone minimum observed in the Arctic in late March 1997.