Analysis of TOMS-derived Lambert-equivalent reflectivities for the period 1996-2002

Abstract

This study focuses on the analysis of the Lambert-equivalent reflectivities at 360 nm as acquired by the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on board the Earth Probe satellite, for the period July 1996 to December 2002. The analysis is related to the sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) and the ozone hole split over Antarctic in September 2002. Reflectivities (version 8 TOMS data) were analysed per year, month and day for 2002 and compared to the respective reflectivities of previous years. The low reflectivity values observed in 2002 confirm the absence of polar stratospheric clouds, the latter being a major driving force for the depletion of ozone over the Antarctic; furthermore, they support the occurrence of the reported major SSW. In addition, the Lambert-equivalent reflectivity values in the year 2002 exhibit an intra-annual trend that differs from the respective ones in previous years. © 2005 Taylor & Francis