Ozone and Bromine Oxide Observations from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite during the 2020 Arctic Ozone Hole

Abstract:

Ozone in the stratosphere is a gas that is crucial for life on Earth. It resembles a shield by blocking the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching Earth’s surface. The fact that it can absorb a range of ultraviolet energy makes ozone extremely valuable. However, with a weakening of this ozone shield, we would be more susceptible to skin cancer, cataracts and impaired immune systems. The spring of 2020 saw a significant depletion of this protective ozone layer through the formation of the largest on record Arctic ozone hole, with ozone levels reaching their lowest point at 205 Dobson units. Many studies have stressed the role of chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons and halons – gases formerly found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants – in causing chemical reactions responsible for breaking down ozone molecules, and thus reducing ozone's ultraviolet radiation-absorbing capacity in the stratosphere. The impact of bromine oxide (BrO) in stratospheric and tropospheric ozone depletion is well documented throughout the literature linking spring time Arctic BrO enhancements with stratospheric intrusions (Salawitch et al., 2010). Here we present coincident satellite measurements of ozone and BrO by the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite on board the Suomi National Polar Partnership satellite during 2020 and compare them with observations during prior years.

Salawitch, R. J., et al. (2010), A new interpretation of total column BrO during Arctic spring, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L21805, doi:10.1029/2010GL043798.