LIDAR OBSERVATIONS OF POLAR STRATOSPHERIC CLOUDS AND STRATOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE IN WINTER 1995 96 OVER NORTHERN NORWAY/

In winter 1995/96, extreme conditions were observed in the lower and m iddle stratosphere over most of the European Arctic. At the ALOMAR fac ility in Northern Norway, an ozone DIAL system observed PSCs on every measurement occasion in January and over a 10-days period in February 1996. On January 23, 1996, the PSC layer reached a maximum vertical ex tension, ranging from 19 to 27 km. In narrow layers, superimposed on t he ''background'' PSC, the backscatter ratio R reached maximum values of 16 at 353 nm and about 9 on 308 nm. Morphology and colour index ind icate that these narrow layers were type-II PSCs. Just above the PSC l ayer, temperatures below 190 K were recorded regularly. The temperatur es at the edges of the ''background'' PSC allow this layer to be compo sed of STS.