REMOVAL OF METEOROLOGICAL SYNOPTIC-SCALE DISTURBANCES FROM TOMS TOTALOZONE FIELDS

It is expected from theoretical considerations that synoptic-scale var iations in total ozone should be correlated with the absolute vorticit y field near the tropopause. A similar correlation is expected with po tential vorticity on larger scales and comparisons between these two c orrelations can provide an insight into stratospheric dynamics. This p aper uses TOMS total ozone fields and vorticity derived from ECMWF ana lyses for 1987, to reveal the evolution of the lower stratospheric sta bility structure, and the presence of the polar vortex. The possibilit y of using total ozone data to study the chemical evolution of the nor thern polar vortex is also discussed.