OZONE AND AEROSOL CHANGES DURING THE 1991-1992 AIRBORNE ARCTIC STRATOSPHERIC EXPEDITION

Stratospheric ozone and aerosol distributions were measured across the wintertime Arctic vortex from January to March 1992 with an airborne lidar system as part of the 1992 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedit ion (AASE II). Aerosols from the Mount Pinatubo eruption were found ou tside and inside the vortex with distinctly different distributions th at clearly identified the dynamics of the vortex. Changes in aerosols inside the vortex indicated advection of air from outside to inside th e vortex below 16 kilometers. No polar stratospheric clouds were obser ved and no evidence was found for frozen volcanic aerosols inside the vortex. Between January and March, ozone depletion was observed inside the vortex from 14 to 20 kilometers with a maximum average loss of ab out 23 percent near 18 kilometers.