Analysis of the Ozone Reduction Event Over the Southern Tip of South America in November 2009

A reduction of the total ozone over the southern tip of South America lasting 3 weeks occurred in November 2009. Analyses of the ERA-Interim reanalysis data and the total ozone observed by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument indicate that the total ozone reduction event was caused by a migration of the polar vortex toward the South American continent at the time of the vortex breakup. The vortex migration is associated with an enhanced wave flux from the troposphere at 120-150 degrees W and 50-60 degrees S to the west of the South American continent to the stratosphere over the southern part of the continent, which led to a large negative geopotential height anomaly in the lower stratosphere. In November, a blocking event was diagnosed from the 500-hPa geopotential height over the west of the South American continent. These results suggest a relation between the long-lasting reduction of the total ozone over the southern tip of South America and the blocking phenomenon in the troposphere of the Southern Hemisphere through wave propagation from the blocking region in 2009. Analysis of the total ozone anomaly for 50-60 degrees S and 65-75 degrees W over the southern tip of South America in November for 1979-2015 indicates that the negative ozone anomaly in November 2009 was one of the largest anomalies in this 37-year period and was associated with the large negative geopotential height anomaly in the lower stratosphere. Analyses of dynamical fields were also conducted for other years with large geopotential height anomalies.