Ozone laminae inside the Antarctic vortex produced by poleward filaments

Ozone soundings made inside the Antarctic ozone hole exhibit localized ozone increases within thin layers in the lower stratosphere. These structures, called laminae, are explained as poleward filaments emerging from the vortex edge and transporting relatively ozone‐rich air into levels above the geographical site where the sounding equipment has been launched. It is shown that the interior of the Antarctic vortex is not completely isolated with respect to the poleward air mixing. Filament development follows the occurrence of inward breaking near the vortex edge in a region where isentropes are locally uplifted. It is shown that the circulation associated with such uplift may produce the poleward breaking. The role of that circulation is supported by simple barotropic simulations where development of a poleward filament is reproduced in a realistic circular undisturbed vortex. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society