Occurrence of ozone laminae near the boundary of the stratospheric polar vortex

The authors report on observations of laminae in ozone distributions observed at high northern latitudes near the polar vortex. Regions of enhanced and depleted ozone density are observed. Data from ozonesonde collections and lidar measurements during the Airborne Arctic Stratosphere Expedition (AASE) are analyzed, and compared with earlier work. The ozonesonde archives of the World Meteorological Organization are also examined in this analysis. The laminae are observed to distribute differently as a function of season, and with the potential temperature. Transport of ozone equatorward is also found with a class of these laminae.