• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.367-377
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• 2010

Variation of tracer distribution during the vortex-breakup period in the Antarctic region was observed by the data from the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) and ILAS-II. All four trace species including methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and water vapor show similar patterns of vertical gradient in spite of different structures of zonal mean mixing ratio. Timings of vortex breakup on each level are estimated by two different methods, and they are compared with zonal standard deviations following the latitude circle of each trace species. Although the tracers have different chemical life times and sink/source, the zonal standard deviation patterns show remarkable similarities. The zonal standard deviation shown here to measure the zonal asymmetry of tracer distribution is believed to diagnose the timing of the Antarctic polar-vortex breakup reasonably well.