Atmospheric
Optics
PSC Encore
~ A beautiful scene captured by Tom Lowe on 2nd February '16 at St. Mary’s Island near Whitley Bay, Northumberland, UK. Iridescent nacreous clouds of ice adorn the sky. Fainter acidic PSC Type I clouds form a backdrop.
All images ©Tome Lowe, shown with permission
The great Ireland/UK polar stratospheric cloud episode is likely over. It lasted from 31st January until 3rd February. OPODS 1, 2, 3, 4.
Nacreous clouds of benign ice crystals shone brightly before dawn and after sunset. They were even visible in daylight.
Accompanying acid droplet clouds (quite natural PSC Type I) ate away the ozone layer over Ireland/UK. The stratosphere is now warmer. The clouds have gone. The ozone hole is almost healed.
Tom Lowe saw these nacreous clouds on 1st February near Goole, East Yorkshire, England.
Stratospheric ozone concentrations on 3rd February. Blue is lower.
The ozone hole has almost filled.
From NASA Arctic Ozone Watch, GSFC
