Polar Stratospheric Clouds
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Credit
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Polar Stratospheric Clouds from SOLVE
Polar stratospheric clouds form at extremely low temperatures in the upper atmosphere. Should the temperature rise, clouds won't form. In this visualization, sequential temperature readings taken in the research area for SOLVE (Stratospheric Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment) are plotted against a threshold temperature for PSC formation. These are clouds essentially made of nitric acid. Note how the area covered by the clouds increases as winter progresses. The red point on the map indicates the location of Kiruna, Sweden, the SOLVE staging area.
Polar stratospheric cloud regions for the period November 1, 1999 through March 15, 2000