Dehydration and low ozone in the tropopause layer over the Asian monsoon caused by tropical cyclones: Lagrangian transport calculations using ERA-Interim and ERA5 reanalysis data

Abstract. Low ozone and low water vapour values near the tropopause over Kunming, China were observed using balloon-borne measurements performed during the SWOP (sounding water vapour, ozone, and particle) campaign in August 2009 and 2015. Here, we investigate low ozone and water vapour signatures in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) using FengYun-2D, FengYun-2G, Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite measurements and backward trajectory calculations driven by both ERA-Interim and ERA5 reanalysis data. Trajectories with kinematic and diabatic vertical velocities were calculated using the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS) trajectory module. All trajectory calculations show that air parcels with low ozone and low water vapour values in the UTLS over Kunming measured by balloon-borne instruments originate from the western Pacific boundary layer. Deep convection associated with tropical cyclones over the western Pacific transports boundary air parcels with low ozone into the cold tropopause region. Subsequently, these air parcels are mixed into the strong easterlies on the southern side of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone. Air parcels are dehydrated when passing the lowest temperature region (