It is expected from theoretical considerations that synoptic-scale variations in total ozone should be correlated with the absolute vorticity field near the tropopause. A similar correlation is expected with potential vorticity on larger scale and comparisons between these two correlations can provide an insight into stratospheric dynamics. This paper uses TOMS total ozone fields and vorticity derived from ECMWF analyses for 1987, to reveal the evolution of the lower stratospheric stability structure, and the presence of the polar vortex. The possibility of using total ozone data to study the chemical evolution of the northern polar vortex is also discussed. ¿American Geophysical Union 1994