Computing the Vertical Ozone Distribution from Its Relationship with Total Ozone Amount

Abstract

A method for computing vertical ozone profiles from known total ozone data based on about 8000 vertical ozone profiles taken by the Umkehr method at 30 stations around the world is presented. The computed correlation matrices give a comprehensive picture of the relationships between the simultaneous change of total ozone amount and the ozone content in nine atmospheric layers between 5 and 50 km along various latitudinal belts. The correlation coefficients have the highest positive values (R≈0.85±0.05) in the lower stratosphere, approximately twice as high as the values of the coefficients for upper troposheric ozone. Between 22-24 and 30-35 km there exists a layer with a transition regime of relatively small ozone concentration changes. Below this transition layer changes are caused largely by atmospheric circulation and dynamics; above it, the changes are photchemical. A pronounced latitudional effect shows up in the relationship between the variation of vertical ozone distribution and the total ozone. From middle latitudes equator-ward, an upward shifting of the region with largest correlation coefficients is observed, especially above the equatorial belt, where R>0.50 up to the top layer. Regression equations are deduced for six latitudinal belts and for seven groups based on total ozone. These equations make it possible to estimate the ozone profile corresponding to the known total ozone content. The representativeness and the applicability of this method is discussed. Deviations between observed and estimated vertical ozone distributions usually do not exceed 5% of the value of the ozone partial pressure in the layers involved.