Temporal Distribution of Total Column Ozone over Cochin—A Study Based on in Situ Measurements and ECMWF Reanalysis

The variability of Atmospheric ozone is very important to understand the radiative balance of the earth-atmospheric system and climate change. In order to understand the temporal variability of total column ozone (TCO) over the coastal station Cochin (9.95°N, 76.27°E), we used the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) reanalysis TCO and ground based measurements using Microtop II Sun Photometer (Ozonometer). The trend, seasonal changes and diurnal variation of ozone concentration have been studied in detail for the period 1981-2014. Cochin is a tropical coastal station with tropical monsoon climate and hence we examined the variability of TCO during pre-monsoon (March-May), monsoon (June-September) and post monsoon (October-December) seasons. Significant variations are noted in the TCO for the different seasons during the period of study. Based on the measurements and analysis, it is observed that TCO is maximum during monsoon and minimum during pre- and post-monsoon. We computed the TCO climatology for pre-monsoon (262.0 DU), monsoon (275 DU) and post-monsoon (253 DU) seasons and found that TCO shows a decadal trend (solar cycle). During monsoon season TCO varies with an increase of approximately 14 DU from the pre-monsoon value and a decrease of 22 DU from the post-monsoon value. The increase in TCO concentration during monsoon may be attributed to the monsoonal wind circulations and organized convection. The validation of ECMWF TCO with in situ measurements using Microtop II Ozonometer has been carried out for the year 2015 and found that the values are positively correlated. The diurnal variability of TCO was examined for vernal and autumnal equinox days and noticed the change in variability.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Total Column Ozone over the Indian Subcontinent: A Study Based on Nimbus-7 TOMS Satellite

The distribution and variability of ozone is very important to the atmospheric thermal structures, and it can exert their greater influence on climate. Present study is based on Nimbus-7 TOMS overpass column ozone for a period of 14 years (1979-1992) over twelve selected Indian stations from south to north latitude and it explores the spatial and temporal variability of Total Column Ozone (TCO). For this investigation an advanced statistical methods such as Factor Analysis and Morlet wavelet transform are employed. Total column ozone variability over these stations is grouped into two clusters (Eigen value greater than 1) by the Multivariate Factor analysis. It is found that the Group I stations shows the same nature of variability mainly due the first factor as the primarily loading and whereas as the Group II stations shows the same nature of variability due to second factor as the primary loading. The correlation value of TCO decreases from 0.9 to 0.32 as we move from south to north stations (lower latitude to higher latitude). The total column ozone over tropical stations is maximum during monsoon season with peak in the month of June and that for the higher latitude stations is during the pre-monsoon season. Annual average of TCO for tropical stations is about 265 DU and that for subtropical stations is about 280 DU and a difference of 15 DU is noted in the annual average of TCO between tropical and subtropical stations. A large reduction in TCO is noted over the Indian subcontinent in the year 1985, the same year in which the ozone hole over Antarctica was discovered. It is also found that two prominent oscillations are present in total column ozone one with a periodicity of 16 to18 months and other with 28 to 32 months (QBO periodicity) apart from the annual oscillations. These oscillations are found to be significant at above 95% level of confidence when tested with Power Spectrum method. Tropical TCO shows high concentration during the westerly phase and low concentration during the easterly phase of the equatorial stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation.

Variation of Zonal Winds in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere in Association with Deficient and Excess Indian Summer Monsoon Scenario

The Indian summer monsoon is one of the most dominant tropical circulation systems in the general circulation of the atmosphere. The country receives more than 80% of the annual rainfall during a short span of four months (June to September) of the southwest monsoon season. Variability in the quantum of rainfall during the monsoon season has profound impacts on water resources, power generation, agriculture, economics and ecosystems in the country. The inter annual variability of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) depends on atmospheric and oceanic conditions prevailed during the season. In this study we have made an attempt to understand the variation of the of zonal winds in the tropical Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UT/LS) region during deficient and Excess rainfall years of Indian summer monsoon and its relation to Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR). It is found that in the equatorial Upper Troposphere zonal winds have westerly anomalies during deficient rainfall year’s and easterly anomaly during excess rainfall years of Indian summer monsoon and opposite zonal wind anomaly is noted in the equatorial Lower Stratosphere during the deficient and excess rainfall years of Indian summer monsoon. It is also found that the June to September upper troposphere zonal winds averaged between 15°N and 15°S latitudes have a long-term trend during 1960 to 1998. Over this period the tropical easterlies and the tropical jet stream have weakened with time.

Madden Julian Oscillations in Total Column Ozone, Air Temperature and Surface Pressure Measured over Cochin during Summer Monsoon 2015

The intra-seasonal variability plays a major role in the inter-annual variability of weather parameters such as rainfall, temperature and pressure which lead to extreme weather events in certain years. The active (more rainy days) and break (less rainy days) periods of Indian summer monsoon heavily depend on the intra-seasonal variability of weather parameters such as wind, pressure and temperature oscillations during the monsoon season. In the present analysis daily total column ozone, surface temperature and surface pressure measured over Cochin using Microtop II Ozonometer (sun Photometer) were used to study the Intra-Seasonal Variations (ISV) of the above parameters during the monsoon season, 2015. The dominant and significant intra-seasonal oscillations (ISOs) were identified using an advanced statistical method called the Discrete Mayer’s Wavelet (DMW) analysis. Two major ISOs such as Madden Julian Oscillations (MJO, 30 - 60 days) and quasi-bi weekly (12 - 16 days) oscillations were found in TCO, surface temperature and pressure. In TCO an additional mode of ISO with quasi tri-weekly periodicity was also found (16 - 22 day). It is observed that MJO mode is the dominant among all other modes and its positive and negative phases correlate with positive and negative anomalies of the above parameters. The ISO mode in the surface pressure shows an out of phase relation with the Indian summer monsoon rainfall which indicates the active and break periods of Indian summer monsoon. The contribution of MJO mode is dominant in the tropical atmosphere, which modulates the intra-seasonal variability. It is found that for the year 2015 total column ozone, surface pressure and surface temperature show an annual range of 30 DU, 4 hPa and 1°C, respectively.

A Comparative Study of Intra-Seasonal Variability of Total Column Ozone Measured over the Tropical Maritime and Coastal Stations Using Microtop II Ozonometer

The study of temporal and spatial distribution of ozone is very important for understanding the atmospheric chemistry and thereby its impact on environment, weather and climate. The intra-seasonal variability plays a major role in the inter-annual variability of weather parameters such as rainfall, temperature, pressure and atmospheric trace gas constituents such as atmospheric ozone. The strength of monsoon circulation and deep convection greatly modifies the atmospheric compositions and meteorological parameters such as rainfall amount, distributions of atmospheric trace gas concentrations and other weather parameters over the summer monsoon region. The daily total column ozone (TCO) measured over maritime station (Lakshadweep Island— 10°10'N & 73°30'E) and coastal station (Cochin—9°55'N and 76°16'E) using Microtop II Ozonometer were considered for the comparative study of seasonal and intra-seasonal variability for the year 2015. The annual average of total column ozone over Lakshadweep Islands and Cochin was 290 DU and 280 DU respectively for the year 2015. The greater concentrations in daily TCO measurements over Lakshadweep Islands for all seasons compared to Cochin lead to the speculations that, the surface ozone concentration is more because of pollution from the diesel burning emissions, since the whole Island’s population completely depends on diesel generator for the power supply. During winter season maritime station shows a decrease of ~30 DU in TCO over Lak-shadweep Island compared to coastal station Cochin (~18 DU) from the annual mean in the month of December. During pre-monsoon season TCO concentration is high over both locations. There is gradual increase of TCO concentration over Cochin from pre-monsoon to monsoon season and peak in the month of September, but decreasing TCO concentrations measured over Lakshadweep during July to August. In the analysis it was found that Intra-Seasonal Variability (ISV) in total column ozone over Lakshadweep Islands and Cochin during summer monsoon season was modulated by the monsoon dynamics and convection, thereby changes in the photochemistry of ozone production and distributions over the monsoon region. Two significant intra-seasonal oscillations (ISOs) such as Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) and Quasi-Biweekly Oscillations (QBW) were identified in the TCO during monsoon season. The MJO shows higher periodicity (~54 days) over Lakshadweep Islands compared to the coastal station, Cochin (~48 days). Intra-seasonal variability of TCO over the maritime and coastal stations varies with geographic locations, marine boundary layer characteristics and also with seasons. The intra-seasonal variability or ISOs controls the interannual variability of TCO over a region. Hence deeper knowledge of ISOs in trace gases such as ozone helps us to understand more about the regional climate and air quality.

Quasi-Biennial Oscillations in Atmospheric Ozone from the Chemistry-Climate Model and Ozone Reanalysis

The quasi-biennial oscillation is the primary mode of variability of the equatorial mean zonal wind in the lower stratosphere, which is characterized by downward propagating easterly and westerly wind regimes from 10 hPa level with a period approximately 28 months. The effects of the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation in zonal winds (SQBO) are not only confined to atmospheric dynamics but also seen in the chemical constituent (trace gases) anomalies such as ozone, water vapor, carbon monoxide and methane in the lower stratosphere. In this study, we examined the SQBO and associated ozone quasi-biennial oscillation (OQBO) using the chemistry-climate model CHASER (MIROC-ESM) simulations and ECMWF ERA-Interim ozone reanalysis for the period 2000-2015. We used lower stratospheric zonal wind from the radiosonde observations and total column ozone (TCO) from Aura Satellite (OMI Instruments) over Singapore to compare the SQBO and OQBO phases with model and reanalysis. The SQBO shows large variations in magnitude and periodicity during the period of study and the amplitude of OQBO also changes in accordance with the westerly (+ve ozone anomaly) and easterly (-ve ozone anomaly) phases of SQBO. During the Westerly phase of Ozone QBO (WQBO) corresponds to average positive total ozone anomaly of ~10 DU and in the Easterly phase of Ozone QBO (EQBO) corresponds to an average negative total ozone anomaly ~−10 DU in the tropical lower stratosphere. Since the SQBO phases were explained by the vertical propagations of Mixed-Ross by Gravity (MRG) waves and Kelvin waves, the correlation of ozone volume mixing ratio with zonal and vertical velocities gives quasi-biennial signals, which indicate the OQBO mechanism more related to dynamical transport than the stratospheric photochemical variations. Since the average amplitude of OQBO phases gives ~+/−10 DU from the observations during easterly and westerly phases SQBO, we need more research focused on the dynamical transport than the photochemical changes to understand the tropical ozone variability due to the ozone quasi-biennial oscillations.

Effects of Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events on the Distribution of Total Column Ozone over Polar and Middle Latitude Regions

In winter the polar stratosphere is extremely cold. During the Sudden Stratospheric Warming events, the polar stratospheric temperature rises concurrently zonal-mean zonal flow weakens over a short period of time. As the zonal flow weakens, the stratospheric circulation becomes highly asymmetrical and the stratospheric polar vortex is displaced off the pole. The polar stratospheric temperature rises by 50°C and the stratospheric circumpolar flow reverses direction in a span of just few days. Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) leads to significant changes in the rate of several chemical reactions which occur in the polar stratosphere. During such events, the dynamical fields in the polar stratosphere completely altered and columnar ozone changed. This study concentrated on the variability of winter polar vortex, meridional temperature gradient and associated changes in the Total Column Ozone (TCO) over the polar and middle latitude regions. It is found that changes in the amount of column ozone are positively correlated with polar lower stratospheric temperature with colder (warmer) temperature correlating with less (high) amount column ozone. But in the middle latitude region we observed negative correlations between ozone concentration and stratospheric temperature. In almost all cases there is sudden increase of ozone concentration over the pole and after few days the value is reduced when the warming effect is weak. During SSW events there observed an increase of 30 DU in TCO from the average value over the pole and if the SSW is strong TCO is found to rise by 50 DU. But in the middle latitude approximately 10 DU increase is noted. From the above results it may be concluded that variability of column ozone depends on dynamic and stratospheric chemistry over the poles and in middle latitude the variability can be attributed to the dynamical aspects. Anomaly of column ozone is higher during sudden stratospheric warming events over both polar and middle latitude region. The meridional temperature gradient reverses first and after two days polar vortex changes its direction or weakens followed by an increase of column ozone over the polar region. An increase of 30° Kelvin in the average temperature value noted over the polar region during sudden stratospheric warming events.