Correlations between tropopause height and total ozone: Implications for long-term changes

Abstract. The total ozone data over Europe are available for only few ground-based stations in the pre-satellite era disallowing examination of the spatial trend variability over the whole continent. A need of having gridded ozone data for a trend analysis and input to radiative transfer models stimulated a reconstruction of the daily ozone values since January 1950. Description of the reconstruction model and its validation were a subject of our previous paper. The data base used was built within the objectives of the COST action 726 "Long-term changes and climatology of UV radiation over Europe". Here we focus on trend analyses. The long-term variability of total ozone is discussed using results of a flexible trend model applied to the reconstructed total ozone data for the period 1950–2004. The trend pattern, which comprises both anthropogenic and "natural" component, is not a priori assumed but it comes from a smooth curve fit to the zonal monthly means and monthly grid values. The ozone long-term changes are calculated separately for cold (October–next year April) and warm (May–September) seasons. The confidence intervals for the estimated ozone changes are derived by the block bootstrapping. The statistically significant negative trends are found almost over the whole Europe only in the period 1985–1994. Negative trends up to −3% per decade appeared over small areas in earlier periods when the anthropogenic forcing on the ozone layer was weak . The statistically positive trends are found only during warm seasons 1995–2004 over Svalbard archipelago. The reduction of ozone level in 2004 relative to that before the satellite era is not dramatic, i.e., up to ~−5% and ~−3.5% in the cold and warm subperiod, respectively. Present ozone level is still depleted over many popular resorts in southern Europe and northern Africa. For high latitude regions the trend overturning could be inferred in last decade (1995–2004) as the ozone depleted areas are not found there in 2004 in spite of substantial ozone depletion in the period 1985–1994.

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Spectral UV measurements in Austria from 1994 to 2006: investigations of short- and long-term changes

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-8-7033-2008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (23) ◽

pp. 7033-7043 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

S. Simic ◽

P. Weihs ◽

A. Vacek ◽

H. Kromp-Kolb ◽

M. Fitzka

Keyword(s):

Confidence Level ◽

Total Ozone ◽

Sunshine Duration ◽

Trend Test ◽

Total Column Ozone ◽

Clear Sky ◽

Uv Irradiance ◽

Long Term Changes ◽

Short And Long Term

Abstract. The influence of variability of atmospheric parameters on short- and long-term changes of spectral UV irradiance measured at the Sonnblick observatory (47.03° N, 12.57° E, 3106 m) during the period from 1994 to 2006 is studied. Measurements were performed with the Brewer #093 single-monochromator spectrophotometer and with a Bentham DM 150 spectroradiometer (double-monochromator). The influence of ozone, albedo, snowline and clouds on UV variability is evaluated for each parameter separately using 10-year climatology. It is found that the effect of total ozone on short-term variability of UV irradiance at 305 nm can be more than 200% and on average more than 50%. Clouds can cause variability of 150% or more and on average 35%. Variability caused by albedo reaches a maximum of 32% in April (6% on average). In summer and autumn, total ozone and clouds strongly influence the variability of UV radiation, whereas in winter and spring ozone has the more pronounced effect. A decrease in snowline height from 3000 m to 800 m a.s.l. enhances the UV irradiance by a factor of 1.24 for clear sky conditions and by a factor of 1.7 for 8/8 cloud cover. Long-term trends are investigated for the time period from 1994 to 2006 based on clear-sky measurements, using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test. Significant downward trends (99% confidence level) are found for solar zenith angle 55° at wavelengths from 305 nm to 324 nm and erythemally weighted irradiance according to CIE, which are caused by an increase in sunshine duration during periods of high total column ozone. Significant trends (90% confidence level) were also found for other combinations of wavelength and SZA.

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Short- and long-term variability of spectral solar UV irradiance at Thessaloniki, Greece: effects of changes in aerosols, total ozone and clouds

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-16-2493-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 2493-2505 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Ilias Fountoulakis ◽

Alkiviadis F. Bais ◽

Konstantinos Fragkos ◽

Charickleia Meleti ◽

Kleareti Tourpali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Total Ozone ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Data Set ◽

Uv Irradiance ◽

Long Term Changes ◽

Solar Uv ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

Solar Uv Irradiance ◽

Sky Conditions

Abstract. In this study, we discuss the short- and the long-term variability of spectral UV irradiance at Thessaloniki, Greece, using a long, quality-controlled data set from two Brewer spectrophotometers. Long-term changes in spectral UV irradiance at 307.5, 324 and 350 nm for the period 1994–2014 are presented for different solar zenith angles and discussed in association with changes in total ozone column (TOC), aerosol optical depth (AOD) and cloudiness observed in the same period. Positive changes in annual mean anomalies of UV irradiance, ranging from 2 to 6 % per decade, have been detected both for clear- and all-sky conditions. The changes are generally greater for larger solar zenith angles and for shorter wavelengths. For clear-skies, these changes are, in most cases, statistically significant at the 95 % confidence limit. Decreases in the aerosol load and weakening of the attenuation by clouds lead to increases in UV irradiance in the summer, of 7–9 % per decade for 64° solar zenith angle. The increasing TOC in winter counteracts the effect of decreasing AOD for this particular season, leading to small, statistically insignificant, negative long-term changes in irradiance at 307.5 nm. Annual mean UV irradiance levels are increasing from 1994 to 2006 and remain relatively stable thereafter, possibly due to the combined changes in the amount and optical properties of aerosols. However, no statistically significant corresponding turning point has been detected in the long-term changes of AOD. The absence of signatures of changes in AOD in the short-term variability of irradiance in the UV-A may have been caused by changes in the single scattering albedo of aerosols, which may counteract the effects of changes in AOD on irradiance. The anti-correlation between the year-to-year variability of the irradiance at 307.5 nm and TOC is clear and becomes clearer as the AOD decreases.

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A new method for describing long-term changes in total ozone

Geophysical Research Letters ◽

10.1029/2001gl013501 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 28 (24) ◽

pp. 4535-4538 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J. M. Harris ◽

S. J. Oltmans ◽

P. P. Tans ◽

R. D. Evans ◽

D. L. Quincy

Keyword(s):

Total Ozone ◽

New Method ◽

Long Term Changes

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Variability and trends of the surface solar spectral ultraviolet irradiance in Italy: a possible influence of lower and upper stratospheric ozone trends

10.5194/acp-2021-616 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ilias Fountoulakis ◽

Henri Diémoz ◽

Anna Maria Siani ◽

Alcide di Sarra ◽

Daniela Meloni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Total Ozone ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Additional Indication ◽

Uv Irradiance ◽

Long Term Changes ◽

Ozone Trends ◽

Ultraviolet Irradiance ◽

Solar Uv Irradiance ◽

Increasing Trends

Abstract. In this study the short- and long-term variability of the surface spectral solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiance are investigated over Italy using high quality ground based measurements from three sites located at quite different environmental conditions, and covering the full latitudinal extent of the Italian territory: Aosta (45.7° N, 7.4° E, 570 m a.s.l.), Rome (41.9° N, 12.5° E, 75 m a.s.l.), and Lampedusa (35.5° N, 12.6° E, 50 m a.s.l.). The variability of the irradiances at 307.5 nm, 324 nm, and of the ratio between the 307.5 nm and the 324 nm irradiances were investigated with respect to the corresponding variability in total ozone and the geopotential height at 250 hPa (GPH). The study was performed for two periods: 2006–2020 for all stations, and 1996–2020 only for Rome. A statistically significant correlation between the GPH and total ozone monthly anomalies was found for all stations and all seasons of the year. A corresponding statistically significant correlation was also found in most cases between the GPH and the 307.5 nm irradiance monthly anomalies. The correlation between GPH anomalies at different sites was statistically significant, possibly explaining the strong and significant correlation between the total ozone monthly anomalies at the three sites. A statistically significant decrease of total ozone, of ~0.1 %/year was found for Rome for the period 1996–2020, which however did not induce increasing trends in irradiance at 307.5 nm (neither increasing trends in the ratio between the 307.5 nm and the 324 nm irradiances) at SZA = 67°. Further analyses revealed positive trends in the ratio and the 307.5 nm irradiance at smaller solar zenith angles (SZA), which can be attributed to the fact that total ozone decrease is driven by a decrease in the lower stratosphere while upper stratospheric ozone increases, and the effect of changes of upper stratospheric ozone becoming disproportionately larger for increasing SZA. It was also showed that long-term changes in total ozone follow changes in GPH, which is an additional indication that negative trends in total ozone are mainly driven by changes in lower stratospheric ozone. An anti-correlation between the GPH long-term changes and total ozone was also evident for all stations in 2006–2020. Positive trends in UV irradiance for this latter period which were possibly driven by changes in clouds and/or aerosols were found for Rome and Aosta. This study clearly points out the significance of dynamical processes which take place in the troposphere for the variability of total ozone and surface solar UV irradiance.

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Short- and long-term variability of spectral solar UV irradiance at Thessaloniki, Greece: effects of changes in aerosols, total ozone and clouds

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-15-35753-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (24) ◽

pp. 35753-35785

Author(s):

I. Fountoulakis ◽

A. F. Bais ◽

K. Fragkos ◽

C. Meleti ◽

K. Tourpali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Total Ozone ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Data Set ◽

Uv Irradiance ◽

Long Term Changes ◽

Solar Uv ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

Solar Uv Irradiance ◽

Sky Conditions

Abstract. In this study, we discuss the short- and the long-term variability of spectral UV irradiance at Thessaloniki, Greece using a long, quality-controlled data set from two Brewer spectrophotometers. Long-term changes in spectral UV irradiance at 307.5, 324 and 350 nm for the period 1994–2014 are presented for different solar zenith angles and discussed in association to changes in total ozone column (TOC), aerosol optical depth (AOD) and cloudiness observed in the same period. Positive changes in annual mean anomalies of UV irradiance, ranging from 2 to 6 % per decade, have been detected both for clear- and all-sky conditions. The changes are generally greater for larger solar zenith angles and for shorter wavelengths. For clear skies, these changes are, in most cases, statistically significant at the 95 % confidence limit. Decreases in the aerosol load and weakening of the attenuation by clouds lead to increases in UV irradiance in the summer, of 7–9 % per decade for 64° solar zenith angle. The increasing TOC in winter counteracts the effect of decreasing AOD for this particular season, leading to small, statistically insignificant, negative long-term changes in irradiance at 307.5 nm. Annual mean UV irradiance levels are increasing from 1994 to 2006 and remain relatively stable thereafter, possibly due to the combined changes in the amount and optical properties of aerosols. However, no statistically significant corresponding turning point has been detected in the long-term changes of AOD. Trends in irradiance during the two sub-periods are not discussed, because the length of the two datasets is too short for deriving statistically significant estimates. The absence of signatures of changes in AOD in the short-term variability of irradiance in the UV-A may have been caused by changes in the single scattering albedo of aerosols, which may counteract the effects of changes in AOD on irradiance. The anti-correlation between the year-to-year variability of the irradiance at 307.5 nm and TOC is clear and becomes clearer as the AOD decreases.

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Long-term changes in the total ozone mapping spectrometer relative to world primary standard Dobson spectrometer 83

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres ◽

10.1029/90jd02091 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 96 (D2) ◽

pp. 2987 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Richard D. McPeters ◽

W. D. Komhyr

Keyword(s):

Total Ozone ◽

Primary Standard ◽

Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer ◽

Long Term Changes

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Long-term changes of the ultraviolet radiation in China and its relationship with Total Ozone and Precipitation

Advances in Atmospheric Sciences ◽

10.1007/s00376-006-0700-3 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 700-710 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ke Wei ◽

Wen Chen ◽

Ronghui Huang

Keyword(s):

Ultraviolet Radiation ◽

Total Ozone ◽

Long Term Changes

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Analysis of laminated structure in ozone vertical profiles in central Europe

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.1007/s00585-996-0744-9 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 744-752 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

P. Mlch ◽

J. Lasutovicuka

Keyword(s):

Total Ozone ◽

Southern Oscillation ◽

Volcanic Eruptions ◽

Negative Trend ◽

Ozone Content ◽

Late Winter ◽

Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽

Circulation Patterns ◽

Long Term Changes

Abstract. Using statistical techniques, we study the relationship between the long-term changes in the laminar structure of the ozone vertical profile at two central-European stations - Hohenpeissenberg and Lindenberg - and other quantities potentially affecting the state of the lower stratosphere, and total-ozone content. We consider only positive laminae greater than 30 nbar. Laminae contribute non-negligibly to total ozone, and this contribution varies strongly with season. The maximum laminae-occurrence frequency in late winter/early spring is five-times higher than the minimum in early autumn. The main result of the paper is the discovery of a strong negative trend in the frequency of laminae occurrence, about –15% per decade, and even a slightly stronger negative trend in ozone content in laminae. Strong negative trends in laminae occurrence imply negative changes in total ozone as well. No pronounced effect of the quasi-biennial oscillation and solar cycle on laminae was found, whereas the 100-hPa temperature had a clear effect, and there was an indication of substantial effects of volcanic eruptions and El Niño southern oscillation events. Long-term changes in individual time series of meteorological parameters measured over Hohenpeissenberg do not indicate their significant role in the observed trend in laminae occurrence. On the other hand, there is some increase in the occurrence of very zonal circulation patterns, as well as slight decrease in very meridional circulation patterns. Together with other indications this allows us to say that dynamical effects are expected to be a principal contributor. Thus changes in laminae occurrence will probably be able to serve as an indicator/tracer of long-term changes in lower-stratospheric dynamics.

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