scholarly journals A note on the interannual variations of UV-B erythemal doses and solar irradiance from ground-based and satellite observations

2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Zerefos ◽  
D. Balis ◽  
M. Tzortziou ◽  
A. Bais ◽  
K. Tourpali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Solar Irradiance ◽  
Cloud Cover ◽  
San Diego ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract. This study examines three UV-B data sets: ground-based long-term spectral records at Thessaloniki, Greece (40.5° N, 22.9° E) and San Diego, California, USA (32.7° N, 117.2° W) as well as a global data set of daily erythemal dose obtained from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) onboard the Nimbus-7 satellite. Both ground-based stations have long enough records of spectral UV-B measurements to allow independent time series analyses. For 63° solar zenith angle (SZA) and clear sky conditions the quasi biennial oscillation (QBO) effect in solar irradiance at 305nm E305 is about 32% of the annual cycle for both San Diego and Thessaloniki. The effect slightly increases with cloud cover of up to 4/8, and decreases thereafter for cloud cover greater than 4/8. The data reveal that cloudiness can-not offset interannual signals in UV-B records. The observations at San Diego provide an independent confirmation of the widespread nature of the QBO in UV-B, which about coincides in amplitude at the two station studies, both located in the latitude zone 30°– 40° N. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the QBO in erythemal dose derived from TOMS/Nimbus-7 data is 6.5% at Thessaloniki. This is similar to the values calculated from ground-based measurements from this station. Based on satellite data, we find that the amplitude of the QBO in the erythemal dose is almost 40% of the amplitude of the annual cycle only in the tropics. The ratio of the amplitudes of the QBO over the annual cycle in erythemal dose decreases towards the extratropics, becoming less than 5% over middle latitudes.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (geo-chemical cycles; transmission and scattering of radiation)

scholarly journals Analysis of stratospheric NO2 trends above Jungfraujoch using ground-based UV-visible, FTIR, and satellite nadir observations

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 12357-12389
Author(s):  
F. Hendrick ◽  
E. Mahieu ◽  
G. E. Bodeker ◽  
K. F. Boersma ◽  
M. P. Chipperfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linear Trend ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Stratospheric Cooling ◽  
Rule Out

Abstract. The trend in stratospheric NO2 column at the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change) station of Jungfraujoch (46.5° N, 8.0° E) is assessed using ground-based FTIR and zenith-scattered visible sunlight SAOZ measurements over the period 1990 to 2009 as well as a composite satellite nadir data set constructed from ERS-2/GOME, ENVISAT/SCIAMACHY, and METOP-A/GOME-2 observations over the 1996–2009 period. To calculate the trends, a linear least squares regression model including explanatory variables for a linear trend, the mean annual cycle, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), solar activity, and stratospheric aerosol loading is used. For the 1990–2009 period, statistically indistinguishable trends of −3.7 ± 1.1%/decade and −3.6 ± 0.9%/decade are derived for the SAOZ and FTIR NO2 column time series, respectively. SAOZ, FTIR, and satellite nadir data sets show a similar decrease over the 1996–2009 period, with trends of −2.4 ± 1.1%/decade, −4.3 ± 1.4%/decade, and −3.6 ± 2.2%/decade, respectively. The fact that these declines are opposite in sign to the globally observed +2.5%/decade trend in N2O, suggests that factors other than N2O are driving the evolution of stratospheric NO2 at northern mid-latitudes. Possible causes of the decrease in stratospheric NO2 columns have been investigated. The most likely cause is a change in the NO2/NO partitioning in favor of NO, due to a possible stratospheric cooling and a decrease in stratospheric chlorine content, the latter being further confirmed by the negative trend in the ClONO2 column derived from FTIR observations at Jungfraujoch. Decreasing ClO concentrations slows the NO + ClO → NO2 + Cl reaction and a stratospheric cooling slows the NO + O3 → NO2 + O2 reaction, leaving more NOx in the form of NO. The slightly positive trends in ozone estimated from ground- and satellite-based data sets are also consistent with the decrease of NO2 through the NO2 + O3 → NO3 + O2 reaction. Finally, we cannot rule out the possibility that a strengthening of the Dobson-Brewer circulation, which reduces the time available for N2O photolysis in the stratosphere, could also contribute to the observed decline in stratospheric NO2 above Jungfraujoch.

scholarly journals Analysis of stratospheric NO<sub>2</sub> trends above Jungfraujoch using ground-based UV-visible, FTIR, and satellite nadir observations

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 8851-8864 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Hendrick ◽  
E. Mahieu ◽  
G. E. Bodeker ◽  
K. F. Boersma ◽  
M. P. Chipperfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linear Trend ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Stratospheric Cooling ◽  
Rule Out

Abstract. The trend in stratospheric NO2 column at the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change) station of Jungfraujoch (46.5° N, 8.0° E) is assessed using ground-based FTIR and zenith-scattered visible sunlight SAOZ measurements over the period 1990 to 2009 as well as a composite satellite nadir data set constructed from ERS-2/GOME, ENVISAT/SCIAMACHY, and METOP-A/GOME-2 observations over the 1996–2009 period. To calculate the trends, a linear least squares regression model including explanatory variables for a linear trend, the mean annual cycle, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), solar activity, and stratospheric aerosol loading is used. For the 1990–2009 period, statistically indistinguishable trends of −3.7 ± 1.1% decade−1 and −3.6 ± 0.9% decade−1 are derived for the SAOZ and FTIR NO2 column time series, respectively. SAOZ, FTIR, and satellite nadir data sets show a similar decrease over the 1996–2009 period, with trends of −2.4 ± 1.1% decade−1, −4.3 ± 1.4% decade−1, and −3.6 ± 2.2% decade−1, respectively. The fact that these declines are opposite in sign to the globally observed +2.5% decade−1 trend in N2O, suggests that factors other than N2O are driving the evolution of stratospheric NO2 at northern mid-latitudes. Possible causes of the decrease in stratospheric NO2 columns have been investigated. The most likely cause is a change in the NO2/NO partitioning in favor of NO, due to a possible stratospheric cooling and a decrease in stratospheric chlorine content, the latter being further confirmed by the negative trend in the ClONO2 column derived from FTIR observations at Jungfraujoch. Decreasing ClO concentrations slows the NO + ClO → NO2 + Cl reaction and a stratospheric cooling slows the NO + O3 → NO2 + O2 reaction, leaving more NOx in the form of NO. The slightly positive trends in ozone estimated from ground- and satellite-based data sets are also consistent with the decrease of NO2 through the NO2 + O3 → NO3 + O2 reaction. Finally, we cannot rule out the possibility that a strengthening of the Dobson-Brewer circulation, which reduces the time available for N2O photolysis in the stratosphere, could also contribute to the observed decline in stratospheric NO2 above Jungfraujoch.

scholarly journals Construction of merged satellite total O<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>2</sub> time series in the tropics for trend studies and evaluation by comparison to NDACC SAOZ measurements

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 3337-3354 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pastel ◽  
J.-P. Pommereau ◽  
F. Goutail ◽  
A. Richter ◽  
A. Pazmiño ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Composition Change ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Uv Visible ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Lower Noise ◽  
Total Column

Abstract. Long time series of ozone and NO2 total column measurements in the southern tropics are available from two ground-based SAOZ (Système d'Analyse par Observation Zénithale) UV-visible spectrometers operated within the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) in Bauru (22° S, 49° W) in S-E Brazil since 1995 and Reunion Island (21° S, 55° E) in the S-W Indian Ocean since 1993. Although the stations are located at the same latitude, significant differences are observed in the columns of both species, attributed to differences in tropospheric content and equivalent latitude in the lower stratosphere. These data are used to identify which satellites operating during the same period, are capturing the same features and are thus best suited for building reliable merged time series for trend studies. For ozone, the satellites series best matching SAOZ observations are EP-TOMS (1995–2004) and OMI-TOMS (2005–2011), whereas for NO2, best results are obtained by combining GOME version GDP5 (1996–2003) and SCIAMACHY – IUP (2003–2011), displaying lower noise and seasonality in reference to SAOZ. Both merged data sets are fully consistent with the larger columns of the two species above South America and the seasonality of the differences between the two stations, reported by SAOZ, providing reliable time series for further trend analyses and identification of sources of interannual variability in the future analysis.

scholarly journals Evaluation of near-tropopause ozone distributions in the Global Modeling Initiative combined stratosphere/troposphere model with ozonesonde data

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1589-1634 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Considine ◽  
J. A. Logan ◽  
M. A. Olsen
Keyword(s):  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Vertical Resolution ◽  
Residual Circulation ◽  
Vertical Diffusion ◽  
Global Modeling ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract. The NASA Global Modeling Initiative has developed a combined stratosphere/troposphere chemistry and transport model which fully represents the processes governing atmospheric composition near the tropopause. We evaluate model ozone distributions near the tropopause, using two high vertical resolution monthly mean ozone profile climatologies constructed with ozonesonde data, one by averaging on pressure levels and the other relative to the thermal tropopause. Model ozone is high-biased at the SH tropical and NH midlatitude tropopause by ~45% in a 4° latitude × 5° longitude model simulation. Increasing the resolution to 2°×2.5&amp;deg increases the NH tropopause high bias to ~60%, but decreases the tropical tropopause bias to ~30%, an effect of a better-resolved residual circulation. The tropopause ozone biases appear not to be due to an overly vigorous residual circulation or excessive stratosphere/troposphere exchange, but are more likely due to insufficient vertical resolution or excessive vertical diffusion near the tropopause. In the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, model/measurement intercomparisons are strongly affected by the averaging technique. NH and tropical mean model lower stratospheric biases are <20%. In the upper troposphere, the 2°×2.5&amp;deg simulation exhibits mean high biases of ~20% and~35% during April in the tropics and NH midlatitudes, respectively, compared to the pressure-averaged climatology. However, relative-to-tropopause averaging produces upper troposphere high biases of ~30% and 70% in the tropics and NH midlatitudes. This is because relative-to-tropopause averaging better preserves large cross-tropopause O3 gradients, which are seen in the daily sonde data, but not in daily model profiles. The relative annual cycle of ozone near the tropopause is reproduced very well in the model Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. In the tropics, the model amplitude of the near-tropopause annual cycle is weak. This is likely due to the annual amplitude of mean vertical upwelling near the tropopause, which analysis suggests is ~30% weaker than in the real atmosphere.

scholarly journals Tropical troposphere to stratosphere transport of carbon monoxide and long-lived trace species in the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS)

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 5087-5139 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Pommrich ◽  
R. Müller ◽  
J.-U. Grooß ◽  
P. Konopka ◽  
F. Ploeger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Lagrangian Model ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Model Version ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. Variations in the mixing ratio of trace gases of tropospheric origin entering the stratosphere in the tropics are of interest for assessing both troposphere to stratosphere transport fluxes in the tropics and the impact of these transport fluxes on the composition of the tropical lower stratosphere. Anomaly patterns of carbon monoxide (CO) and long-lived tracers in the lower tropical stratosphere allow conclusions about the rate and the variability of tropical upwelling to be drawn. Here, we present a simplified chemistry scheme for the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS) for the simulation, at comparatively low numerical cost, of CO, ozone, and long-lived trace substances (CH4, N2O, CCl3F (CFC-11), CCl2F2 (CFC-12), and CO2) in the lower tropical stratosphere. For the long-lived trace substances, the boundary conditions at the surface are prescribed based on ground-based measurements in the lowest model level. The boundary condition for CO in the free troposphere is deduced from MOPITT measurements (at &amp;approx; 700–200 hPa). Due to the lack of a specific representation of mixing and convective uplift in the troposphere in this model version, enhanced CO values, in particular those resulting from convective outflow are underestimated. However, in the tropical tropopause layer and the lower tropical stratosphere, there is relatively good agreement of simulated CO with in-situ measurements (with the exception of the TROCCINOX campaign, where CO in the simulation is biased low &amp;approx; 10–20 ppbv). Further, the model results are of sufficient quality to describe large scale anomaly patterns of CO in the lower stratosphere. In particular, the zonally averaged tropical CO anomaly patterns (the so called "tape recorder" patterns) simulated by this model version of CLaMS are in good agreement with observations. The simulations show a too rapid upwelling compared to observations as a consequence of the overestimated vertical velocities in the ERA-interim reanalysis data set. Moreover, the simulated tropical anomaly patterns of N2O are in good agreement with observations. In the simulations, anomaly patterns for CH4 and CFC-11 were found to be consistent with those of N2O; for all long-lived tracers, positive anomalies are simulated because of the enhanced tropical upwelling in the easterly phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation.

scholarly journals Improved retrieval of nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) column densities by means of MKIV Brewer spectrophotometers

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 4009-4022 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Diémoz ◽  
A. M. Siani ◽  
A. Redondas ◽  
V. Savastiouk ◽  
C. T. McElroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Dioxide ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Absorption Spectrometry ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Noise Interference ◽  
Atmospheric Species ◽  
Mass Factor

Abstract. A new algorithm to retrieve nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column densities using MKIV ("Mark IV") Brewer spectrophotometers is described. The method includes several improvements, such as a more recent spectroscopic data set, the reduction of measurement noise, interference by other atmospheric species and instrumental settings, and a better determination of the zenith sky air mass factor. The technique was tested during an ad hoc calibration campaign at the high-altitude site of Izaña (Tenerife, Spain) and the results of the direct sun and zenith sky geometries were compared to those obtained by two reference instruments from the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC): a Fourier Transform Infrared Radiometer (FTIR) and an advanced visible spectrograph (RASAS-II) based on the differential optical absorption spectrometry (DOAS) technique. To determine the extraterrestrial constant, an easily implementable extension of the standard Langley technique for very clean sites without tropospheric NO2 was developed which takes into account the daytime linear drift of stratospheric nitrogen dioxide due to photochemistry. The measurement uncertainty was thoroughly determined by using a Monte Carlo technique. Poisson noise and wavelength misalignments were found to be the most influential contributors to the overall uncertainty, and possible solutions are proposed for future improvements. The new algorithm is backward-compatible, thus allowing for the reprocessing of historical data sets.

scholarly journals Estimating observation and model error variances using multiple data sets

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 4239-4260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Anthes ◽  
Therese Rieckh
Keyword(s):  
Error Variance ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
Gfs Model ◽  
Multiple Data Sets ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Estimated Error

Abstract. In this paper we show how multiple data sets, including observations and models, can be combined using the “three-cornered hat” (3CH) method to estimate vertical profiles of the errors of each system. Using data from 2007, we estimate the error variances of radio occultation (RO), radiosondes, ERA-Interim, and Global Forecast System (GFS) model data sets at four radiosonde locations in the tropics and subtropics. A key assumption is the neglect of error covariances among the different data sets, and we examine the consequences of this assumption on the resulting error estimates. Our results show that different combinations of the four data sets yield similar relative and specific humidity, temperature, and refractivity error variance profiles at the four stations, and these estimates are consistent with previous estimates where available. These results thus indicate that the correlations of the errors among all data sets are small and the 3CH method yields realistic error variance profiles. The estimated error variances of the ERA-Interim data set are smallest, a reasonable result considering the excellent model and data assimilation system and assimilation of high-quality observations. For the four locations studied, RO has smaller error variances than radiosondes, in agreement with previous studies. Part of the larger error variance of the radiosondes is associated with representativeness differences because radiosondes are point measurements, while the other data sets represent horizontal averages over scales of ∼ 100 km.

scholarly journals Evaluation of near-tropopause ozone distributions in the Global Modeling Initiative combined stratosphere/troposphere model with ozonesonde data

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 2365-2385 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Considine ◽  
J. A. Logan ◽  
M. A. Olsen
Keyword(s):  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Vertical Resolution ◽  
Residual Circulation ◽  
Global Modeling ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Model Measurement

Abstract. The NASA Global Modeling Initiative has developed a combined stratosphere/troposphere chemistry and transport model which fully represents the processes governing atmospheric composition near the tropopause. We evaluate model ozone distributions near the tropopause, using two high vertical resolution monthly mean ozone profile climatologies constructed with ozonesonde data, one by averaging on pressure levels and the other relative to the thermal tropopause. At the tropopause, model ozone is high-biased in the SH tropics and NH midlatitudes by ~45% in a 4° latitude ×5° longitude model simulation. Doubling the resolution to 2°×2.5° increases the NH high bias to ~60%, and reduces the tropical bias to ~30%, apparently due to decreased horizontal transport between the tropics and extratropics in the higher-resolution simulation. These ozone biases do not appear to be due to an overly vigorous residual circulation, insufficient convection, or excessive stratosphere/troposphere exchange, and so may be due to insufficient vertical resolution or excessive vertical diffusion near the tropopause. In the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, model/measurement intercomparisons are strongly affected by the averaging technique. Compared to the pressure-averaged climatology, NH and tropical mean model lower stratospheric biases are >20%. In the upper troposphere, the 2°×2.5° simulation shows mean high biases of ~20% and ~35% during April in the tropics and NH midlatitudes, respectively. This apparently good model/measurement agreement degrades when relative-to-tropopause averages are considered, with upper troposphere high biases of ~30% and 70% in the tropics and NH midlatitudes. This occurs because relative-to-tropopause averaging better preserves the larger cross-tropopause O3 gradients which are seen in the daily sonde data, but not in daily model profiles. Relative-to-tropopause averages therefore more accurately reveal model/measurement discrepancies. The relative annual cycle of ozone near the tropopause is reproduced very well in the model Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. In the tropics, the model amplitude of the near-tropopause annual cycle is weak. This is likely due to the annual amplitude of mean vertical upwelling near the tropopause, which analysis suggests is ~30% weaker than in the real atmosphere.

scholarly journals Global validation of improved SCIAMACHY scientific ozone limb data using ozonesonde measurements

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 4817-4858
Author(s):  
J. Jia ◽  
A. Rozanov ◽  
A. Ladstätter-Weißenmayer ◽  
J. P. Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Global Scale ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Latitude Range ◽  
Ozone Profile ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Relative Differences ◽  
Significant Underestimation ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. In this manuscript, the latest SCIAMACHY limb ozone scientific vertical profiles, namely the current V2.9 and the upcoming V3.0, are extensively compared with ozone sonde data from the WOUDC database. The comparisons are made on a global scale from 2003 to 2011, involving 61 sonde stations. The retrieval processors used to generate V2.9 and V3.0 data sets are briefly introduced. The comparisons are discussed in terms of vertical profiles and stratospheric partial columns. Our results indicate that the V2.9 ozone profile data between 20–30 km is in good agreement with ground based measurements with less than 5% relative differences in the latitude range of 90° S–40° N (with exception of the tropical Pacific region where an overestimation of more than 10% is observed), which corresponds to less than 5 DU partial column differences. In the tropics the differences are within 3%. However, this data set shows a significant underestimation northwards of 40° N (up to ~15%). The newly developed V3.0 data set reduces this bias to below 10% while maintaining a good agreement southwards of 40° N with slightly increased relative differences of up to 5% in the tropics.

scholarly journals Statistical interpolation of ozone measurements from satellite data (TOMS, SBUV and SAGE II) using the kriging method

2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 666-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. S. Tranchant ◽  
A. P. Vincent
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Global Correlation ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Data Resolution ◽  
High Vertical Resolution ◽  
Statistical Interpolation

Abstract. This study demonstrates that ordinary kriging in spherical coordinates using experimental semi-variograms provides highly usable results, especially near the pole in winter and/or where there could be data missing over large areas. In addition, kriging allows display of the spatial variability of daily ozone measurements at different pressure levels. Three satellite data sets were used: Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data, Solar Backscattered UltraViolet (SBUV), and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II) ozone profiles. Since SBUV is a nadir-viewing instrument, measurements are only taken along the sun-synchronous polar orbits of the satellite. SAGE II is a limb-viewing solar occultation instrument, and measurements have high vertical resolution but poor daily coverage. TOMS has wider coverage with equidistant distribution of data  (resolution 1° × 1.25°) but provides no vertical information. Comparisons of the resulting SBUV-interpolated (column-integrated) ozone field with TOMS data are strongly in agreement, with a global correlation of close to 98%. Comparisons of SBUV-interpolated ozone profiles with daily SAGE II profiles are relatively good, and comparable to those found in the literature. The interpolated ozone layers at different pressure levels are shown.Key words: Atmospheric composition and structure (middle atmosphere - composition and chemistry) - Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (middle atmosphere dynamics)

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document