Global and zonal tropospheric ozone variations from 2003–2011 as seen by SCIAMACHY

Abstract

Abstract. An analysis of the tropospheric ozone (O3) columns (TOCs) derived from SCIAMACHY limb-nadir-matching (LNM) observations during 2003–2011, focusing on the zonal and global variations in TOC is described. The changes are derived using a multivariate linear regression model. TOC shows a change of −0.2 ± 0.4 % yr−1, 0.3 ± 0.4 % yr−1, 0.1 ± 0.5 % yr−1 and 0.1 ± 0.2 % yr−1, which are not statistically significant at the 2 σ level in the latitude bands 30–50° N, 20° S–0, 0–20° N and 50–30° S, respectively. Tropospheric O3 shows statistically significant increases over some regions of South Asia (1–3 % yr−1), the South American continent (up to 2 % yr−1), Alaska (up to 2 % yr−1) and around Congo in Africa (up to 2 % yr−1). Significant increase in TOC is derived from the continental outflows including those of Australia (up to 2 % yr−1), Eurasia (1–3 % yr−1) and the South America (up to 3 % yr−1). Significant decrease in TOC (up to −3 % yr−1) is observed over some regions of the continents of North America, Europe and South America. Over the Oceanic regions, significant decrease in TOC of about −2 % yr−1 is observed over the outflows of Europe and North America.