J. J. Tsou

Ground‐based microwave observations of ozone in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere

A 9-month-long series of mesurements of ozone in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere is reported. The measurements are presented as monthly averages of profiles in blocks of roughly 20 min local time and as night-to-day ratios. An error analysis predicts accuracies of 5-26% for the monthly profiles and 2.5-9% for the ratios. The data are compared to historical data from Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) and limb infrared monitor of the stratosphere (LIMS), and it is shown how to remove the effect of different vertical resolution from the comparisons. The microwave data typically agree to better than 10% with SMF and nighttime LIMS ozone at all altitudes below the 0.1-mbar surface. Comparison of the microwave night-to-day ratio with the corresponding ratio from LIMS suggests that nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium effects in the LIMS daytime data exceed 10% at all pressures less than or equal to 1 mbar.

Ground‐based microwave monitoring of stratospheric ozone

A microwave instrument developed for operational measurements of ozone for the Network for Detection of Stratospheric Change is discussed. The instrument observes two spectral lines near 3-mm wavelength with a bandwidth of 630 MHz, allowing profile retrieval from 20 to 70 km. The observing technique and calibration procedures are described. The measurement forward model and retrieval algorithm are formulated. Preliminary comparisons with a colocated ground-based lidar and the SAGE II instrument are presented. The measurements are shown to typically agree to within 5 to 10 percent.

An intercomparison of model ozone deficits in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere from two data sets

We have compared a diurnal photochemical model of ozone with nighttime data from the limb infrared monitor of the stratosphere (LIMS) and ground-based microwave observations. Consistent with previous studies, the model underpredicts the observations by about 10–30%. This agreement is strong confirmation that the model ozone deficit is not simply an artifact of observational error since it is unlikely to occur for two completely different ozone data sets. We have also examined the seasonal, altitudinal, and diurnal morphology of the ozone deficit. Both comparisons show a deficit that peaks in the upper stratosphere (2–3 mbar) and goes through a minimum in the lower mesosphere from 1.0 to 0.4 mbar. At lower pressures (<0.2 mbar) the deficit appears to increase again. The seasonal variation of the deficit is less consistent. The deficit with respect to the LIMS data is least in winter while with respect to the microwave data, the deficit shows little seasonal variation. Finally, the night-to-day ratio in our model is in generally good agreement with that seen in the microwave experiment. Increasing the rate coefficient for the reaction O + O2 + M → O3 + M improves the fit, while a very large (50%) decrease in the HOx catalytic cycle is not consistent with our observations. Increasing the atomic oxygen recombination rate also improves the overall agreement with both data sets; however, a residual discrepancy still remains. There appears to be no single chemical parameter which, when modified, can simultaneously resolve both the stratospheric and mesospheric ozone deficits.

OPAL: Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change ozone profiler assessment at Lauder, New Zealand 2. Intercomparison of revised results

Following a blind intercomparison of ozone profiling instruments in the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change at Lauder, New Zealand, revisions to the analyses were made resulting in a new data set. This paper compares the revised results from two differential absorption lidars (RIVM and GSFC), a microwave radiometer (Millitech/LaRC), and electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) balloon sondes (NIWA). In general, the results are substantially improved compared to the earlier blind intercomparison. The level of agreement was similar both for single profiles and for the campaign average profile and was approximately 5% for the lidars and the sondes over the altitude range from 15 to 42 km (32 km for sondes). The revised microwave data show a bias of 5–10% high in the region from 22 to 42 km. Starting at 42 km, the lidar errors increase significantly, and comparisons of the microwave results were not possible above this altitude.

NDSC millimeter wave ozone observations at Lauder, New Zealand, 1992–1998: Improved methodology, validation, and variation study

A ground-based millimeter wave radiometer for the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC) was installed at Lauder, New Zealand (45°S, 169.7°E) in November 1992. It has been monitoring the middle atmospheric ozone with nearly continuous operation since then. Owing to special complications in the observing conditions at this southern midlatitude site, three refinements to the data analysis and calibration techniques were proposed: (1) the use of a radiative model of local tropospheric climate adopted to the low surface elevation of the observing site, (2) the correction of observing angle measurements due to the settling of the foundation of the site, and (3) the improved method of radiometric temperature determination of calibration sources. All data from 1992 to 1998 were reprocessed with these modifications implemented. The retrieved ozone profiles are compared to sonde, two lidars, and satellite (Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II)) overpass measurements. The agreement is very good, with mean differences from 56 to 1 mbar of generally 2–3% for the comparisons with sonde, HALOE, and SAGE II, and generally <5% for the comparisons with lidars when large samples are considered. The root-mean-square scatter about the mean differences is mostly consistent with the expected (combined) precision. In comparisons with these correlative measurements, the millimeter wave ozone observations are found to have no seasonal bias, no comparison bias due to the a priori profiles used in millimeter wave data retrievals, and no observable instrument drift from 1992 to 1998. Better agreement is found in the comparison with sonde data if suspected vertical shifts in the sonde profiles are considered. The variations seen in the 6 year millimeter wave ozone data are shown to be mostly in line with photochemistry and dynamic transport processes in the mid austral latitudes. These processes, however, are apparently modulated somewhat by the Antarctic polar vortex circulation in winter seasons in the upper stratosphere.

Microwave ozone and lidar aerosol profile observations at Table Mountain, California, following the Pinatubo eruption

Ozone profiles measured with a ground-based microwave instrument in years from 1989 through 1992 at latitude 34°N. were searched for effects arising from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. Between 20 and 24 km, ozone values after November 1991 were systematically less than in earlier years, and the deviation generally grew with time through May 1992. The minimum was 11 to 15% below values in earlier years, and occurred later than minima observed with ozonesondes at higher latitudes or predicted by some models. Although there was a steady increase in ozone levels in the 18–10 hPa range between February and May 1992, the highest values were not significantly above normal. Effects of the quasi-biennial oscillation on ozone values are much smaller than the observed changes. Colocated lidar observations show that stratospheric aerosol levels were steadily elevated from November 1991 through at least March 1992, with some intermittent activity in late August through October 1991. The main aerosol cloud thus arrived at the same time as depletion first appeared.

Vertical profile measurements of ozone at Lauder, New Zealand, during ASHOE/MAESA

The Goddard Space Flight Center stratospheric ozone lidar was deployed at the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) facility at Lauder, New Zealand (45°S, 169°E), during all four of the Airborne Southern Hemisphere Ozone Experiment/Measurements for Assessing the Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft (ASHOE/ MAESA) flight periods. The site is about 500 km south of Christchurch. Efforts were made to acquire lidar data before dawn and after sunset on the days the ER-2 was flown. A total of 79 measurements were made on 47 individual nights. Each measurement provided vertical profiles of aerosols, temperature, and ozone. Profiles begin at ∼8 km and extend to 35, 50-55, and 75 km for aerosols, ozone, and temperature, respectively. NIWA personnel launched electrochemical concentration cell ozonesondes on a number of these occasions. A summary of these data will be presented along with comparisons with data from ER-2 instruments. Average profiles for each of the four ASHOE/MAESA deployments were constructed for use as a climatological profile for model initialization.