A three‐dimensional chemistry/general circulation model simulation of anthropogenically derived ozone in the troposphere and its radiative climate forcing

Abstract

We present results from the tropospheric chemistry/climate European Center Hamburg Model by comparing two simulations that consider a preindustrial and a contemporary emission scenario. Photochemical O3 production from anthropogenically emitted precursors contributes about 30% to the present‐day tropospheric O3 content, which is roughly equal to the natural photochemical production. Transports of stratospheric O3 into the troposphere contribute about 40%. As a result of anthropogenic emissions, the O3 maximum over remote northern hemisphere (NH) areas has shifted from winter to spring, when photochemical production of O3 is relatively efficient. Over NH continents the preindustrial seasonal variability is relatively weak whereas a distinct surface O3 summer maximum appears in the contemporary simulation. In the (sub)tropical southern hemisphere (SH), anthropogenic biomass burning emissions cause an increase of O3 mixing ratios in the dry season (September–November). We calculate a relative increase in O3 mixing ratios due to anthropogenic emissions of about 30% in the pristine SH middle and high latitudes to about 100% in the polluted NH boundary layer. The model simulations suggest that the absolute increase of tropospheric O3 maximizes in the middle troposphere. Through convection, upper tropospheric O3 mixing ratios are significantly affected in the tropical regions and, during summer, in the middle and high NH latitudes. Under these conditions the radiative forcing of climate by increasing O3 is relatively large. We calculate a global and annual average radiative forcing by tropospheric O3 perturbations of 0.42 W m−2, i.e., 0.51 W m−2 in the NH and 0.33 W m−2 in the SH.