Estimates of AOT ozone indices from time-integrated ozone data and hourly air temperature measurements in southwest Sweden

Abstract

Surface ozone concentration and surface air temperature was measured hourly at three coastal sites, four low elevation inland sites and two high elevation inland sites in southwestern Sweden. Diurnal ozone concentration range (DOR) and diurnal temperature range (DTR) were strongly correlated, both spatially and temporally, most likely because both depended on atmospheric stability. Accumulated ozone exposure above a threshold concentration of x nmol mol − 1 (AOT x) was estimated from time-integrated ozone concentration (as from diffusive sampling) and measures of ozone concentration variability. Two methods both estimated 24-h AOT x with high accuracy (modelling efficiencies >90% for x ≤ 40 nmol mol −1). Daytime (08:00–20:00) AOT x could not be equally well estimated. Estimates were better for lower AOT thresholds. Diffusive ozone concentration sampling, combined with hourly temperature monitoring, could be a valuable complement to ozone concentration monitoring with continuous instruments.