Ozone distribution over Mediterranean, central and southeast Europe during the International Quiet Sun Year (1964?1965)

Abstract

Ozone observations made during 1964 and 1965 at nine Mediterranean, central and southeast European stations (latitudes 38–52°N, longitudes 9–23°E) reveal patterns of seasonal and shorter time-variations in total ozone as well as in vertical ozone distribution. During the winter-spring season, a significant increase (∼20%) of ozone occurs essentially simultaneously with the spring stratospheric warming, and is noticed at all stations.—Autocorrelation coefficients show that the total ozone on any day is strongly related to the total ozone of the preceding four days in summer or one or two days in winter-spring or autumn. Changes of total ozone in southeast Europe correlate closely with those in Mediterranean Europe, and less closely with those from north central Europe.—Power spectrum analysis detects the dependence of ozone changes on processes with periods longer than 6–8 days, and indicates a significant oscillation with a period of 14–15 days, perhaps a result of the direct influence of lower stratospheric circumhemispheric circulation. — Reliable vertical ozone soundings were not available from all stations. The mean vertical profiles at Arosa, Switzerland (47°N) and Belsk, Poland (51°) are very similar. More than 60% of the variability of the total ozone is contributed by changes in ozone concentration between 10 and 24 km; less than 10% is due to variations above 33 km. Changes in ozone partial pressure at different altitudes, and relationships of those changes to total ozone, indicates that a mean vertical ozone distribution may be described adequately by considering the ozone changes in four layers: a) the troposphere, b) the lower stratosphere up to ∼24 km, c) a transition layer from ∼24 km to a variable upper border at 33–37 km, and d) the layer above 33–37 km.