Total column density variations of ozone (O3) in presence of different types of clouds

Abstract

The zenith sky scattered light spectra were carried out using zenith sky UV-visible spectrometer in clear and cloudy sky conditions during May-November 2000 over the tropical station Pune (18°32′N, 73°51′E). These scattered spectra are obtained in the spectral range 462–498 nm between 75° and 92° solar zenith angles (SZAs). The slant column densities (SCDs) as well as total column densities (TCDs) of NO2, O3, H2O and O4 are derived with different SZAs in clear and cloudy sky conditions. The large enhancements and reductions in TCDs of the above gases are observed in thick cumulonimbus (Cb) clouds and thin high cirrus (Ci) clouds, respectively, compared to clear sky conditions. The enhancements in TCDs of O3 appear to be due to photon diffusion, multiple Mie-scattering and multiple reflections between layered clouds or isolated patches of optically thick clouds. The reductions in TCDs due to optically thin clouds are noticed during the above period. The variations in TCDs of O3 measured under cloudy sky are discussed with total cloud cover (octas) of different types of clouds such as low clouds (C L ), medium clouds (C M ) and high clouds (C H ) during May-November 2000. The variations in TCDs of O3 measured in cloudy sky conditions are found to be well matched with cloud sensitive parameter colour index (CI) and found to be in good correlation. The TCDcloudy are derived using airmass factors (AMFs) computed without considering cloud cover and CI in radiative transfer (RT) model, whereas TCDmodel are derived using AMFs computed with considering cloud cover, cloud height and CI in RT model. The TCDmodel is the column density of illuminated cloudy effect. A good agreement is observed between TCDmodel, TCDDob and TCDGOME.