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Research | Polar research | Antarctic research - Ozone research
Antarctic ozone research
Measurements of vertical profile of ozone at Marambio
The national meteorological institutes in Finland (FMI) and Argentina (SMN) started a joint ozone research program in 1987, including total ozone measurements Dobson spectrophotometer over Marambio ((64°S, 56°W), Antarctica. In 1988 routine ozone soundings were started. There are two soundings per week from July to December and two soundings per month from January to June.
Instrumentation
Vertical profile up to 30 km is measured using a Vaisala DigiCora ground unit and ECC sondes from the Science Pump Corporation and EN-SCI Corporation. Rubber balloons from Totex Corp., and helium as a lifting gas is used. Ozonesondes are prepared using a TSC-1 ozonizer/test unit and following the guidelines presented by Komhyr [1989]. See Photo gallery for more information on ozonesonde preparation. A 1 % solution of KI is used. Vaisala RS-80 radiosondes are employed for monitoring pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction.
Data quality
A twofold procedure for data quality assurance is been applied. First, plots of the ozone and temperature profiles are inspected visually to detect any obvious failures and anomalous spikes. After removal of the erroneous data lines, the total ozone from the profile was calculated and compared with that from the Dobson spectrophotometer for the same day. If no local total ozone measurement is available, the TOMS satellite ozone measurement was used. If the spectrophotometer/integrated sounding total ozone ratio is less than 0.8 or greater than 1.3 the sounding is not accepted for further analysis. No corrections are made based on the spectrophotometric comparison. The data and a more detailed description of the data treatment procedure may be found on the ozone.fmi.fi anonymous ftp-server in the /pub/Marambio directory.
Research projects
In 1999 and 2003 the Marambio activities formed an important part of the international stratospheric ozone research campaign, first in APE-GAIA and then in QUOBI.
Also satellite data, atmospheric chemistry-dynamics models, radiative transfer models and meteorological analysis data have been used in the research projects.
Funding
The main external funding sources have been the Academy of Finland (FAUVOR project) and FINNARP project.
Main results
The largest decreases of ozone over Marambio during 1987-1999 have been observed in the lower stratosphere in July-August in the polar vortex edge region, as well as inside the vortex in September-October. Our analysis does not give indications of an ozone recovery so far. The Marambio data show that since the mid-1990s the magnitude of the seasonal ozone decline inside and in the edge region of the vortex has remained at roughly a constant level. Outside the vortex in September-December, as well as from midsummer to midwinter (January-June), ozone levels have remained practically unchanged from 1987 until 1999 [Karhu et al., 2003].
References
Karhu, J. A., P. Taalas, J. Damski, J. Kaurola, M. Ginzburg, C. A. Villanueva, E. Piacentini, and M. Garcia, Vertical distribution of ozone at Marambio, Antarctic Peninsula, during 1987-1999, Journal of Geophysical Research, 108, No. D17, 4545, 2003.
Komhyr, W. D., Operations Handbook -Ozone Measurements to 40 km Altitude with model 4 A Electrochemical Concentration Cell (ECC) Ozonesondes, Tech. Memo. ERL ARL-149, NOAA, Boulder Colorado , 1986.
Taalas, P., J. Damski, E. Kyro, M. Ginzburg & G. Talamoni, The Effect of Stratospheric Ozone Variations on UV-radiation and on Tropospheric Ozone at High Latitudes, Journal of Geophysical Research, 102 Dl, 1533-1539, 1997.
Taalas, P. and E. Kyro, 1987-89 total ozone and ozone sounding observations in Northern Scandinavia and at Antarctica and the climatology of lower stratosphere during 1965-88 in Northern Finland . Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 54, 1089-1099, 1992.
Taalas, P., E. Kyro, S. Huovila, A. Supperi, V. Tafuri and M. Ginzburg, Ozone observations in the Antarctic Peninsula 1987-90, Antarctic Reports of Finland, No. 1,137-141, 1991.
Taalas, P., E. Kyro, A. Supperi, V. Tafuri and M. Ginzburg, Vertical distribution of tropospheric ozone in Antarctica and in the European Arctic, Tellus, 45B 106-119, 1993.
Further information:
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