A Post-2013 Drop-off in Total Ozone at a Third of Global Ozonesonde
Stations: ECC Instrument Artifacts?
Henry B Selkirk
Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Author ProfileAbstract
An international effort to improve ozonesonde data quality and to
reevaluate historical records has made significant improvements in the
accuracy of global network data. However, between 2014 and 2016,
ozonesonde total column ozone (TCO; O3) at 14 of 37 regularly reporting
stations exhibited a sudden drop-off relative to satellite measurements.
The ozonesonde TCO drop is 3-7 % compared to satellite and ground-based
TCO, and 5-10 % or more compared to satellite stratospheric O3
profiles, compromising the use of recent data for trends, although they
remain reliable for other uses. Hardware changes in the ozonesonde
instrument are likely a major factor in the O3 drop-off, but no single
property of the ozonesonde explains the findings. The bias remains in
recent data. Research to understand the drop-off is in progress; this
letter is intended as a caution to users of the data. Our findings
underscore the importance of regular ozonesonde data evaluation.