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A Post-2013 Drop-off in Total Ozone at a Third of Global Ozonesonde Stations: ECC Instrument Artifacts?
  • +11
  • Ryan Michael Stauffer,
  • Anne M. Thompson,
  • Debra E Kollonige,
  • Jacquelyn Cecile Witte,
  • David W. Tarasick,
  • Jonathan Davies,
  • Holger Voemel,
  • Gary A. Morris,
  • Roeland VanMalderen,
  • Bryan J. J. Johnson,
  • Richard Querel,
  • Henry B Selkirk,
  • Rene Stuebi,
  • Herman G.J. Smit
Ryan Michael Stauffer
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Anne M. Thompson
NASA-GODDARD, NASA-GODDARD, NASA-GODDARD
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Debra E Kollonige
University of Maryland - Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland - Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland - Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
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Jacquelyn Cecile Witte
National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Center for Atmospheric Research
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David W. Tarasick
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada
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Jonathan Davies
Environment Canada, Environment Canada, Environment Canada
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Holger Voemel
Unknown, Unknown, Unknown
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Gary A. Morris
St. Edward's University, St. Edward's University, St. Edward's University
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Roeland VanMalderen
Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium
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Bryan J. J. Johnson
NOAA ESRL, NOAA ESRL, NOAA ESRL
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Richard Querel
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA), National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA), National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
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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
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Rene Stuebi
MeteoSwiss, MeteoSwiss, MeteoSwiss
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Herman G.J. Smit
Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany
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Abstract

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.
16 Jun 2020Published in Geophysical Research Letters volume 47 issue 11. 10.1029/2019GL086791