SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATION OF TOTAL AND TROPOSPHERIC OZONE COLUMNS OVER CHINA

Abstract. In this study, total ozone columns collected from nine sites of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) in China are used to evaluate total ozone column monthly mean products of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). The results show the correlated coefficient of the two datasets is 0.95. The long temporal variations and spatial distributions of the monthly mean products of the total ozone columns and tropospheric ozone columns in spring, summer, autumn and winter were plotted. The result shown in the pictures indicate that the total ozone columns gradually increase from low latitude to high latitude, reach the maximum value in winter and spring in Northeast China, and the values in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are lower than those of other regions of the same latitude. The monthly mean of total ozone columns at low latitude have no obvious seasonal variation. With the increase of latitude, the seasonal variation of monthly mean products of total ozone column becomes more and more obvious. Tropospheric ozone columns are the highest in summer, followed by spring and autumn, and the lowest in winter, which are mainly concentrated in the more developed areas in eastern China. The lowest value of tropospheric ozone column in China occurs in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in winter and the highest value in North China in summer. The study indicates that the total ozone columns vary with latitude while tropospheric ozone columns are more susceptible to human activities and natural conditions.