A cloud-ozone data product from Aura OMI and MLS satellite measurements
Ozone within deep convective clouds is controlled by several factors involving photochemical reactions and transport. Gas-phase photochemical reactions and heterogeneous surface chemical reactions involving ice, water particles, and aerosols inside the clouds all contribute to the distribution a...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-11-01
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Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
Online Access: | https://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/4067/2017/amt-10-4067-2017.pdf |
Summary: | Ozone within deep convective clouds is controlled by several factors
involving photochemical reactions and transport. Gas-phase photochemical
reactions and heterogeneous surface chemical reactions involving ice, water
particles, and aerosols inside the clouds all contribute to the distribution
and net production and loss of ozone. Ozone in clouds is also dependent on
convective transport that carries low-troposphere/boundary-layer ozone and
ozone precursors upward into the clouds. Characterizing ozone in thick clouds
is an important step for quantifying relationships of ozone with tropospheric
H<sub>2</sub>O, OH production, and cloud microphysics/transport
properties. Although measuring ozone in deep convective clouds from either
aircraft or balloon ozonesondes is largely impossible due to extreme
meteorological conditions associated with these clouds, it is possible to
estimate ozone in thick clouds using backscattered solar UV radiation
measured by satellite instruments. Our study combines Aura Ozone Monitoring
Instrument (OMI) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite measurements to
generate a new research product of monthly-mean ozone concentrations in deep
convective clouds between 30° S and 30° N for October 2004–April 2016.
These measurements represent mean ozone concentration primarily
in the upper levels of thick clouds and reveal key features of cloud ozone
including: persistent low ozone concentrations in the tropical Pacific of
∼ 10 ppbv or less; concentrations of up to 60 pphv or greater
over landmass regions of South America, southern Africa, Australia, and
India/east Asia; connections with tropical ENSO events; and
intraseasonal/Madden–Julian oscillation variability. Analysis of OMI aerosol
measurements suggests a cause and effect relation between boundary-layer
pollution and elevated ozone inside thick clouds over landmass regions
including southern Africa and India/east Asia. |
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ISSN: | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |