Analysis of Distribution and Seasonal Change of Tropospheric Ozone Residual in Recent 20 Years Using Satellite Data

Ozone is an important trace gas in the atmosphere. Tropospheric ozone is an essential component of photochemical smog, and it is one of the major indexes that reflect the atmosphere pollution from human activities. In the tropospheric atmosphere, there is a close relationship among the tropospheric ozone, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. And in tropospheric photochemistry, tropospheric carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide are important precursors of tropospheric ozone. The global and regional distribution of tropospheric ozone residual in recent 20 years and the possible reasons leading to the high tropospheric ozone residual concentration are analyzed using satellite data. These satellite data include 2002—2004 carbon monoxide data from Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) on TERRA, 1996—2002 nitrogen dioxide data from Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) on ERS 2 launched in 1995, 2003—2005 nitrogen dioxide data from SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) on Envisate 1 launched in 2002, and the 1979—2000 tropospheric ozone residual data derived from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS). From the data analysis, it can be found that distribution patterns of hightropospheric ozone residual areas are related to the high carbon monoxide column and nitrogen dioxide column areas. Biomass and biofuel burning might be responsible for the peak tropospheric ozone residual centers in the tropical regions of South America and southern parts of Africa. High carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions in big city are the main contributors to high tropospheric ozone residual in East America, East Asia and Northern parts of India. The variation of tropospheric ozone residual has an obvious correlation with the circle of sun radiation. There is a significant seasonal variation for the tropospheric ozone residual in the middle and high latitudes. The tropospheric ozone residual of north hemisphere reaches the peak in summer, the second peak appears in spring, and the value of tropospheric ozone residual is minimal in winter. The tropospheric ozone residual of southern hemisphere reaches the peak in spring and the value of tropospheric ozone residual is minimal in autumn. In China, the seasonal variation is conform to the northern hemisphere. And the areas of high tropospheric ozone residual concentration are converged in Szechwan basin and eastern seacoast of China where the total number of people is large and the industry is well developed. In the Tibetan Plateau the tropospheric ozone residual concentration is always in relative low level.