Interdecadal Variations of the Midlatitude Ozone Valleys in Summer

• Main Authors: Zhiming Zhang, Jian Rao, Dong Guo, Wenhui Zhang, Liping Li, Zhou Tang, Chunhua Shi, Yucheng Su, Fuying Zhang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-11-01
• Series: Atmosphere
• Subjects: total column ozone; interdecadal variations; ozone valley; solar radiation; pacific decadal oscillation (pdo); indian ocean basin (iob); south pacific quadrupole (spq)
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/11/677

Using the ERA-Interim total column ozone data, the spatial distributions of the long-term mean of the global total ozone in summer are analyzed. The results demonstrate that there are three midlatitude ozone “valleys” on earth—they are centered over the Tibetan Plateau (TIP), the Rocky Mountains (ROM), and the Southwest Pacific (SWP), respectively. The interdecadal variations of the three ozone valleys are positively modulated by the solar radiation, and the TIP ozone’s correlation with the solar radiation gets maximized with a two-year lag. The interdecadal variation of the SWP ozone valley has a significantly negative relationship with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the South Pacific quadrupole (SPQ). Warm sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) associated with the SPQ strengthen the vertical ascending motion, which dilutes the high concentration ozone at high altitudes. The interdecadal variation of the ROM ozone valley is positively correlated with the PDO, leading by three years. The ROM ozone content is also modulated by SSTAs in the Indian Ocean basin (IOB) by the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT). The observed regional SSTAs can exert a significant impact on the regional and even global circulation, via which the ozone content in midlatitudes also varies.