Ozone column classified climatology of ozone and temperature profiles based on ozonesonde and satellite data

An updated and atmospheric dynamics oriented global climatology of ozone profiles has been derived from ozonesonde and satellite observations. The climatology, which uses total ozone to parameterize the profile shape, provides improved a priori information for ozone profile retrieval from satellite measurements using optimal estimation. It can be also used to correct the profile shape error in total ozone retrieval. Sonde data were selected from the 1990-2000 and 1988-1999 period for SAGE II excluding two years of SAGE II V6.1 data influenced by the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991. In addition, POAM III V3 data covering the polar region and SHADOZ ozonesonde data in the tropics were included. The ozone profile data were binned in steps of 30 DU of total ozone, 30degrees wide zonal bands, and into a six-month season (winter/spring and summer/fall) in middle and high latitudes. No seasonal distinction is needed in the low-latitude region (30degreesS to 30degreesN). Mean and standard deviation profiles for each ozone class were combined from satellites and sondes with a transition region in the range 20-26 km to merge both data sets. Temperature data from sonde, SAGE II collocated NMC, and POAM III collocated UKMO, where NMC and UKMO data are used in respective ozone retrieval, have been binned and averaged in the same manner as the ozone profiles so that for each mean ozone profile a matching temperature profile was derived. Corresponding ozone and temperature profiles help in accounting for the temperature dependence of the ozone absorption cross sections in the retrieval process. Key features of both ozone and temperature climatologies are discussed. As examples, ozone-temperature correlation and the climatology of tropopause heights as derived from this climatology are presented, and they serve as diagnostic tools to show that the new climatology is a representative data set for global applications. Good agreement between collocated sonde profiles from Hohenpeissenberg (47.8degrees, 11.0degrees) and GOME ozone profiles, retrieved using optimal estimation method and using this climatology as constraints, was found. Also, comparison with GOME results, which were retrieved using a zonal monthly mean climatology, demonstrates the large improvements achieved by using this new climatology, particularly in the lowermost stratosphere and tropopause region.