TOTAL OZONE VARIATIONS IN MIDDLE ASIA AND DYNAMIC METEOROLOGICAL PROCESSES IN THE ATMOSPHERE

The total ozone content over the former Soviet Middle Asia is compared with the heights and the temperatures at the 500 hPa and 100 hPa levels. There is a significant and negative correlation between the heights of the 100 hPa and 500 hPa levels and the total ozone content. The ozone column density is positively correlated with the temperature at 100 hPa and negatively correlated at 500 hPa. No observed time delay between ozone and temperature changes is found, indicating that the correlations are caused by dynamic processes. Ozone changes due to chemistry have time constants at least of the order of days, but correspondingly large time delays are not found. It is concluded that the horizontal advection is connected with ascending and descending air streams, and they are the main causes of decrease and increase of total ozone content with time constants of the order of one day.