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Atmosphere
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Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone
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Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2024 | Viewed by 7197

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jinqiang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Interests: vertical cloud structure; atmospheric ozone variability; ozonesonde development; aerosol remote sensing; in situ vertical aerosol measurements; vertical radiation profile; troposphere-stratosphere exchange

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ozone is a major atmospheric component and is significant for human health, ecological balance and climate change. As an important secondary pollutant, ozone in the troposphere is mainly produced in polluted air by photochemical oxidation of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is considered as a short-lived species in the troposphere; however, its lifetime allows a substantial impact from advection/vertical transport to enhance regional ozone pollution. Exchange between the stratosphere and troposphere can also transport stratospheric ozone downwards to induce ozone pollution in the troposphere and even the boundary layer. Advanced measurement technology, retrieval algorithms and model simulation are crucial to understand the variability characteristics of the atmospheric ozone and its forming mechanism. At present, the primary methods and platforms of ozone observations include ground-based ozone concentration sampling and remote sensing, tethered balloon, sounding balloon, airborne observation, satellite retrieval, etc. We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Special Issue entitled “Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone”, which invites contributions presenting research on the variability of atmospheric ozone based on various observation approaches and model simulations. This covers the instrument developments, retrieval algorithms, observation experiments, data analysis research, model simulations, mechanism research, etc.

Topics for this call for papers include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Development of observation instruments and retrieval algorithms of the atmospheric ozone;
  • Observation and modeling of vertical structures and variation features of atmospheric ozone as well as the ozone sources from local production, stratospheric intrusion and regional transport, etc.;
  • Characterization of climate and health effects of ozone pollution under current and future climate scenarios.

Dr. Jinqiang Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ozone observation
  • retrieval algorithm
  • model simulation
  • ozone variability
  • ozone sources
  • ozone pollution

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 14457 KiB  
Article
Variations of Planetary Wave Activity in the Lower Stratosphere in February as a Predictor of Ozone Depletion in the Arctic in March
by Pavel Vargin, Andrey Koval, Vladimir Guryanov, Eugene Volodin and Eugene Rozanov
Atmosphere 2024, 15(10), 1237; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15101237 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 499
Abstract
This study is dedicated to the investigation of the relationship between the wave activity in February and temperature variations in the Arctic lower stratosphere in March. To study this relationship, the correlation coefficients (CCs) between the minimum temperature of the Arctic lower stratosphere [...] Read more.
This study is dedicated to the investigation of the relationship between the wave activity in February and temperature variations in the Arctic lower stratosphere in March. To study this relationship, the correlation coefficients (CCs) between the minimum temperature of the Arctic lower stratosphere in March (Tmin) and the amplitude of the planetary wave with zonal number 1 (PW1) in February were calculated. Tmin determines the conditions for the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) following the chemical destruction of the ozone layer. The NCEP and ERA5 reanalysis data and the modern and future climate simulations of the Earth system models INM CM5 and SOCOLv4 were employed. It is shown that the maximum significant CC value between Tmin at 70 hPa in the polar region in March and the amplitude of the PW1 in February in the reanalysis data in the lower stratosphere is 0.67 at the pressure level of 200 hPa. The CCs calculated using the model data are characterized by maximum values of ~0.5, also near the same pressure level. Thus, it is demonstrated that the change in the planetary wave activity in the lower extratropical stratosphere in February can be one of the predictors of the Tmin. For further analysis of the dynamic structure in the lower stratosphere, composites of 10 seasons with the lowest and highest Tmin of the Arctic lower stratosphere in March were assembled. For these composites, differences in the vertical distribution and total ozone content, surface temperature, and residual meridional circulation (RMC) were considered, and features of the spatial distribution of wave activity fluxes were investigated. The obtained results may be useful for the development of forecasting of the Arctic winter stratosphere circulation, especially for the late winter season, when substantial ozone depletion occurs in some years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone)
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17 pages, 5942 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Variability of Surface Ozone and Its Associations with NOx and Air Temperature Changes from Air Quality Monitoring at Belsk, Poland, 1995–2023
by Izabela Pawlak, Janusz Krzyścin and Janusz Jarosławski
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080960 - 12 Aug 2024
Viewed by 601
Abstract
Surface ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) measured at the rural station in Belsk (51.83° N, 20.79° E), Poland, over the period of 1995–2023, were examined for long-term variability of O3 and its [...] Read more.
Surface ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) measured at the rural station in Belsk (51.83° N, 20.79° E), Poland, over the period of 1995–2023, were examined for long-term variability of O3 and its relationship to changes in the air temperature and NOx. Negative and positive trends were found for the 95th and 5th percentile, respectively, in the O3 data. A weak positive correlation (statistically significant) of 0.33 was calculated between O3 and the temperature averaged from sunrise to sunset during the photoactive part of the year (April–September). Recently, O3 maxima have become less sensitive to temperature changes, reducing the incidence of photochemical smog. The ozone–climate penalty factor decreased from 4.4 µg/m3/°C in the 1995–2004 period to 3.9 µg/m3/°C in the 2015–2023 period. The relationship between Ox (O3 + NO2) and NOx concentrations averaged from sunrise to sunset determined the local and regional contribution to Ox variability. The seasonal local and regional contributions remained unchanged in the period of 1995–2023, stabilizing the average O3 level at Belsk. “NOx-limited” and “VOC-limited” photochemical regimes prevailed in the summer and autumn, respectively. For many winter and spring seasons between 1995 and 2023, the type of photochemical regime could not be accurately determined, making it difficult to build an effective O3 mitigation policy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone)
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35 pages, 20348 KiB  
Article
WRF-Chem Modeling of Tropospheric Ozone in the Coastal Cities of the Gulf of Finland
by Georgii Nerobelov, Yana Virolainen, Dmitry Ionov, Alexander Polyakov and Eugene Rozanov
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 775; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070775 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 775
Abstract
Ozone in the troposphere is a pollutant and greenhouse gas. Atmospheric models can add valuable information to observations for studying the spatial and temporal variations in tropospheric ozone content. The present study is intended to evaluate the variability in tropospheric ozone and its [...] Read more.
Ozone in the troposphere is a pollutant and greenhouse gas. Atmospheric models can add valuable information to observations for studying the spatial and temporal variations in tropospheric ozone content. The present study is intended to evaluate the variability in tropospheric ozone and its precursors near the Gulf of Finland with a focus on St. Petersburg (Russia) and Helsinki (Finland) in 2016–2019, using the WRF-Chem 3-D numerical model with a spatial resolution of 10 km, together with observations. The diurnal cycle of the near-surface ozone concentrations (NSOCs) in both cities is caused by the variability in NO2 emissions, planetary boundary layer height, and local meteorological conditions. The seasonal variations in NSOCs and tropospheric ozone content (TrOC) are caused by the variability in total ozone content and in ozone formation in the troposphere. The model reveals a VOC-limited regime in the ~0–1 km layer around St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and the Gulf of Finland and a pronounced NOx-limited regime in the 0–2 km layer in the forests of southern Finland, Karelia, some Russian regions, and the Baltic countries in July. The WRF-Chem model overestimates the measured NSOCs by 10.7–43.5% and the TrOC by 7–10.4%. The observed differences are mainly caused by the errors in chemical boundary conditions and emissions of ozone precursors and by the coarse spatial resolution of the modeling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone)
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19 pages, 9226 KiB  
Article
Sensitivity Analysis of the Inverse Distance Weighting and Bicubic Spline Smoothing Models for MERRA-2 Reanalysis PM2.5 Series in the Persian Gulf Region
by Alina Bărbulescu and Youssef Saliba
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070748 - 22 Jun 2024
Viewed by 602
Abstract
Various studies have proved that PM2.5 pollution significantly impacts people’s health and the environment. Reliable models on pollutant levels and trends are essential for policy-makers to decide on pollution reduction. Therefore, this research presents the sensitivity analysis of the Bicubic Spline Smoothing [...] Read more.
Various studies have proved that PM2.5 pollution significantly impacts people’s health and the environment. Reliable models on pollutant levels and trends are essential for policy-makers to decide on pollution reduction. Therefore, this research presents the sensitivity analysis of the Bicubic Spline Smoothing (BSS) and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) models built for the PM2.5 monthly series from MERRA-2 Reanalysis collected during January 2010–April 2017 in the region of the Persian Gulf, in the neighborhood of the United Arab Emirates Coast. The models’ performances are assessed using the Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). RMSE, Mean Bias Error (MBE), and Nash–Sutcliff Efficiency (NSE) were utilized to assess the models’ sensitivity to various parameters. For the IDW, the Mean RMSE decreases as the power parameter increases from 1 to approximately 4 (the optimal beta value) and then stabilizes with a further increase. NSE values close to 1 indicate that the model’s predictions are very efficient in capturing the variance of the observed data. NSE is almost constant as a function of the number of neighbors and the parameter when β > 4. In BSS, the RMSE and NBE plots suggest that incorporating more points into the mean calculation for buffer points leads to a general decrease in model accuracy. Moreover, the MBE plot shows that the mean bias error initially increases with the number of points but then starts to plateau. The increasing trend suggests that the model tends to systematically overestimate the PM2.5 values as more points are included. The leveling-off of the curve indicates that beyond a certain number of points, the bias introduced by including additional points does not significantly increase, suggesting a threshold beyond which further inclusion of points does not markedly change the mean bias. It was also proved that the methods’ generalizability may depend on the dataset’s specific spatial characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone)
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Review

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24 pages, 1236 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review of Surface Ozone Variations in Several Indian Hotspots
by K. A. Keerthi Lakshmi, T. Nishanth, M. K. Satheesh Kumar and K. T. Valsaraj
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070852 - 19 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1650
Abstract
Ozone at ground level (O3) is an air pollutant that is formed from primary precursor gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It plays a significant role as a precursor to highly reactive hydroxyl (OH) radicals, which ultimately [...] Read more.
Ozone at ground level (O3) is an air pollutant that is formed from primary precursor gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It plays a significant role as a precursor to highly reactive hydroxyl (OH) radicals, which ultimately influence the lifespan of various gases in the atmosphere. The elevated surface O3 levels resulting from anthropogenic activities have detrimental effects on both human health and agricultural productivity. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the variations in surface O3 levels across various regions in the Indian subcontinent, focusing on both spatial and temporal changes. The study is based on an in-depth review of literature spanning the last thirty years in India. Based on the findings of the latest study, the spatial distribution of surface O3 indicates a rise of approximately 50–70 ppbv during the summer and pre-monsoon periods in the northern region and Indo-Gangetic Plain. Moreover, elevated levels of surface O3 (40–70 ppbv) are observed during the pre-monsoon/summer season in the western, southern, and peninsular Indian regions. The investigation also underscores the ground-based observations of diurnal and seasonal alterations in surface O3 levels at two separate sites (rural and urban) in Kannur district, located in southern India, over a duration of nine years starting from January 2016. The O3 concentration exhibits an increasing trend of 7.91% (rural site) and 5.41% (urban site), ascribed to the rise in vehicular and industrial operations. This review also presents a succinct summary of O3 fluctuations during solar eclipses and nocturnal firework displays in the subcontinent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone)
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14 pages, 481 KiB  
Review
Tropospheric Ozone: A Critical Review of the Literature on Emissions, Exposure, and Health Effects
by Gabriele Donzelli and Maria Morales Suarez-Varela
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070779 - 29 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2328
Abstract
Tropospheric ozone is a significant air pollutant with severe adverse effects on human health. The complex dynamics of ozone formation, distribution, and health impacts underscore the need for a comprehensive understanding of this pollutant. Despite well-documented health risks, including an estimated 423,100 deaths [...] Read more.
Tropospheric ozone is a significant air pollutant with severe adverse effects on human health. The complex dynamics of ozone formation, distribution, and health impacts underscore the need for a comprehensive understanding of this pollutant. Despite well-documented health risks, including an estimated 423,100 deaths annually due to ozone exposure, millions of people in major countries continue to be exposed to unhealthy levels. Notably, the epidemiological evidence linking long-term ozone exposure to health outcomes is limited compared to short-term exposure studies, leaving some findings incomplete. Regulatory standards vary globally, with the implementation of the World Health Organization recommendation for an 8-h average limit of 50 ppb to protect public health remaining heterogeneous, leading to significant disparities in adoption across countries, and often significantly higher. Emissions from diesel and gasoline vehicles are major sources of VOCs and NOx in urban areas, and their reduction is a key strategy. Additionally, climate change may exacerbate ozone pollution through increased natural precursor emissions, leading to higher ground-level ozone in polluted regions, like the eastern US, southern Europe, and parts of Asia. Addressing tropospheric ozone effectively requires an integrated approach that considers both natural and anthropogenic sources to reduce concentrations and mitigate health impacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measurement and Variability of Atmospheric Ozone)
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