Akinyemi, M. L.
(2007)
The Influence of Some Atmospheric Phenomena on Total
Ozone Concentration over the Tropics.
The Influence of Some Atmospheric Phenomena on Total Ozone Concentration over the Tropics.
pp. 497-505.
ISSN 1991-8178
Abstract
The influence of some atmospheric phenomena such as the Quassi Biennial Oscillation, the
El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the extratropical suction pump action on total ozone
concentration over the region spreading from latitude 30o south to 30o north were studied using
satellite data from 1997 to 2002. These phenomena were observed to contribute significantly to the
variability of ozone concentration over the region. The region was divided into twelve latitudinal zones
of 5o each. The equatorial zones 50S-50N recorded high percent variability above 6.5% in at least nine
months of the year. This may be attributed to the extra-tropical suction pump action been strongest
over the two zones closest to the equator. Zone 300S-250S recorded a high stability in ozone
concentration in March in the six years studied with average variability of 0.7%. The six northern
zones recorded higher values of annual coefficient of relative variation (ACRV) of ozone than their
southern counterparts in the six years studied with average value of 5.0% and 3.0% respectively.
There was a peculiarity in the ozone concentration in 1998, which was a year of El Nino Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) occurrence. The ACRV of ozone concentration almost doubled the average zonal
values especially at the southern tropics. At zones 50S - 150S, the average ACRV in 1998 was 4.3%
while the average ACRV for the other five years studied was 2%. In the northern tropics, the values
of ozone concentration at zones 00-150 north were very close with a correlation of 0.99, between
September to December of the years 1997, 1999 and 2002, while there were noticeable degrees of
disparities in the other periods studied. This was attributed to the effect of quasi-biennial oscillation
(QBO) at the region in these periods.
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