Total ozone columns and vertical ozone profiles above Kiev in 2005-2008

Abstract: The study of total ozone columns above Kiev and variations of ozone concentrations in the troposphere at different altitudes above Kiev was carried out using ground-based Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometric observations that are taken on a routine basis at the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (MAO NASU). This study was performed within the framework of the international ESA-NIVR-KNMI OMI-AO project no.2907 entitled OMI validation by ground-based remote sensing: ozone columns and atmospheric profiles during the time frame 2005-2008. The infrared FTIR spectral observations of direct solar radiation in the wavelength range of 2-12 micron as transmitted through the Earth's atmosphere were performed during the months of April-October of each year. The aim of the project was the validation of total ozone columns and vertical ozone profiles as obtained by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)) onboard of the NASA EOS-Aura scientific satellite platform. The modeling of the ozone spectral band shape near 9.6 microns was performing with the MODTRAN code and a molecular band model based on the HITRAN-2004 molecular database. The a-priori information for the spectral modeling consisted of water vapor and temperature profiles from the NASA EOS-Aqua-AIRS satellite instrument, stratospheric ozone profiles from the NASA EOS-Aura-MLS satellite instrument, TEMIS-KNMI climatological ozone profiles and surface ozone concentration measurements performed at the specific times of infrared spectra observations. The troposphere ozone variability was analyzed for two typical episodes: the spring episode of enhanced total ozone columns and the summer episode of enhanced surface ozone concentrations.