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On the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Variation of Lower-Troposphere Ozone over Europe

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Abstract

Surface ozone data from 25 Europeanlow-altitude sites and mountain sites located between79°N and 28°N were studied. The analysiscovered the time period March 1989–February 1993.Average summer and winter O3 concentrations inthe boundary layer over the continent gave rise togradients that were strongest in the north-west tosouth-east direction and west-east direction, respectively. WintertimeO3 ranged from 19 to 27 ppbover the continent, compared to about 32 ppb at thewestern border, while for summer the continentalO3 values ranged between 39 and 56 ppb and theoceanic mixing ratios were around 37 ppb. In the lowerfree troposphere average wintertime O3 mixingratios were around 38 ppb, with only an 8 ppbdifference between 28°N and 79°N. For summerthe average O3 levels decreased from about 55 ppbover Central Europe to 32 ppb at 79°N. Inaddition, O3 and Ox(= O3 + NO2)in polluted and clean air were compared. Theamplitudes of the seasonal ozone variations increasedin the north-west to south-east direction, while thetime of the annual maximum was shifted from spring (atthe northerly sites) to late summer (at sites inAustria and Hungary), which reflected the contributionof photochemical ozone production in the lower partsof the troposphere.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer Institute (IFU), D-82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

    H. E. Scheel

  2. Stockholm University, S-61182, Sweden

    H. Areskoug

  3. Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, ICG-2, D-52425, Jülich, Germany

    H. Geiss & D. Kley

  4. University of Ljubljana, SLO-61000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    B. Gomiscek

  5. NERI, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    K. Granby

  6. Institute for Atmospheric Physics, H-1675, Budapest, Hungary

    L. Haszpra

  7. Ruder Boskovic Institute, HR-10001, Zagreb, Croatia

    L. Klasinc

  8. Finnish Meteorological Institute, FL-00810, Helsinki, Finland

    T. Laurila

  9. IVL, S-40258, Göteborg, Sweden

    A. Lindskog

  10. TNO, NL-2600 JA, Delft, The Netherlands

    M. Roemer

  11. Meteorologie Consult, D-61479, Glashütten, Germany

    R. Schmitt

  12. School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom

    P. Simmonds

  13. NILU, N-2007, Kjeller, Norway

    S. Solberg

  14. Université Paris XII-CNRS, F-94010, Créteil, France

    G. Toupance

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  1. H. E. Scheel
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  8. D. Kley
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  9. T. Laurila
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  10. A. Lindskog
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  11. M. Roemer
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  15. G. Toupance
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Scheel, H.E., Areskoug, H., Geiss, H. et al. On the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Variation of Lower-Troposphere Ozone over Europe. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 28, 11–28 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005882922435

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