Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western Pacific
<p>The tropical western Pacific is recognized as an important region for stratosphere–troposphere exchange but lies in a data-sparse location that had a measurement gap in the global ozone sounding network. The Palau Atmospheric Observatory (PAO, approx. 7.3<span class="inline-formula&...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/2169/2024/acp-24-2169-2024.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797301359431647232 |
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| author | K. Müller K. Müller J. S. Tradowsky J. S. Tradowsky P. von der Gathen C. Ritter S. Patris J. Notholt M. Rex M. Rex |
| author_facet | K. Müller K. Müller J. S. Tradowsky J. S. Tradowsky P. von der Gathen C. Ritter S. Patris J. Notholt M. Rex M. Rex |
| author_sort | K. Müller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The tropical western Pacific is recognized as an important region for stratosphere–troposphere exchange but lies in a data-sparse location that had a measurement gap in the global ozone sounding network. The Palau Atmospheric Observatory (PAO, approx. 7.3<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> N, 134.5<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> E) was established to study the atmospheric composition above the remote tropical western Pacific with a comprehensive instrumental setup. Since 2016, two laboratory containers in Palau host a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer; a lidar (micro-lidar until 2016, cloud and aerosol lidar from 2018); a Pandora 2S photometer; and laboratory space for weather balloon soundings with ozone, water vapor, aerosol, and radiosondes. In this analysis, we focus on the continuous, fortnightly ozone sounding program with electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) ozonesondes.</p>
<p>The aim of this study is to introduce the PAO and its research potential, present the first observation of the typical seasonal cycle of tropospheric ozone in the tropical western Pacific based on a multiannual record of in situ observations, and investigate major drivers of variability and seasonal variation from January 2016 until December 2021 related to the large-scale atmospheric circulation. We present the PAO ozone (<span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span>) volume mixing ratios (VMR) and relative humidity (RH) time series complemented by other observations.</p>
<p>The site is exposed to year-round high convective activity reflected in dominating low <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR and high RH. In 2016, the impact of the strong El Niño is evident as a particularly dry, ozone-rich episode. The main modulator of annual tropospheric <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> variability is identified as the movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), with the lowest <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR in the free troposphere during the ITCZ position north of Palau. An analysis of the relation of <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> and RH for the PAO and selected sites from the Southern Hemispheric Additional Ozonesondes (SHADOZ) network reveals three different regimes. Palau's <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M9" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mo>/</mo></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="880d1b22cfae9b4167ff115d05c6894c"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-24-2169-2024-ie00001.svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" src="acp-24-2169-2024-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> RH distribution resembles the one in Fiji, Java and American Samoa but is unique in its seasonality and its comparably narrow Gaussian distribution around low <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR and the evenly distributed RH. A previously found bimodal distribution of <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR and RH could not be seen for the full Palau record but only during specific seasons and years.</p>
<p>Due to its unique remote location, Palau is an ideal atmospheric background site to detect changes in air dynamics imprinted on the chemical composition of the tropospheric column. The efforts to establish, run and<span id="page2170"/> maintain the PAO have succeeded to fill an observational gap in the remote tropical western Pacific and give good prospects for ongoing operations. The ECC sonde record will be integrated into the SHADOZ database in the near future.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:20:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ecc80f71951941e48f85b9899b0661a8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:20:25Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ecc80f71951941e48f85b9899b0661a82024-02-21T06:23:08ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242024-02-01242169219310.5194/acp-24-2169-2024Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western PacificK. Müller0K. Müller1J. S. Tradowsky2J. S. Tradowsky3P. von der Gathen4C. Ritter5S. Patris6J. Notholt7M. Rex8M. Rex9Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, GermanyInvited contribution by Katrin Müller, recipient of the EGU Atmospheric Sciences Outstanding Student Poster and PICO Award 2019.Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, NorwayBodeker Scientific, Alexandra, New ZealandAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, GermanyCoral Reef Research Foundation, Koror, PalauInstitut für Umweltphysik, University of Bremen, Bremen, GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, GermanyInstitut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany<p>The tropical western Pacific is recognized as an important region for stratosphere–troposphere exchange but lies in a data-sparse location that had a measurement gap in the global ozone sounding network. The Palau Atmospheric Observatory (PAO, approx. 7.3<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> N, 134.5<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> E) was established to study the atmospheric composition above the remote tropical western Pacific with a comprehensive instrumental setup. Since 2016, two laboratory containers in Palau host a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer; a lidar (micro-lidar until 2016, cloud and aerosol lidar from 2018); a Pandora 2S photometer; and laboratory space for weather balloon soundings with ozone, water vapor, aerosol, and radiosondes. In this analysis, we focus on the continuous, fortnightly ozone sounding program with electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) ozonesondes.</p> <p>The aim of this study is to introduce the PAO and its research potential, present the first observation of the typical seasonal cycle of tropospheric ozone in the tropical western Pacific based on a multiannual record of in situ observations, and investigate major drivers of variability and seasonal variation from January 2016 until December 2021 related to the large-scale atmospheric circulation. We present the PAO ozone (<span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span>) volume mixing ratios (VMR) and relative humidity (RH) time series complemented by other observations.</p> <p>The site is exposed to year-round high convective activity reflected in dominating low <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR and high RH. In 2016, the impact of the strong El Niño is evident as a particularly dry, ozone-rich episode. The main modulator of annual tropospheric <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> variability is identified as the movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), with the lowest <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR in the free troposphere during the ITCZ position north of Palau. An analysis of the relation of <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> and RH for the PAO and selected sites from the Southern Hemispheric Additional Ozonesondes (SHADOZ) network reveals three different regimes. Palau's <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M9" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mo>/</mo></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="880d1b22cfae9b4167ff115d05c6894c"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-24-2169-2024-ie00001.svg" width="8pt" height="14pt" src="acp-24-2169-2024-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> RH distribution resembles the one in Fiji, Java and American Samoa but is unique in its seasonality and its comparably narrow Gaussian distribution around low <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR and the evenly distributed RH. A previously found bimodal distribution of <span class="inline-formula">O<sub>3</sub></span> VMR and RH could not be seen for the full Palau record but only during specific seasons and years.</p> <p>Due to its unique remote location, Palau is an ideal atmospheric background site to detect changes in air dynamics imprinted on the chemical composition of the tropospheric column. The efforts to establish, run and<span id="page2170"/> maintain the PAO have succeeded to fill an observational gap in the remote tropical western Pacific and give good prospects for ongoing operations. The ECC sonde record will be integrated into the SHADOZ database in the near future.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/2169/2024/acp-24-2169-2024.pdf |
| spellingShingle | K. Müller K. Müller J. S. Tradowsky J. S. Tradowsky P. von der Gathen C. Ritter S. Patris J. Notholt M. Rex M. Rex Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western Pacific Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western Pacific |
| title_full | Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western Pacific |
| title_fullStr | Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western Pacific |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western Pacific |
| title_short | Measurement report: The Palau Atmospheric Observatory and its ozonesonde record – continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western Pacific |
| title_sort | measurement report the palau atmospheric observatory and its ozonesonde record continuous monitoring of tropospheric composition and dynamics in the tropical western pacific |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/2169/2024/acp-24-2169-2024.pdf |
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