Temporal and spatial variability of total ozone content in Moldova: satellite retrievals and ground observations

Abstract

The total ozone content (TOC) values retrieved from measurements of spectral backscat- tered radiation with Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instruments onboard of Nimbus-7, Meteor-3 and Earth Probe platforms and with Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) inboard of Aura platform are used to evaluate temporal and spatial distribution of statistical means of TOC in Moldova from 1978 to 2008. Longitudinal and latitudinal variations of monthly, seasonally and yearly means of total ozone content across the territory of Moldova are observed. Differences between statistically mean values of TOC retrieved for two pairs of sites situated at the borders both in latitude and longitude directions are used for analysis. Ranges of differences between retrieved TOC for respective pair of sites in the North-South and for pair of sites in the West-East directions amounted to 25 DU and 10 DU (for monthly means of TOC), and to 4.8 DU and 2.2 DU (for yearly means of TOC). Monthly means of total ozone content for all sites reveal distinctive seasonal variation with maximum on the order of 378 DU in spring and minimum of the order of 289 DU in fall. The climatic norm for yearly means of TOC amounts to 335 DU. The trend of TOC over Moldova is -2% per decade.