Surface Ozone Monitoring and Background Concentration at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica

Abstract

The background surface O 3 concentrations and seasonal changes observed at the Zhongshan Station (69 ° 22'2''S, 76 ° 21'49''E; 18.5 m), east Antarctica from 2008 to 2013 are presented. Irrespective of wind direction, surface O 3 concentrations distribute evenly after the removal of polluted air from station operations, accounting for 1.1% of the data. These O 3 exhibit the expected lowest in summer, with a peak in winter. The daily range of average O 3 in all four seasons is small. The monthly mean O 3 is similar to that of other stations in Antarctica, with seasonal CO 2 amplitudes in the order of 15 ppb to 35 ppb. Surface O 3 significantly negatively correlated with UVB in the spring and autumn, with correlation coefficients of 0.50 and 0.57 under the 0.01 significance test . Furthermore, the surface O 3 concentration during polar nights was 1 - 2 times higher than that during polar days. Thus, the chemical effect of the aurora lights was the dominant cause of ozone destruction, showing that surface O 3 observed in Antarctica has a small interferences from human activities in the atmosphere as it moves from the north through the southern hemisphere.