Atmospheric ozone monitoring in the Indian network in view of possibility of damage to the biosphere due to distortion of ozone layer

Abstract

Atmospheric ozone protects life on the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths in the biologically important 300nanometre region. In recent year many workers in the field of atmospheric ozone have brought out the various effects of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) Oxides of chlorine (CIOx) and Hydroxyl radicals (HOx) on the ozone layer due to man made activities. It has been demonstrated by recent studies that monsoon season these man made chemicals like NOx, ClOx released in the troposphere due to industrializations may eventually deplete ozone in the stratosphere by as much as 5% at the present rate of discharge of these chemicals in the lower troposphere. This depletion of total ozone could cause an increase in the incident of skin cancer. Furthermore these are indications of the possibility that plant life and marine life and other ecological systems are also affected cultural planning by the changes in ultraviolet radiation.

The ozone layer in the stratosphere controls the temperature & winds in the stratosphere and have a great influence in the general circulation & climate of the earth. Depletion of ozone in the stratosphere due to man made actitives, may therefore cause adverse effects on the earth’s climate. Model calculation indicate that early next Century the combined radiative effects of ozone and other trace gases would be of the same order as that calculated for CO₂.

Recent studies in the field of tropospheric ozone have indicated that due to man made activities  possibility of sharp increase in the tropospheric ozone particularly in the industrially developed countries. This increase in the tropospheric ozone could adversely effect human health and plant life particularly forest resources.

It has, therefore, become very important to accurately monitor atmospheric ozone on a routine and network basis over the entire globe by insitu, balloon borne and satellite measurements. The present paper brings out the results and analysis of total ozone, vertical ozone measurements by Umkehr and balloon sonde and tropospheric ozone measurements by ground based and balloon borne sondes made in  the Indian network during the last decade (1970-1979) and various aspects of ozone profiles and variations and ozone trend analysis over the years have been presented and discussed in this paper.