A vertically resolved, monthly mean, ozone database from 1979 to 2100 for constraining global climate model simulations

Abstract

A new global three-dimensional (latitude, pressure, time) zonal mean monthly mean ozone database, from 1979 to 2100, has been created. The database extends from 87.5°S to 87.5°N at a 5° latitude resolution and from 878 hPa to 0.0460 hPa in 70 pressure levels ∼1 km apart. The full period is divided into two sub-periods, viz: (1) observations from 1979 to 2006 obtained from several sources of high vertical resolution ozone profile measurements, and (2) extensions from 2007 to 2100 based on chemistry climate model (CCM) projections. At each latitude and pressure level the CCM ozone time series are shifted and scaled to better match the measurements from 1997 to 2006 to ensure a smooth transition from observations to model output. This new database is expected to provide ozone boundary conditions suitable for long-term global climate model simulations.

Acknowledgements

We thank the CCM groups of AMTRAC (GFDL, USA), CCSRNIES (NIES, Tsukuba, Japan), CMAM (MSC, University of Toronto and York University, Canada), E39C (DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany), GEOSCCM (NASA/GSFC, USA), MAECHAM4CHEM (MPI Mainz, Hamburg, Germany), SOCOL (PMOB/WRC and ETHZ, Switzerland), ULAQ (University of L'Aquila, Italy), UMETRAC (UK Met Office, UK, NIWA, NZ), and WACCM (NCAR, USA) for providing their model output for this analysis. We also thank the Chemistry-Climate Model Validation Activity (CCMVal) of WCRP-SPARC (World Climate Research Programme - Stratospheric Processes and their Role in Climate) for organizing the model data analysis activity, and the British Atmospheric Data Center (BADC) for collecting and archiving the model output. We further gratefully acknowledge D. Smale's input concerning the calculation of the error weighted monthly means.