Historical Ozone Data from Ozonesondes Launched over the Howard University Beltsville Campus

Howard University Beltsville Campus (HUBC) has been at the vanguard of atmospheric science for almost 20 years. Located in the I-95 corridor between Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD, HUBC is a unique place to study the mid-Atlantic region with an array of upper air measurements of thermodynamic parameters (Microwave Radiometer), aerosols profiles (Ceilometer and Lufft) and deployment of weather balloon sondes (radiosondes, ozonesondes, and Cryogen Frostpoint Hydrometers). Part of the World Meteorological Organization’s GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN), HUBC does weekly radiosonde launches and monthly ozonesonde and Cryogen Frostpoint Hydrometer (CFH) launches targeting the NOAA-21 satellite for NOAA’s Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) validation. HUBC also launches continuous ozonesondes during hot summer days with the collaboration of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). This study will focus on the ozone measurements obtained from the ozonesondes deployed from 2004 to 2023. Profiles from each year were compared to see trends within the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) and the tropospheric free atmosphere. Seasonal profiles were also compared to see the variations of PBL height, especially summer versus winter and high ozone episodes from heatwaves.