Cohesive NOAA SBUV/(2) total ozone and SSU temperature datasets and applications to detect long-term variations and changes

Utilizing measurements from the operational NOAA polar orbiting satellites, the Climate Prediction Center has compiled two long term middle atmosphere datasets: the SBUV/2 Total Ozone dataset and the SSU/AMSU temperature dataset. Both compilations are aimed to achieve the level of quality suitable for trend analysis. Adjustments based on satellite equatorial crossing times, inter-satellite biases are implemented for cohesiveness. The SBUV/2 data set is compared with Dobson and Brewer observations. The SSU/AMSU data are compared with ozonesonde and lidar. These zonal datasets span from 1979 through 2006. Using synthetic channels, the SSU/AMSU temperature cover the region from 50 to 0.5 hPa.

Over many regions, temperature and ozone are well correlated or anti-correlated depending of pressure level. An analysis of time series, such as 50 hPa at the Equator, shows that the temperature leads or concurs with ozone extremes, suggesting dynamics may dominate the radiative effects.

We use a statistical trend algorithm to analyze the SBUV(/2) data. This hockey-stick algorithm allows for a change in trend and examines the effect of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption on the computations. We examine the timing of the inflection points to delineate the confidence one can ascribe to the “ozone-change” computations in both a physical as well as a statistical sense. More detailed discussions on the sensitivity of data length and missing data, as well as the impact on ozone trend by the inclusion of 2006 data will be provided.