Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Variability of Total Columnar Ozone Over Jammu and Srinagar, India

Abstract

Total Columnar Ozone (TCO) is an important factor for air quality studies. This paper presents the trend analysis of TCO over the regions of Jammu and Srinagar. TCO datasets from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) sensor spanning from 2003 to 2022 have been used to ascertain trends in TCO without eliminating the seasonal discrepancies, quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), solar cycle impacts and ENSO factors. Long term trends obtained with the TCO time series indicate a decline in ozone concentration by -0.03 DU/year over Jammu, while no statistically significant trend is observed over Srinagar.  Although there is a natural variation in ozone levels with changing seasons, trend analysis suggests a higher level of TCO concentrations in the winter and the pre-monsoon season as compared to the succeeding periods. The variability of TCO with respect to the meteorological parameters establishes an inverse correlation with the temperature. Thus, contributing to understanding the intricate interplay of factors influencing TCO variations, making a significant stride in understanding atmospheric dynamics.