Recent Ozone Soundings from Neumayer

Since 1992 regular ozone soundings get performed at Neumayer to explore the vertical ozone distribution and the so called "ozone hole". This research program started already in 1985 at the nearby Antarctic research station Georg-Forster (German Democratic Republic ) It was taken over by Neumayer after the reunification of Germany.

ECC 5A/6A ozonesondes mounted on normal radiosondes are in use. These rather time-consuming and expensive measurements get performed about weekly. Only during Antarctic spring - the time of the so called ozone hole - about 3 sondes per week get launched.

The wintering over meteorologist at the station updates all diagrams on this web page directly after a sounding has finished. Additional, the data get transmitted without delay to the World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre (WOUDC), the  Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composite Change (NDACC), and to  the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Ozone Soundings since 1985

Due to the position of the station Georg-Forster and Neumayer the measurements in the stratosphere can be interpreted as one continous time series. From 1985 till 2006 the seasonal averaged ozone partial pressure at 70 hPa shows an overall trend during austral spring (September - November). In close correlation to this ozone depletion the stratospheric temperatures are decreasing. Since 2006, first indications of a recovery of the ozone layer are visable. During austral autumn (January - March) no comparable trends have been observed.

All data are freely available  in monthly granularity via the Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science PANGAEA. The data get used in climate research to validate models as well as satellite measurements and to detect climate trends. The Advanced Search Modus from PANGAEA can be used to search for data from a limited time frame. Via the Data Warehouse from PANGAEA the selective extraction of the ozone measurements from any search result is possible.

Additional the measurements can be obtained via the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composite Change (NDACC) as well as the Station Information System from the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAWSIS).

Overview

Hovmöller diagram of the ozone partial pressure above the Antarctic stations Georg Forster, Neumayer II and Neumayer III measured by ozonesondes.
Ozone Hovmöller diagram (Graphic: Alfred-Wegener-Institut)