Measurement report: Global Total Ozone Records – part 1: ground-based monitoring networks performance assessment and status review
- 1Environment and Climate Change Canada (Ottawa, Canada)
Abstract
Total column ozone (TCO) has been observed since the 1920s, with global monitoring established during the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958). We compile and assess TCO records from six major ground-based instrument types: Dobson and Brewer spectrophotometers, Filter ozonometers, zenith-sky DOAS (UVVIS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Pandora spectrometers. Data are drawn from the World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre, Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change, Pandonia Global Network, and European Brewer Network. Using harmonized statistical criteria and daily comparisons with multiple satellite products and four reanalysis datasets, we evaluate site-level performance in five-year intervals from 1940 to 2024. Metrics include mean bias, variability of daily and monthly differences, seasonal amplitude, and the range of annual means, with percentile-based thresholds used to classify data quality. Ground-based annual means generally agree with satellite and reanalysis benchmarks within ±2 %, with typical variability near 2 %. Larger discrepancies occur in the pre-satellite era, where reanalyses show biases of up to −5 % relative to Dobson observations. Network-wide distributions of daily mean differences indicate comparable internal consistency for Brewer and Pandora (standard deviations generally <2 %), while Filter, FTIR and UVVIS exhibit slightly broader spreads (<3 %), especially at high latitudes. Network capacity has evolved substantially since the 2000s, with a decline in Dobson sites and expansion of Brewer and Pandora observations. By providing station-level flags and thresholds, this assessment helps users identify robust records, prioritize calibration and reprocessing, which ultimately strengthens their confidence in long-term ozone trend detection and satellite validation.
Versions
Related
- Evaluating the performance of the surface water and ocean topography (SWOT) mission for monitoring reservoirs across the conterminous United States
- Monitoring and assessment of elasmobranch bycatches in artisanal maritime fishing in southern Gabon, Central Africa
- A Structured Inference Framework for Spatial Hydrological Monitoring Networks
- Evaluation of sustainability of lubricants by life cycle assessment and carbon footprint measurement
- AI-driven environmental performance index using deep autoencoders for monitoring sustainable development goals
BibTeX
@article{zhao2026measurement,
title = {{Measurement report: Global Total Ozone Records – part 1: ground-based monitoring networks performance assessment and status review}},
author = {Xiaoyi Zhao and Vitali Fioletov and Irina Petropavlovskikh and Voltaire Velazco and Alberto Redondas and Anna Solomatnikova and Corinne Vigouroux and Kimberly Strong and Michel Van Roozendael and Andrea Pazmino and Thomas F. Hanisco and Alexander Cede and Martin Tiefengraber and Gordon Labow and Masatomo Fujiwara and Ronald van der A and Debora Griffin and Chris McLinden and Tom Kralidis and Wolfgang Steinbrecht and Sum Chi Lee},
journal = {Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.5194/acp-26-13693-2026},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05621402v2},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Measurement report: Global Total Ozone Records – part 1: ground-based monitoring networks performance assessment and status review
AU - Xiaoyi Zhao
AU - Vitali Fioletov
AU - Irina Petropavlovskikh
AU - Voltaire Velazco
AU - Alberto Redondas
AU - Anna Solomatnikova
AU - Corinne Vigouroux
AU - Kimberly Strong
AU - Michel Van Roozendael
AU - Andrea Pazmino
AU - Thomas F. Hanisco
AU - Alexander Cede
AU - Martin Tiefengraber
AU - Gordon Labow
AU - Masatomo Fujiwara
AU - Ronald van der A
AU - Debora Griffin
AU - Chris McLinden
AU - Tom Kralidis
AU - Wolfgang Steinbrecht
AU - Sum Chi Lee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
DO - 10.5194/acp-26-13693-2026
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05621402v2
AB - Total column ozone (TCO) has been observed since the 1920s, with global monitoring established during the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958). We compile and assess TCO records from six major ground-based instrument types: Dobson and Brewer spectrophotometers, Filter ozonometers, zenith-sky DOAS (UVVIS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Pandora spectrometers. Data are drawn from the World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre, Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change, Pandonia Global Network, and European Brewer Network. Using harmonized statistical criteria and daily comparisons with multiple satellite products and four reanalysis datasets, we evaluate site-level performance in five-year intervals from 1940 to 2024. Metrics include mean bias, variability of daily and monthly differences, seasonal amplitude, and the range of annual means, with percentile-based thresholds used to classify data quality. Ground-based annual means generally agree with satellite and reanalysis benchmarks within ±2 %, with typical variability near 2 %. Larger discrepancies occur in the pre-satellite era, where reanalyses show biases of up to −5 % relative to Dobson observations. Network-wide distributions of daily mean differences indicate comparable internal consistency for Brewer and Pandora (standard deviations generally <2 %), while Filter, FTIR and UVVIS exhibit slightly broader spreads (<3 %), especially at high latitudes. Network capacity has evolved substantially since the 2000s, with a decline in Dobson sites and expansion of Brewer and Pandora observations. By providing station-level flags and thresholds, this assessment helps users identify robust records, prioritize calibration and reprocessing, which ultimately strengthens their confidence in long-term ozone trend detection and satellite validation.
SN - 1680-7316
SN - 1680-7324
ER -