What causes the springtime tropospheric ozone maximum over Northeast Asia?

Abstract

Scientists have long debated the relative importance of tropospheric photochemical production versus stratospheric influx as causes of the springtime tropospheric ozone maximum over northern mid-latitudes. This paper investigates whether or not stratospheric intrusion and photochemistry play a significant role in the springtime ozone maximum over Northeast Asia, where ozone measurements are sparse. We examine how tropospheric ozone seasonalities over Naha (26 degrees N, 128 degrees E), Kagoshima (31 degrees N, 131 degrees E), and Pohang (36 degrees N, 129 degrees E), which are located on the same meridional line, are related to the timing and location of the jet stream. The ozone seasonality shows a gradual increase from January to the maximum ozone month, which corresponds to April at Naha, May at Kagoshima, and June at Pohang. In order to examine the occurrence of stratospheric intrusion, we analyze a correlation between jet stream activity and tropospheric ozone seasonality. From these analyses, we did not find any favorable evidence supporting the hypothesis that the springtime enhancement may result from stratospheric intrusion. According to trajectory analysis for vertical and horizontal origins of the airmass, a gradual increasing tendency in ozone amounts from January until the onset of monsoon was similar to the increasing ozone formation tendency from winter to spring over mainland China, which has been observed during the build-up of tropospheric ozone over Central Europe in the winter spring transition period due to photochemistry. Overall, the analyses suggest that photochemistry is the most important contributor to observed ozone seasonality over Northeast Asia.