Analysis of atmospheric boundary ozone profiles in winter in hinterland of Taklimakan Desert

In order to reveal the variation characteristics of ozone (O-3) concentration in the atmosphere boundary layer over a desert in winter, an observation experiment was carried out in the Tazhong area by means of a tethered balloon during January 18-25, 2008. The vertical distribution of O-3 concentration and its correlation with temperature and humidity were analyzed based on experimental observation data and related data. Results show that: (1) The concentration of O-3 mainly ranges from 10 to 50 mu g/L, with a maximum of 56.1 mu g/L, minimum of 2.6 mu g/L, and a daily average concentration of 34.4 mu g/L. (2) O-3 profiles can be divided into three types: peak, uniform, and growth, where uniform accounts for the majority. (3) Temperature and moisture are influential on O-3 concentrations in atmospheric boundary layer. Temperature inversion and water vapor increase in an atmospheric boundary layer leads to a decrease of O-3. (4) O-3 concentration has an obvious daily change in Tazhong. It is lower at night, begins to increase after sunrise, and reaches a maximum at noon. The maximum appears at 17:00 BJT (Beijing Time), and the minimum appears at 08:00 BJT.