Tropospheric Ozone Variability Over Hong Kong Based on Recent 20 years (2000-2019) Ozonesonde Observation

The recent 20 years (2000-2019) ozonesonde profiles recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory are analyzed to study the Tropospheric Ozone (TropO(3)) variability over Hong Kong, South China. The TropO(3) profiles are described without the constraints of traditional monthly averages; they are clustered based on a Self-Organizing Map (SOM) to explore the short-term variability, and separated into two 10-year periods to investigate the long-term variability based on pooled statistical analysis. The roles of precursor emissions, dynamic transport, and photochemical formation in multiple-timescale TropO(3) variability are further evaluated with the aid of meteorological and satellite data, surface observation, emission inventory, and backward trajectory analysis. The results suggest that TropO(3) over Hong Kong has a seasonal and vertical distribution featuring a widely recognized spring maximum. The SOM-based clustering analysis emphasizes a strong dependence of short-term variability in TropO(3) profile patterns on cross-latitude transport conditions, including rich-O-3 transport from midlatitude region and poor-O-3 transport from tropics. However, high O-3 levels throughout the troposphere (usually in early spring) are largely due to the combination of stratospheric intrusion and biomass burning. During the whole study period, the O-3 concentrations have increased substantially in the lower troposphere. Springtime wildfire-related emissions over the upwind Indochina Peninsula are responsible for the lower free-tropospheric O-3 increases. In contrast, the boundary-layer O-3 uptrends with a larger increasing rate near the surface are mostly attributed to the reduced NO titration effect due to the sharp reduction of NOx emissions.

Automated summary

The study of Tropospheric Ozone (TropO(3)) variability over Hong Kong and South China based on data from ozonesonde profiles recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory from 2000-2019 reveals seasonal and vertical distributions of O-3 concentrations, with a spring maximum. Short-term variability in TropO(3) profiles is influenced by cross-latitude transport conditions, while high O-3 levels throughout the troposphere are primarily due to a combination of stratospheric intrusion and biomass burning.