A vertically resolved, monthly mean, ozone database from 1979 to 2100 for constraining global climate model simulations

A new global three-dimensional (latitude, pressure, time) zonal mean monthly mean ozone database, from 1979 to 2100, has been created. The database extends from 87.5 degrees S to 87.5 degrees N at a 5 degrees latitude resolution and from 878 hPa to 0.0460 hPa in 70 pressure levels similar to 1 km apart. The full period is divided into two sub-periods, viz: (1) observations from 1979 to 2006 obtained from several sources of high vertical resolution ozone profile measurements, and (2) extensions from 2007 to 2100 based on chemistry climate model (CCM) projections. At each latitude and pressure level the CCM ozone time series are shifted and scaled to better match the measurements from 1997 to 2006 to ensure a smooth transition from observations to model output. This new database is expected to provide ozone boundary conditions suitable for long-term global climate model simulations.