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WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION |
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME |
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I. Status and Results
A. Ozone Layer Monitoring
- Activities for the advancement of the system of ozone layer monitoring from space have been continued, including international cooperation in this area with NASA, USA. Daily global fields of total ozone were collected for the period 1991-1994 using the US instrument TOMS on board the Russian spacecraft "Meteor-3". This project made it possible to proceed with the long- term total ozone observations started by NASA using TOMS instrument on board "Nimbus-7" .
- Data of ground-based ozonometric observations and satellite-borne total zone monitoring are summarized and regularly published by the Central Aerological Observatory, Roshydromet, in bulletins of the ozone layer state and anomalies.
- A computer bank of observational data on the ozone layer state has been compiled on the basis of published long-term series of total ozone and vertical ozone distribution measurements made at the world ozonometric network stations.
- A software package has been developed for near-real-time construction and analysis of global total ozone fields based on ground ozonometric and TOMS observations.
The software for the construction of total ozone fields, developed by Russian scientists (CAO), has been transferred to the WMO Ozone Center (University of Thessaloniki, Greece) and used by them for the routine construction of total ozone fields and their characteristics. This information is circulated to all national meteorological services and other interested bodies along the lines of the activities of the WMO service of ozone observations.
- Annual observations of the ozone layer are being conducted over Antarctica ("Mirny" and "Molodezhnaya" stations) by way of ground-based total ozone measurements, balloon and rocket-borne sounding. Observational data are transferred to the WMO Secretariat on a near-real-time basis throughout the whole period of the evolution of seasonal ozone layer over Antarctic .
- A national project is being implemented for the establishment of UV-B monitoring network in Russia.
B. Investigations
- Russia took part in large-scale integrated campaigns conducted by the countries of the European community for the investigation of the ozone layer state in Arctica and middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. In the framework of the EASOE and SESAM campaigns ground-based and balloonborne studies of stratospheric ozone were carried out.
- Jointly with scientist from Japan and France, investigations were conducted of the variability of stratospheric ozone, water vapour and aerosol over Western Siberia during winter and spring months. Data have been obtained which confirm the likeliness of the chemical loss of stratospheric ozone inside the Arctic circumpolar vortex under certain weather conditions.
- Jointly with scientists from Germany, four aircraft campaigns were conducted to study seasonal variability of tropospheric ozone and aerosol in Arctic.
- Numerical 2-D models of the ozonosphere and an empirical model of the stratospheric ozone layer have been developed.
II. Prospects
A. Monitoring of the Ozone Layer State
- To continue the advancement of the integrated system of the regional and global monitoring of the ozone layer state and an early detection of the tendencies of its depletion. During the period till 2000 it is planned to launch another TOMS instrument on the Russian Meteor-3 satellite. It is also planned to launch the US instrument SAGE-3 on board the Russian Meteor- 3M satellite in order to measure the vertical profiles of ozone, aerosol, water vapour, nitrogen dioxide and other atmospheric minor gases: to launch the Russian research instrumentation (BUFS, SFOR, etc) for the ozonosphere studies on board space vehicles of Meteor-3M series and the space station "Salute" (module "Priroda").
- To issue on a regular basis, bulletins of the ozone layer state and UV-B radiation over the territory of Russia.
- To provide the monitoring and assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the ozonosphere .
- To finalize the creation in Russia of a system of routine monitoring and of UV-B radiation .
B. Investigations
- Development of a data base and model concepts of the structure and composition of the ozonosphere.
- Development of the numerical model of the ozone layer variation and predictive estimations of ozone trends and anomalies caused by natural and anthropogenic factors for various regions and on a global scale.
- Carrying out, in the framework of international programmes, of integrated field campaigns to study the ozone layer, over Arctic and Antarctic inclusive.
It is planned to create an aircraft research laboratory based on the Russian high altitude aircraft M-55 "Geophysika" to study, in cooperation with the EC countries, stratospheric ozone and chemical processes in the stratosphere.
- Monitoring and modelling of UV-B radiation levels at the ground and sea surface, as well as estimation of the ecological consequences the ozone layer depletion.
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