Latitudinal structure of variations and trends in stratospheric NO2

Using data from ground-based spectrometric measurements of stratospheric column nitrogen dioxide (NO2) within the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC), analyses are made of the diurnal and annual variations of NO2, the NO2 decrease relating to the Pinatubo eruption, the NO2 change during the 11-year cycle of solar activity (SA), and the linear trends in NO2. Latitudinal dependences of these variations and trends are revealed. In particular, the annual trend estimates of column NO2 are predominantly positive in the middle latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) whereas negative NO2 trends are observed in the middle Northern Hemisphere (NH) latitudes. Column NO2 content in the middle latitudes of the two hemispheres is generally larger during the SA minimum than during the SA maximum (negative sign of the SA effect).