Distribution of total ozone and stratospheric ozone in the tropics: Implications for the distribution of tropospheric ozone

Climatologies of total columnar ozone and integrated stratospheric ozone amounts at low latitudes (15°N to 15°S), derived from satellite observations, are presented. A significant longitudinal variability in total ozone is present, with highest values generally located between 60°W and 60°E. The integrated stratospheric component of total ozone, on the other hand, does not exhibit a longitudinal preference for high values. Therefore we hypothesize that the climatological longitudinal distribution of total ozone reflects the variability of the abundance of tropospheric ozone at low latitudes. Furthermore, we speculate that in situ photochemical production of ozone resulting from biomass burning may be responsible for the observed enhancement of total ozone at these longitudes.