Ozone Measurement Techniques in Atmospheric Science

The accurate quantification of ozone in the atmosphere relies on a suite of complementary techniques spanning ground-based, airborne and satellite platforms. Ground-based spectrophotometry using Dobson and Brewer instruments remains the cornerstone of long-term total column ozone monitoring. Brewer spectrophotometers offer improved spectral resolution and stray-light correction, extending measurements to ultraviolet irradiance and aerosol optical depth. Dobson instruments, with over nine decades of continuous records in alpine sites, provide critical baselines for trend analysis and ozone-layer recovery. Differential optical absorption spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry deliver high-spectral-resolution profiling of ozone and its precursors. Balloon-borne ozonesondes and lidar systems provide vertical ozone profiles, enabling separation of tropospheric and stratospheric columns. Spaceborne UV–visible sensors—including the Ozone Monitoring Instrument, the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite and the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera—combine global synoptic coverage with enhanced retrieval algorithms and updated ozone absorption cross-sections. Emerging approaches using compact spectrometers and unmanned aerial systems are expanding spatial and temporal granularity. Rigorous calibration campaigns, cross-section consensus studies and intercomparison networks ensure consistency across platforms, supporting robust detection of ozone depletion, recovery and regional pollution, and informing policy, climate studies and ultraviolet radiation risk assessments.

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Ozone Measurement Techniques in Atmospheric Science publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in ozone measurement techniques in atmospheric science across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dobson spectrophotometer: A double-monochromator instrument measuring differential UV irradiances to derive total column ozone.

Brewer spectrophotometer: A multi-monochromator UV spectrometer used for precise total column ozone, UV irradiance and aerosol optical depth measurements.

Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC): A space-based multi-spectral radiometer on DSCOVR providing frequent global total and tropospheric ozone observations.

Dobson Unit (DU): Standard unit of column ozone amount, equivalent to 2.69×10^16 molecules cm⁻².

Differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS): A method using absorption features in scattered sunlight to retrieve vertical columns of trace gases including ozone.

References

1. Dobson, Brewer, ERA-40 and ERA-Interim original and merged total ozone data sets – evaluation of differences: a case study, Hradec Králové (Czech), 1961–2010. Earth System Science Data (2012).
2. EuBrewNet – A European Brewer network (COST Action ES1207), an overview. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2018).
3. Aerosol optical depth in the European Brewer Network. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2018).
4. Evaluation of Version 3 Total and Tropospheric Ozone Columns From Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera on Deep Space Climate Observatory for Studying Regional Scale Ozone Variations. Frontiers in Remote Sensing (2021).
5. Recommendation of a consensus value of the ozone absorption cross-section at 253.65 nm based on a literature review. Metrologia (2019).
6. Consistency of total column ozone measurements between the Brewer and Dobson spectroradiometers of the LKO Arosa and PMOD/WRC Davos. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (2021).