Surface Ozone Monitoring and Background Concentration at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica Atmospheric and Climate Sciences

The background surface O3 concentrations and seasonal changes observed at the Zhongshan Station (69°22'2''S, 76°21'49''E; 18.5 m), east Antarctica from 2008 to 2013 are presented. Irrespective of wind direction, surface O3 concentrations distribute evenly after the removal of polluted air from station operations, accounting for 1.1% of the data. These O3 exhibit the expected lowest in summer, with a peak in winter. The daily range of average O3 in all four seasons is small. The monthly mean O3 is similar to that of other stations in Antarctica, with seasonal CO2 amplitudes in the order of 15 ppb to 35 ppb. Surface O3 significantly negatively correlated with UVB in the spring and autumn, with correlation coefficients of 0.50 and 0.57 under the 0.01 significance test. Furthermore, the surface O3 concentration during polar nights was 1 - 2 times higher than that during polar days. Thus, the chemical effect of the aurora lights was the dominant cause of ozone destruction, showing that surface O3 observed in Antarctica has a small interferences from human activities in the atmosphere as it moves from the north through the southern hemisphere.