Analysis of tropospheric and columnar ozone measurements in Manila, Philippines

• Main Authors: Vallar, Edgar A., Galvez, Maria Cecilia, Castilla, Red, Cayetano, Mylene, Simpas, James, Cruz, Melliza, Lamorena-Lim, Rheo, Lim, Len Herald, Pabroa, Preciosa Corazon, Macatangay, Ronald, Bagtasa, Gerry, Peralta, Teresita, Rosete, Jean, Morris, Vernon
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Ozone; Atmospheric pressure—Diurnal variations; Atmospheric pressure—Measurement; Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/2818
• Institution: De La Salle University

Ozone is a gas that can be found in the stratosphere and the troposphere. Stratospheric ozone, formed when sunlight breaks down oxygen molecules, plays a beneficial role because it absorbs most of the harmful UV rays of the Sun. Tropospheric or ground-level ozone is produced from photochemical reactions involving man-made emissions from industry and automobiles. This ozone is harmful to man because it leads to respiration problems aside from damaging plants. In addition, ozone is also a greenhouse gas. This work investigated the diurnal variation of both tropospheric ozone and columnar ozone from May 25-31, 2015 in De La Salle University (DLSU), Manila, Philippines. In particular, this paper presents data collected as part of the Metro Manila Aerosol Characterization Experiment (MACE) 2015, an intensive aerosol characterization campaign conducted by the RESearchers for Clean Air (RESCueAIR), the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) from Leipzig, Germany, the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), and Partnership for Clean Air (PCA). Columnar ozone was studied using a tripod-mounted MICROTOPS II ozonemeter and a comparison of these values with ozone readings from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) is presented in this paper. Tropospheric ozone was measured 24 hours each day using a Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometer (DOAS) and a Thermo Environmental Instruments Model 49C ozone analyzer. The DOAS is part of the Air Quality Monitoring Station (AQMS) under a collaboration between the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) and DLSU while the 49C analyzer is a collaborative measurement between DLSU and the NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences. The DOAS instrument is located beside Taft Avenue. The 49C analyzer is housed on the rooftop of the Henry Sy Sr. Hall (HSSH) of DLSU which is about 90 meters above street level. Ozone measurements from these two instruments are also compared in this paper.