The review is compiled based on the results of the operation of the Total Ozone (TO) Monitoring System in the CIS countries, functioning in the operational regime at the Central Aerological Observatory (CAO). The monitoring system uses the data from the national network of filter ozonometers, type M-124; the proper operation of the system is confirmed by the results of comparison with the TO fields obtained from observations with the OMI satellite (US NASA) equipment. The TO observation data for each month of the first quarter of 2008 and for a quarter as a whole are generalized. Results of regular surface ozone observations that have been carried out by the CAO in the Moscow park zone since 1991 and that characterize the surface ozone state in the Moscow region are also considered.

Total ozone (TO) norms for the period from April to June (i.e., the multiyear TO means over Russia and contiguous territories determined for [1974][1975][1976][1977][1978][1979][1980][1981][1982][1983][1984] were given in [1]. Similarly to the first quarter of 2009, quarterly TO means in the second quarter over the territory under control were generally close to the multiyear means (Fig. 1a). Apparently, the return of the ozone layer characteristics to norms of a 30-year past is largely connected with the abnormally strong and long-lasting warming in the stratosphere in the high-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere observed in winter 2008-2009 [3], which substantially reduced the area under the Arctic circumpolar vortex over Russia. The maximum TO deviations from normal in the second quarter of 2009 were observed at the stations located in Irkutsk and Ekaterinburg. In Ekaterinburg, the quarterly TO mean abnormally exceeded the multiyear mean and reached 8% or 2.8 standard deviations (SD). An anomalous deficiency of the quarterly TO mean value was observed at the station in Irkutsk: 7% or 2.8 SD.The lowest quarterly mean TO values (320-375 DU) were recorded over the southern regions of European Russia, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and the south of Siberia. Over the central and northern regions of European Russia, the Urals, Siberia, and Chuckchi Peninsula, quarterly TO means were 375-420 DU. The highest TO values were observed over the Far East, northern Eastern Siberia and Kamchatka: 420-440 DU.In this review, for the total ozone maps compiling, data collected at the UkrNIGMI station were used instead of those from the network station in Kiev, which is located in about 30 km from the UkrNIGMI station. Data collected at Vladivostok, Vitim, Odessa, Chardzhou, Ashkhabad, the Aral Sea, Nagaevo, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski stations were not used for the ozone field analysis in the second quarter of 2009 because of their low quality.In April 2009, monthly mean TO values determined over the major part of the territory under control were close to the multiyear means (Fig. 1b). The only exception was the station in Ekaterinburg, where the anomalous exceeding of the mean TO value was recorded; it amounted to 14% or 2.8 SD. The maximum deficiency of the monthly mean TO value was recorded in Irkutsk (10% or 2.2 SD). If over European Russia the TO was slightly above the norm, over the south of Siberia, it was slightly below the norm. It is interesting to note that reduced TO values were observed over the major part of Western Siberia, south of Scandinavia, and north of Canada.In May, monthly TO means estimated over the major part of the considered territory were close to the multiyear means (Fig. 1c) except for the Markovo station, where the anomalous deficiency of the monthly TO mean was recorded (10% or 2.7 SD). The maximum exceeding of the monthly mean TO value was observed at the Turukhansk and Nikolaevsk-on-Amur stations (7% or 1.9 and 1.7 SD, respectively).In June, monthly mean TO values over the territory under control were ...

Characteristics of periodic variability of surface ozone concentration at 98 western and central European stations participating in the EMEP program for at least 7 (up to 14) years are determined. Daily and hourly model concentrations of surface ozone for each station are given in an analytical form that presents a sum of a constant constituent and basic harmonics that determine ozone concentration variability throughout a year and a day. A 12-month harmonic, whose maximum is observed in the spring period (in Northern Europe it is observed 1 to 2 months earlier than in Southern Europe) dominates in the energy spectrum of seasonal variability of daily mean ozone concentration at most stations. The energy part of higher (6-and 4-month) harmonics is the largest at the stations close to the sea and ocean coasts. Higher harmonics largely influence the time of the ozone extremum formation, shifting it towards the summer, or even forming a second (summer) maximum, whose magnitude at a number of stations (in Italy, Hungary, in the south of Germany, and in some others) exceeds the spring maximum. A 24-hour harmonic dominates in the energy spectrum of daily ozone variability. The maps of a "normal" distribution of surface ozone fields and their standard deviations for different seasons and time of the day have been compiled based on the model characteristics. The "norms" derived can be used to detect anomalies in the temporal trend of the surface ozone and to validate its climate changes.

The review is compiled based on the results of the operation of the Total Ozone (TO) Monitoring System in the CIS and Baltic countries, functioning in the operational regime at the Central Aerological Observatory (CAO). The monitoring system uses the data obtained from the national network of filter ozonometers, M-124 type, which is under methodological supervision of the Main Geophysical Observatory; proper operation of the system is under operational control based on observations obtained from the OMI satellite equipment (U.S. NASA). The basic TO observation data for each month of the third quarter of 2008 and for a whole quarter are generalized. Results of regular surface ozone observations, carried out by the CAO in the Moscow park zone that largely characterize the air quality in the surface layer of the Moscow region in a warm season are also considered.

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