Altitude dependence of stratospheric ozone trends based on Nimbus 7 SBUV data

A multiple regression statistical model is applied to estimate the altitude, latitude, and seasonal dependences of stratospheric ozone trends using 11.5 years of Nimbus 7 SBUV data for the period November 1978 to June 1990. In the upper stratosphere, the derived trends agree in both latitude dependence and approximate amplitude with published predictions from stratospheric models that consider gas-phase chemical processes together with the observed approx. 0.1 ppbV per year increase in tropospheric chlorine. The dominant contribution to column ozone trends occurs in the lower stratosphere where significant negative trends are present at latitudes greater than 20 deg in both hemispheres. The observed latitude dependence is qualitatively consistent with model predictions that include the effects of heterogeneous chemical ozone losses on lower stratospheric aerosols.