Variations of mesospheric equatorial ozone as observed by the Solar Maximum Mission

Tropical lower mesospheric ozone concentrations determined from UV sunset occultations demonstrate latitude dependent variations from 1985 through 1988. The annual and semiannual ozone behavior is caused primarily by equatorial temperature waves. Secular changes are the result of variations in mesospheric temperature, solar flux, and trace constituents which are involved in the ozone chemistry. The variation with latitude of the observed ozone trends between 1985 and 1989 is different from predictions of some models which simulate stratospheric and lower mesospheric ozone behavior over a sunspot cycle. This is the result of differences between the actual temperature structure of the atmosphere and that adopted in the models.