Intercomparison of ozone profiles measurements by a differential absorption lidar system and satellite instruments at Buenos Aires, Argentina

A ground-based DIfferential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system has been implemented at CEILAP (CITEFA-CONICET) laboratory (34°33′S, 58°30′W), located in the Buenos Aires industrial suburbs. The goal is to perform measurements of the stratospheric ozone layer. Systematic measurements of ozone concentration profiles from ∼18 to ∼35 km altitude are performed since early 1999. Our measurements are carried out in 5 h in average during the night and in cloudless conditions. The DIAL system allows us to calculate directly the ozone profile from the lidar backscattering radiation since it is a self-calibrating technique. The signal processing takes into account the influence of the temperature profile on the ozone cross section. The temperature data are obtained from the radiosondes measurements performed at Ezeiza International Airport (34°30′S, 58°18′W), 27 km from DIAL station. The evolution of the stratospheric ozone profile is studied for different months. Results are compared with the data obtained by different satellites SAGE II, HALOE and GOME. The comparisons between our DIAL system and the satellite measurements show an agreement better than 20% for 20–35 km altitude range.