Abstract

Data on the ozone column has been published by NASA since 1978. They show a clear decrease every summer in the ozone column over the Andes Mountains, extending from Ecuador southward to approximately 33° latitude in Chile. In order to determine the characteristics of this decrease, cross-sections of the column were taken at different latitudes using satellite data. The resulting graphs clearly confirm a significant decline in the concentration of the ozone column in the form of a depleted strip, flanked by asymmetric areas of higher ozone concentration. To find the cause of this seasonal ozone decrease, wind field velocities in the region and their vorticities were analysed at different heights. This revealed evidence that the ozone layer is being compressed by winds coming from above and winds moving upward from the troposphere, causing a redistribution in ozone density.