Remote Sensing of Tropospheric Ozone from Space: Progress and Challenges

Abstract

Ozone stands out as a crucial trace gas within the Earth’s atmosphere, exerting a substantial influence on climate change and air pollution. Tropospheric ozone plays an important role in the formation of photochemical smog, and its variations are associated with human activities. The utilization of satellite remote sensing technology for tropospheric ozone monitoring enables a quantitative analysis of its global and regional spatiotemporal characteristics. It also facilitates the investigation of the mechanisms involved in ozone formation within the troposphere. The significant progress in product accuracy and spatiotemporal resolution of ozone remote sensing products, including total ozone and vertical profiles, can be attributed to the extensive development of satellite remote sensing techniques. Nevertheless, the precision of tropospheric ozone products remains inadequate for contemporary scientific purposes, primarily because of faint signals in the lower atmosphere, the intricate nature of the underlying surface, and the existence of clouds and aerosols. This study places emphasis on the satellite remote sensing of tropospheric ozone, encompassing a comprehensive review of the advancements in satellite sensors and the characteristics and suitability of various retrieval algorithms. Moreover, this research delves into the possible utilization of satellite remote sensing for the provision of reliable tropospheric ozone observation data on a global and regional level.