Global atmospheric OCS trend analysis from 22 NDACC stations

Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) is a non-hygroscopic trace species in the free troposphere and a large sulfur reservoir maintained by both direct oceanic, geologic, biogenic, and anthropogenic emissions and the oxidation of other sulfur-containing source species. It is the largest source of sulfur transported to the stratosphere during volcanically quiescent periods. Data from 22 ground-based globally dispersed stations are used to derive trends in total and partial column OCS. Middle infrared spectral data are recorded by solar-viewing Fourier transform interferometers that are operated as part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change between 1986 and 2020. Vertical information in the retrieved profiles provides analysis of discreet altitudinal regions. Trends are found to have well-defined inflection points. In two linear trend time periods ∼2002 to 2008 and ∼2008 to 2016 tropospheric trends range from ∼0.0 to (1.55 ± 0.30%/yr) in contrast to the prior period where all tropospheric trends are negative. Regression analyses show strongest correlation in the free troposphere with anthropogenic emissions. Stratospheric trends in the period ∼2008 to 2016 are positive up to (1.93 ± 0.26%/yr) except notably low latitude stations that have negative stratospheric trends. Since ∼2016, all stations show a free tropospheric decrease to 2020. Stratospheric OCS is regressed with simultaneously measured N2O to derive a trend accounting for dynamical variability. Stratospheric lifetimes are derived and range from (54.1 ± 9.7)yr in the sub-tropics to (103.4 ± 18.3)yr in Antarctica. These unique long-term measurements provide new and critical constraints on the global OCS budget.

To Access Resource:

Questions? Email Resource Support Contact:

  • opensky@ucar.edu
    UCAR/NCAR - Library

Resource Type publication
Temporal Range Begin N/A
Temporal Range End N/A
Temporal Resolution N/A
Bounding Box North Lat N/A
Bounding Box South Lat N/A
Bounding Box West Long N/A
Bounding Box East Long N/A
Spatial Representation N/A
Spatial Resolution N/A
Related Links N/A
Additional Information N/A
Resource Format PDF
Standardized Resource Format PDF
Asset Size N/A
Legal Constraints

Copyright 2022 American Geophysical Union.


Access Constraints None
Software Implementation Language N/A

Resource Support Name N/A
Resource Support Email opensky@ucar.edu
Resource Support Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library
Distributor N/A
Metadata Contact Name N/A
Metadata Contact Email opensky@ucar.edu
Metadata Contact Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library

Author Hannigan, James W.
Ortega, Ivan
Shams, Shima Bahramvash
Blumenstock, Thomas
Campbell, John Elliott
Conway, Stephanie
Flood, Victoria
Garcia, Omaira
Griffith, David
Grutter, Michel
Hase, Frank
Jeseck, Pascal
Jones, Nicholas
Mahieu, Emmanuel
Makarova, Maria
Mazière, Martine
Morino, Isamu
Murata, Isao
Nagahama, Toomo
Nakijima, Hideaki
Notholt, Justus
Palm, Mathias
Poberovskii, Anatoliy
Rettinger, Markus
Robinson, John
Röhling, Amelie N.
Schneider, Matthias
Servais, Christian
Smale, Dan
Stremme, Wolfgang
Strong, Kimberly
Sussmann, Ralf
Te, Yao
Vigouroux, Corinne
Wizenberg, Tyler
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2022-02-27T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
Alternate Identifier N/A
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
Progress N/A
Metadata Date 2023-08-18T18:18:02.669175
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:25089
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Hannigan, James W., Ortega, Ivan, Shams, Shima Bahramvash, Blumenstock, Thomas, Campbell, John Elliott, Conway, Stephanie, Flood, Victoria, Garcia, Omaira, Griffith, David, Grutter, Michel, Hase, Frank, Jeseck, Pascal, Jones, Nicholas, Mahieu, Emmanuel, Makarova, Maria, Mazière, Martine, Morino, Isamu, Murata, Isao, Nagahama, Toomo, Nakijima, Hideaki, Notholt, Justus, Palm, Mathias, Poberovskii, Anatoliy, Rettinger, Markus, Robinson, John, Röhling, Amelie N., Schneider, Matthias, Servais, Christian, Smale, Dan, Stremme, Wolfgang, Strong, Kimberly, Sussmann, Ralf, Te, Yao, Vigouroux, Corinne, Wizenberg, Tyler. (2022). Global atmospheric OCS trend analysis from 22 NDACC stations. UCAR/NCAR - Library. http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7c53qdg. Accessed 29 March 2024.

Harvest Source