Variations of carbon monoxide density in the total atmospheric column over Russia between 1970 and 1995: Upward trend and disturbances, attributed to the influence of volcanic aerosols and forest fires

The analysis of total column spectroscopic CO observations over Russia revealed an upward lin- ear trend between 1970 and 1995 with a rate of about 1.0 ppbv/year or 0.96 %/year. A similar trend was re- ported earlier for the CO total column over Switzer- land between 1950 and 1987. This rate is almost 3 times higher, than the rate of CO increase between 1920 and 1950, obtained from ice core data. Main distur- bances of CO tropospheric concentration coincided with vast wildfires in the central Russia in 1972 and volcanic eruptions. Stratospheric volcanic aerosol probably in- fluence the concentration of tropospheric OH radicals, which destroy CO molecules. The aerosol scatters pho- tochemically active UV radiation and, in the same time, triggers the stratospheric ozone photochemical destruc- tion. Diminished total column ozone UV absorption can offset the increase of UV scattering due to addi- tional aerosol. Studying these processes is important for a prediction of further CO and OH long-term vari- ations in the global atmosphere.

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