VERTICAL STRUCTURE OF THE QUASI-BIENNIAL OSCILLATION OF OZONE IN THE EXTRATROPICAL LATITUDES OF THE NORTHERN-HEMISPHERE

The variability of the partial ozone pressure in the extratropical lat itudes of the Northern Hemisphere that is associated with the quasi-bi ennial oscillation in the equatorial zonal stratospheric wind is inves tigated using ozone sounding data. The variability under consideration is characterized by a time scale of about 28 months. It is usually ob served throughout the range of altitudes of ozone sounding (0-35 km) a nd manifests itself variously in the middle and the lower stratosphere , and in the troposphere as well. In the lower stratosphere, the verti cal structure of the quasi-biennial oscillation of ozone is qualitativ ely similar to the vertical structure of the quasi-biennial oscillatio n of the equatorial zonal wind, namely, the oscillations at each level lag behind the oscillations at a higher level, and the descent of the phase of oscillations is observed. The rate of the phase descent depe nds on the region. The rate is maximum in the polar region and minimum in the subtropical zone. Local maxima are observed in the vertical di stributions of the amplitude of the quasi-biennial oscillation in ozon e. In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the amplitude m axima are centered at altitudes of 12, 20, and 30 km.