Study of ozone variability at equatorial latitude during severe geomagnetic storm

Abstract

We have studied the influence of geomagnetic storms on the total ozone variability over equatorial and polar latitude region. Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and METEOR- 3 satellite have provided the long duration ozone variability from polar to equatorial latitude region. In the present study we have considered only severe and strong geomagnetic storm events between 2000 and 2005. The polar region shows an increase in the total ozone column abundance after the onset of geomagnetic storm. The equatorial region shows the increase in ozone abundance before as well as after the onset of severe magnetic storm. The increase in the total ozone column density is localized over the Pacific ocean. Solar flares could be the cause for the increase in ozone column density before the onset of geomagnetic storms.