Analysis of Remote Sensing Monitoring of Atmospheric Ozone in Japan from 2010 to 2021

This study uses ozone in the atmosphere column collected by the Aura satellite’s ozone monitoring instrument (OMI), to evaluate the ozone pollution status of Japan. Mann–Kendall and slope trend analysis, Hurst index analysis, the potential source contribution factor algorithm, GTWR (geographically and temporally weighted regression model), and the random forest regression model were used in this paper to investigate ozone column concentrations in Japan from 2010 through 2021. The results showed that ozone column concentrations had a significant latitudinal trend over the past 12 years, i.e., concentrations increased with increasing latitude. And the slope has showed a small upward trend over the years (slope = 0.01). The interannual maximum and minimum ozone column concentrations are in 2021 (387.57 DU) and 2015 (241.27 DU), respectively. The monthly maximum and minimum values occur in March (361.60 DU) and October (286.96 DU), with seasonal concentrations in the order of Spring (352.94 DU) > Winter (336.01 DU) > Summer (306.78 DU) > Autumn (296.30 DU). Column ozone concentrations have increased in 69.82% of Japan over the past 12 years. In 2022, the maximum, minimum, and mean ozone column concentrations based on random forest forecasts are 372DU, 278DU, and 334DU, respectively. Pollution sources in Japan are largely derived from pollutants that are transported across borders from the seas around the country or from other countries in the world, with the largest potential source areas being located in the Kanto region. Relative humidity, lift index, and air temperature (in all three seasons except winter) have a negative effect on ozone column concentrations. The positive effects of precipitable water and nitrogen dioxide on ozone column concentrations in the Hokkaido locality and southern Japan were more significant. The contribution of population density and GDP to ozone is small.