Lightning-tropospheric ozone connections: EOF analysis of TCO and lightning data

An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is applied to two different data sets of tropospheric column ozone (TCO) and observed lightning flash rates over the tropical Atlantic for the period of 1996–2000. The first two dominant EOF modes of TCO values, explaining more than 65% of total variance are characterized by the seasonal cycle. The time series of EOF1 and EOF2 of TCO values are in phase with those of the EOF2 (16%) and EOF1 (63%) of the lightning, respectively. These relationships imply the influence of lightning on the tropical ozone maximum and the tropical ozone paradox. Moreover, the spatial distribution of the EOF modes and the horizontal wind field in the upper troposphere show that the highest lightning flash rates are located upstream of the region where high TCO values are found throughout the year.