Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: The Contributions of the Solar Activity Indices on the Stratospheric Ozone Variations in Nigeria
by Isikwue, B.C., Agada, P. O. and Okeke, F.N.

Abstract:
This work examines the contributions of Sunspot Numbers (SSN) and solar Magnesium II core -wing- ratio (Mg II) to the variations of stratospheric ozone (O3) concentrations in some cities in Nigeria from 1998-2005. The multiple regression analysis shows a significant relationship between SSN as a dependent variable and MgII and mean total column ozone as independent variables. This relationship is characterized by a multiple correlation coefficient (r) of 0.748; 0.790; 0.790; 0.783 and 0.797 at 99% level of significance and a coefficient of determination, R2 =0.83; R2 = 0.799; R2 = 0.797; R2 = 0.797 and R2 = 0.737 for the five cities under study. There is no significant correlation between the MgII and the ozone concentrations for these cities. However, between SSN and MgII, there is a negative correlation (-0.622 at 95% level of significance) in all the years. These results are confirmed by the positive and negative trends in the variations between ozone and SSN; and between SSN and MgII respectively through all the years. Hence, this work shows that solar activity effects on ozone variations depends on the type of the index of the solar activity, since not all solar activity indices have significant contributions in the variation of stratospheric ozone.

Keywords: ozone variations, sunspot numbers, MgII, solar activity indices, climatic variability and geomagnetic indices

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