In collaboration with the Polar Geophysical Institute of Apatity, we are also continuously monitoring the variation of the profile of the ozone layer at tropical latitudes. Preliminary results show that enhanced ozone production of anthropogenic origin is not an exception, but a regular situation, with a considerable number of episodes with ozone concentrations exceeding the officially recognized critical level. Local meteorological conditions may introduce strong distortions into the classical schemes. Large ozone decreases, associated with the rainfalls, have also been observed. Furthermore, irregular pulsations with periods from tens of seconds to tens of minutes are detected.
Further studies are necessary for a more reliable model of local ozone dynamics.
The results of this research are usually published in the Proceedings of the International Cosmic Ray Conferences, held biennially under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, and in specialized journals. The launchings of stratospheric balloons are performed in collaboration with the Balloon Launching Sector of INPE . Most of the text about Auger was adapted from a pamphlet of the Collaboration and from a text of Alan Watson .