The GAW-CH Ozone Monitoring Program at Payerne and Arosa

Stratospheric ozone has the essential role to block the harmful Ultra-Violet (UV) part of the sun radiation spectrum. A significant decrease of the so-called ozone layer would produce adverse effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, on population's health, on biochemical cycles as well as deterioration of different materials to cite a few of the known consequences of a UV radiation increase. Another major effect would be a decrease of the atmospheric temperature at the altitude of the ozone layer. Such a change of equilibrium of the energy (temperature) distribution in the atmosphere would induce a modification of the present Earth climate and weather.

Presently, the regular ozone measurements are performed under the MeteoSwiss responsibility for securing their lasting quality in response to the international aggreements endorsed by Switzerland.

At the national level, the main collaborations are with the IAC-ETH and the IAP-UNIBE.
At the international level and for ozone monitoring, MeteoSwiss stations belong to worldwide ozone networks: NDSC, GAW/WMO, SHADOZ sponsoring of the Nairobi (Kenya) ozone sounding station.
MeteoSwiss participates to international projects:
European project THESEO/MATCH,
Instruments intercomparisons campaigns JOSIE and BESOS,
WMO Dobson intercomparison campaigns.