The IMF sector structure effects in total ozone in central Europe

The influence of the IMF sector structure on the total ozone content is studied in the European middle latitudes (five stations, 46 degrees -52 degrees N, 1 degrees -20 degrees E) for the winters of the period 1963-82. The average effect of the IMF sector boundary crossings (SBC) is very weak. The correction for the seasonal trend is quite crucial. Only detrended results are considered to be reliable. A statistically significant and relatively large effect is found to exist in the total ozone only for geoactive proton sector boundaries, while there is no demonstrable effect for non-proton (common) sector boundaries. The effect of proton boundaries consists in a decrease of the total ozone from higher values before the IMF SBC to lower values after the IMF SBC and it differs from the common types of IMF SBC effects. These results seem to explain the contradiction between results obtained by other authors.