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On the “Ozone Deficit Problem”: What Are O x and HO x Catalytic Cycles for Ozone Depletion Hiding?
Author(s) -
Varandas António J. C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/1439-7641(20020517)3:5<433::aid-cphc433>3.0.co;2-o
Subject(s) - stratosphere , ozone , disequilibrium , chemistry , atmospheric sciences , catalysis , ozone depletion , mesosphere , hox gene , ozone layer , atmospheric chemistry , photodissociation , photochemistry , environmental chemistry , meteorology , physics , organic chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , gene , transcription factor , ophthalmology
Studies on the role of vibrational excitation in the reactants for the O 2 +O 2 , OH+O 2 , and HO 2 +O 2 reactions show that they can be important sources of ozone in the stratosphere, particularly at conditions of local thermodynamic disequilibrium. The results suggest that the O x and HO x cycles commonly viewed as catalytic sinks of ozone may actually lead to its production, and hence help to clarify the “ozone deficit problem”. This paper also presents an explanation for the general overestimation of the OH abundance in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere through standard HO x chemistry.