Open AccessWhat causes nitric oxide to infiltrate the ozone layer?
Author(s) -
Wendel JoAnna
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2014eo490018
Subject(s) - earth's magnetic field , atmosphere (unit) , ozone , atmospheric sciences , nitric oxide , ozone layer , flux (metallurgy) , quiet , layer (electronics) , astrobiology , environmental science , meteorology , chemistry , physics , astronomy , magnetic field , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
At the Earth's poles, energetic particles that are injected into the atmosphere can chemically react and form nitric oxide (NO) molecules, which then descend through the atmosphere and can destroy ozone there. Previous studies have found that intense geomagnetic events lead to the largest descents of NO, but more recent research—following a large flux of NO in a period of quiet geomagnetic activity—suggests that such fluxes can have different origins.