Premium
The nonlinear response of stratospheric ozone to NO x and ClO x perturbations
Author(s) -
Yang Peicai,
Brasseur Guy P.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl011428
Subject(s) - ozone , stratosphere , ozone layer , atmospheric sciences , chlorine , nonlinear system , amplitude , chemical reaction , environmental science , altitude (triangle) , meteorology , physics , chemistry , optics , biochemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , geometry , mathematics
A mathematical analysis of the stratospheric photochemical system (gas phase reactions only) shows the existence of potential catastrophe mechanisms which could produce a dramatic reduction in the ozone concentration near 25 km altitude. The conditions leading to such catastrophe correspond to a relatively modest (i.e., factor 2–2.5) increase in the stratospheric source of reactive nitrogen (NO x ). For a tenfold increase in the source of reactive chlorine (ClO x ), the ozone system exhibits a large amplitude oscillatory behavior with a period of several tens of years. Transport processes could, however, damp these dramatic changes resulting from the nonlinear nature of the stratospheric chemical system.