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On the disproportionate role of tropospheric ozone as a filter against solar UV‐B radiation
Author(s) -
Brühl C.,
Crutzen P. J.
Publication year - 1989
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/gl016i007p00703
Subject(s) - ozone , troposphere , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , tropospheric ozone , stratosphere , ozone depletion , northern hemisphere , ozone layer , aerosol , atmosphere (unit) , radiation , climatology , photochemistry , meteorology , chemistry , physics , geology , quantum mechanics
Increases in tropospheric ozone due to photochemical production, mostly due to growing industrial and technological NO x ‐ emissions, in the industrialized northern hemisphere can overcompensate for increased UV‐B radiation resulting from ozone depletions due to chlorine‐catalyzed reactions in the stratosphere. This is especially the case in the summer months, because during this period a large fraction of the UV, which reaches the surface as diffuse radiation, is scattered by air molecules, droplets and aerosol particles in the troposphere. This causes a relatively longer path through tropospheric than through stratospheric ozone. Analyses using calculated, as well as observed ozone profiles at the station Hohenpeißenberg in Bavaria, FRG, show, that decreases of UV‐B radiation at the earth's surface are possible even when total ozone declines.