Ozone layer depletion occurs due to reactive radical like chlorine free radical. Ozone layer is present in stratosphere. So how someone can study the ozone layer depletion? Suggest me the methods and techniques are used for the study of ozone layer depletion.
Hi Vinesh,
may I assume that you have already looked at Wikipedia for a first information (simply by Google-ing "ozone measurement wiki", for example)? If so, what specifically do you wish to know in addition? You will find information galore within a couple of minutes (from brief pages to voluminous reports) by using your computer this way (as I did it during the last 20 minutes or so to help you finding a sound answer). As for measurement devices, the web page
http://ozone.meteo.be/meteo/view/en/1550378-Spectrophotometers.html
might be of interest. I'm not an expert in this field, but I mean, Wikipedia lends sufficient help to basically understand the principles and techniques of stratospheric ozone measurement (ground and satellite based): differential measurements of sunlight (UV) absorption, preferrably at sunset, at two wavelengths, seems to be the "classical" approach. There is a large number of ground stations for these measurements, scattered around the globe, and intercomparison campaigns assure data quality. For further general reading cf. these and other pages. If you find some of specific interest, share it with others here please so as to start your discussion.
Regards, Peter
The question is too general. I would recommend to get chemistry-climate model (there are several models freely available) and run several experiments looking at the connection between ozone depletion and different forcing. Then you will understand better the problem and will be able to think how this effect can be measured or rtrieved from the available measurements.
If you look at the ozone trend in the upper stratosphere the global ozone depletion is very well visible and we can say that Rowland and Molina were right. It turned out that for the total column ozone the heterogeneous chemistry is more important because it activate chlorines in the lower stratosphere. Of course it worked mostly in the polar areas and after volcanic eruptions. However, there were several publications were it was shown that in the absence of Montreal protocol the halogen loading would be so high that gas phase reactions would effective enough to destroy ozone layer everywhere. So, the situation is not so easy.
You can find the ozone trend analysis in the paper by Jonas et al. (www.atmos-chem-phys.net/9/6055/2009/). The trend in the upper stratosphere is exactly as expected from halogen loading and gas phase chemistry. Heterogeneous reactions explain the ozone trend in the lower stratosphere. The formation of PSC-1 (NAT) is not crucial because the activation can happen on/in liquid sulphate aerosol. There were several publications showing this.
Dear Kenneth
Don't forget there a lot of dynamics in the atmosphere and ozone poor air can be transported.
Kenneth I just wanted to point out that dynamics is very important. There are break-outs of ozone poor vortex air when the vortex becomes unstable. At the same time ozone rich air from lower latitudes comes in and the the ozone hole dilutes.
At the equator the column density is indeed lower, but at the same time it is the source region for stratospheric ozone. Due to the large circulation paterns ozone is on the mean transported downward and poleward giving ris to the higher column densities over midlatitudes and polar regions. To study atmospheric ozonechanges coupled atmosphric chemistry and general circulation model are needed.
Kenneth The caus eis the Brewer Dobson circulation. Ozone is produced at high altitudes over the tropics (there you will find higher mixing ratitos, but as the air density is low the absolute concentrations are low. This air is transported poleward AND DOWNWARD, which means the air is compressed and absolute concentrations rise. If yo want more details you can search for "Brewr-Dobson circulation".
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Geoscience
- Atmospheric Sciences