Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

07:14
Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx
Published on: December 20, 2016
Solar Absorption in a Stratosphere Perturbed by NOx Injection
Summary
Injecting oxides of nitrogen (NOx) into the stratosphere causes complementary changes in solar absorption by nitrogen dioxide and ozone. This study analyzes the impact on the solar radiation budget.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric chemistry and physics
- Stratospheric science
- Radiative transfer
Background:
- The stratosphere is influenced by various chemical species, including nitrogen dioxide and ozone.
- Solar radiation absorption by these gases plays a crucial role in stratospheric temperature and dynamics.
- Previous studies have examined the individual effects of nitrogen oxides on atmospheric composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the coupled changes in solar absorption by nitrogen dioxide and ozone following NOx injection.
- To understand the factors driving these complementary absorption changes.
- To analyze the resulting perturbations in the solar radiation budget.
Main Methods:
- Radiative transfer modeling
- Stratospheric chemical kinetics analysis
- Perturbation analysis of solar absorption
Main Results:
- Nitrogen dioxide and ozone solar absorption changes are found to be complementary despite differing magnitudes.
- Factors influencing the complementary nature of absorption changes are identified.
- The net effect on the solar radiation budget is quantified.
Conclusions:
- NOx injections lead to complex interactions affecting solar absorption by key stratospheric gases.
- Understanding these complementary effects is vital for accurate climate modeling.
- The study provides insights into stratospheric radiative forcing from NOx perturbations.
Related Concept Videos
Mutations
Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement (NOE)
Irradiation of a spin-active nucleus causes an increase or decrease in the signal intensity of neighboring nuclei that are not necessarily chemically bonded or involved in J-coupling. This phenomenon, called the nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE), results from through-space interactions between the nuclear spins. The NOE effect decreases with increasing internuclear distance and is generally not observed beyond 4 angstroms. In NOE, dipole-dipole interactions between neighboring spin-active...
Radiation: Applications
The average temperature of Earth is the subject of much current discussion. Earth is in radiative contact with both the Sun and dark space; it receives almost all its energy from the radiation of the Sun and reflects some of it into outer space. Dark space is very cold, about 3 K, so Earth radiates energy into it. For instance, heat transfer occurs from soil and grasses, the rate of which can be so rapid that frost can occur on clear summer evenings, even in warm latitudes.
The average...
The average...
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Interference leads to systematic error in atomic absorption (AA) measurements by enhancing or diminishing the analytical signal or the background. These interferences can be grouped into three main categories: spectral interference, chemical interference, and physical interference.
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference
In atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), high-temperature atomizers excite a broad range of elements and molecules that generate complex emissions from sources such as oxides, hydroxides, and flame combustion products in the flame or plasma. Several strategies can be employed to minimize spectral interferences caused by overlapping emission lines or bands. These include increasing instrument resolution, choosing alternative emission lines, optimally placing the detector in low-background regions,...
P-N junction
A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...

