Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
06:27
Measurement of Aerosols Optical Thickness of the Atmosphere using the GLOBE Handheld Sun Photometer
Published on: May 29, 2019
Observed ozone response to variations in solar ultraviolet radiation
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 20, 1984
Summary
Solar ultraviolet irradiance variations correlate with tropical ozone changes. These findings suggest significant ozone shifts in the upper stratosphere over an 11-year solar cycle, requiring further UV radiation measurements.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Science
- Solar Physics
- Ozone Layer Research
Background:
- Solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiance exhibits cyclical variations.
- Ozone concentrations in the stratosphere are influenced by solar activity.
- Previous models suggested a link between solar cycles and ozone levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between solar UV irradiance variations and tropical ozone concentrations.
- To quantify the amplitude of ozone response to solar forcing.
- To infer potential ozone changes in the upper stratosphere over longer solar cycles.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of solar ultraviolet irradiance data from the winter of 1979.
- Measurement of zonal mean ozone values in the tropics during the same period.
- Comparison of observed ozone variations with theoretical calculations.
Main Results:
- A 13.5-day periodicity and 1% amplitude variation in solar UV irradiance were observed.
- Tropical ozone values showed a corresponding variation of 0.25% to 0.60%.
- The observed ozone response aligns with, but may slightly overestimate, previous calculations.
Conclusions:
- Solar UV irradiance variations directly impact tropical ozone levels.
- Ozone at 48 km altitude could experience up to 12% changes over an 11-year solar cycle.
- Accurate interpretation of upper stratospheric ozone changes necessitates measurements of solar UV radiation near 200 nm.
Related Concept Videos
01:35Mutations
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...
01:02Ultraviolet and Visible (UV–Vis) Spectroscopy: Overview
Ultraviolet–visible (UV–visible or UV–Vis) spectroscopy is an analytical technique that investigates the interaction between matter and UV–Vis light within the electromagnetic spectrum. This method is widely used for its versatility, simplicity, and relatively quick data acquisition, making it valuable for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. When UV–Vis radiation passes through a material, molecules absorb light depending on the energy required for electronic transitions. As a result...
01:16UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions
In Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation is used to probe the electronic structure of molecules. This technique provides insights into molecular electronic transitions, particularly the movement of electrons between different molecular orbitals. Radiation is absorbed if the energy of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the molecule is precisely equal to the energy difference between the excited and ground states. During this process,...
01:32UV–Vis Spectroscopy of Conjugated Systems
Organic compounds with conjugated double bonds show strong absorption features in the UV–visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum attributed to π → π* electronic excitations. Generally, a UV–vis absorption spectrum is recorded as a plot of absorbance vs wavelength. The wavelength of maximum absorbance, which manifests as a peak in the absorption spectrum, is denoted as λmax.
One of the factors influencing λmax is the extent of conjugation in the...
One of the factors influencing λmax is the extent of conjugation in the...
03:40Hess's Law
There are two ways to determine the amount of heat involved in a chemical change: measure it experimentally, or calculate it from other experimentally determined enthalpy changes. Some reactions are difficult, if not impossible, to investigate and make accurate measurements for experimentally. And even when a reaction is not hard to perform or measure, it is convenient to be able to determine the heat involved in a reaction without having to perform an experiment.
01:30UV–Vis Spectrum
When light passes through a substance, a portion of the light is absorbed while the remaining light is reflected or transmitted. If the molecule absorbs light between the wavelengths of 180–400 nm range, the UV spectrum is obtained, and if it absorbs light in the 400–780 nm wavelength range, the visible spectrum is obtained.
The UV–Vis spectrum of a molecule is the plot of its absorbance versus wavelength. The plot is drawn by taking molar absorptivity (ε) or log ε on the y-axis (ordinate)...
The UV–Vis spectrum of a molecule is the plot of its absorbance versus wavelength. The plot is drawn by taking molar absorptivity (ε) or log ε on the y-axis (ordinate)...