Increases in CO/sub 2/ and chlorofluoromethanes: coupled effects on stratospheric ozone

Conference · Mon Aug 18 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5046084

Penner, J E

The magnitude of the chlorofluoromethane (CFM) induced depletion of the ozone layer is considered a key problem in atmospheric research. The historical rise in the atmospheric concentrations of CFCl/sub 3/, and CF/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/, the major CFM species, is well documented. Atmospheric CO/sub 2/ has also been increasing. Instead of depleting O/sub 3/, the expected effect of CO/sub 2/ is to increase its concentration. The simultaneous effects of these perturbations were studied. Results indicate that increases in CO/sub 2/ can significantly alter the predicted ozone trend. This will complicate efforts to detect the trend in O/sub 3/ caused by increases in CFM's. Since the calculated effects of these perturbations are largest at high altitudes, one might expect to detect changes in high altitude O/sub 3/ sooner than those in total O/sub 3/. Therefore a comparison was made between the calculated change in O/sub 3/ at high altitude and statistical detection limits for abnormal change as developed from Umkehr data from Arosa, Switzerland. Its significance for trend detection is discussed. Finally, since CO/sub 2/ effects will be important in the next 50 to 100 years, the effects of temperature changes from CO/sub 2/ increase on O/sub 3/ loss rates from different families were examined. Significant changes in the NO/sub x/-catalyzed ozone loss rates that have not previously been discussed were found. It is concluded that the O/sub 3/ decrease at steady state from the coupled CFM and CO/sub 2/ perturbation is larger than the decrease calculated by summing the separate effects of these perturbations. The expected increase in CO/sub 2/ can significantly affect predicted O/sub 3/ trends in the next 50 to 100 years. O/sub 3/ changes in Umkehr level 7 are more detectible, in a statistical sense, than those at higher levels. The temperature effect of CO/sub 2/ on the NO/sub x-catalyzed O/sub 3/ destruction rate was found to be as large or larger than the effect of temperature on the pure oxygen loss rate.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5046084
• Report Number(s): UCRL-84058; CONF-800869-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500100* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALTITUDE
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CATALYSIS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLUORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
FORECASTING
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
KINETICS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDANTS
REACTION KINETICS
STRATOSPHERE
SYNERGISM
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS