Role of stratospheric ozone in the zonal and seasonal radiative energy balance of the Earth-troposphere system

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · J. Atmos. Sci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6099286

Ramanathan, V; Dickinson, R E

The role of ozone in the tropospheric-surface energy balance is discussed in the context of its latitudinally and seasonally varying modulation of solar and longwave energy fluxes. We analyze in detail the various radiative energy inputs to the stratosphere and the radiative fluxes from the stratosphere to the troposphere. We confirm the result of past analyses that, for a uniform change in ozone, the global average perturbation in radiative fluxes to the troposphere and surface is small since the perturbations in solar and infrared fluxes nearly cancel. However, this result probably severely underestimates the contribution of changes in the distribution of ozone to global climate. It is difficult to evaluate the changes in tropospheric radiation needed to determine a change of climate due to a change of O/sub 3/. Not even the net global average perturbation radiative fluxes to the troposphere can be calculated without knowing the change of the vertical ozone profile, and the vertical and latitudinal variations of the troposphere-surface perturbation heating rates are likely to be more important for climate change than the net global values.

• Research Organization: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80307
• OSTI ID: 6099286
• Journal Information: J. Atmos. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Atmos. Sci.; (United States) Vol. 36:6; ISSN JAHSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500100* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ENERGY BALANCE
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS
LATITUDE EFFECT
OZONE
RADIATION FLUX
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
STRATOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
VARIATIONS