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Ozone Depletion, UVB and Atmospheric ChemistryThe primary constituents of the Earth's atmosphere are molecular nitrogen and molecular oxygen. Ozone is created when ultraviolet light from the sun photodissociates molecular oxygen into two oxygen atoms. The oxygen atoms undergo many collisions but eventually combine with a molecular oxygen to form ozone (O3). The ozone molecules absorb ultraviolet solar radiation, primarily in the wavelength region between 200 and 300 nanometers, resulting in the dissociation of ozone back into atomic oxygen and molecular oxygen. The oxygen atom reattaches to an O2 molecule, reforming ozone which can then absorb another ultraviolet photon. This sequence goes back and forth between atomic oxygen and ozone, each time absorbing a uv photon, until the oxygen atom collides with and ozone molecule to reform two oxygen molecules.
Document ID
19990064062
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Stolarski, Richard S.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
July 20, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: NASA Scientific Forum on Climate Variability and Global Change: UNISPACE 3
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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