It is well-understood that reductions in air quality play a significant role in both environmental and human health. Interactions between ozone depletion and global climate change will significantly alter atmospheric chemistry which, in turn, will cause changes in concentrations of natural and human-made gases and aerosols. Models predict that tropospheric ozone near the surface will increase g...

Most of the short-lived biogenic and anthropogenic chemical species that are emitted into the atmosphere break down efficiently by reaction with OH and do not reach the stratosphere. Here we show the existence of a pronounced minimum in the tropospheric column of ozone over the West Pacific, the main source region for stratospheric air, and suggest a corresponding minimum of the tropospheric co...

A coupled tropospheric chemistry-climate model is used to analyze tropospheric ozone distributions observed during the MINOS campaign in the eastern Mediterranean region (August, 2001). Modeled ozone profiles are generally in good agreement with the observations. Our analysis shows that the atmospheric dynamics in the region are strongly influenced by the occurrence of an upper tropospheric ant...

The potential impact of ClOx radical complexes on polar stratospheric ozone loss processes B. Vogel, W. Feng, M. Streibel, and R. Müller Research Centre Jülich, Institute for Stratospheric Research (ICG-I), Jülich, Germany School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Potsdam, Germany European Ozone Research Coordin...

This paper describes the protective action of stratospheric ozone together with different mechanisms causing ozone depletion. Ozone absorbs UV radiation coming from the Sun. Increased UV radiation due to ozone depletion affects people, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, materials as well as air quality. Chlorofluorocarbons, halons and methyl bromide are all significant ozone depleting substanc...

Keywords: Nonextensive statistical mechanics Meta-stable states Mixing Weak chaos q-triplet Stratospheric ozone a b s t r a c t Tsallis' q-triplet [C. Tsallis, Dynamical scenario for nonextensive statistical mechanics, Physica A 340 (2004) 1–10] is the best empirical quantifier of nonextensivity. Here we study it with reference to an experimental time-series related to the daily depth-values of...

Declining levels of stratospheric ozone resulting from anthropogenic source gases is internationally recognized as one of the Earth’s most important environmental issues. In the last twenty years, global ozone trends show that concentrations are decreasing by 2-5% per decade in the middle latitudes. The societal concern is that with decreasing concentrations of ozone, the amount of the Sun’s ul...

The annual cycle of formaldehyde (HCHO) has been investigated at a remote surface-site in Antarctica. HCHO mixing-ratios during the period of stratospheric ozone depletion are significantly higher than during times of similar sunshine duration in austral autumn. This might be due to enhanced UV-B radiation.

This paper discusses key issues in the science-policy interface. It stresses the importance of linking the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity to the Millennium Development Goals and to issues of immediate concern to policy-makers such as the economy, security and human health. It briefly discusses the process of decision-making and how the scientific and policy communities have su...

BACKGROUND Stratospheric ozone is being depleted and ambient ultraviolet (UV) irradiance is probably increasing. While remedial steps have been taken through the Montreal protocols, at best it will take some 90 years for stratospheric ozone concentrations to return to the levels existing in the 1970s. METHODS The evidence that these changes may have harmful effects on health has been reviewed...