Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1552
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1552
06 Jun 2024
 | 06 Jun 2024

Protection without poison: Why tropical ozone maximizes in the interior of the atmosphere

Aaron Match, Edwin P. Gerber, and Stephan Fueglistaler

Abstract. Ozone is the most significant radiatively-active gas whose number density maximizes in the interior of the atmosphere, at an altitude of around 26 km in the tropics. Textbook explanations for this interior maximum begin by invoking the Chapman Cycle, a photochemical system that reproduces the altitude of maximum ozone despite omitting leading-order sinks from catalytic cycles and transport. Yet, these textbook explanations subsequently fragment into (1) a source-controlled paradigm, explaining ozone to maximize where its production rate maximizes, between abundant photons aloft and abundant O2 below, and (2) a source/sink competition paradigm explaining ozone to maximize due to competition between the photolytic source and photolytic sink. Augmenting the Chapman Cycle with destruction by generalized catalytic cycles and transport, we demonstrate that these paradigms correspond to different regimes of ozone destruction, distinguished by whether photolysis of O3 contributes at leading order to the sink. The tropical stratosphere is estimated to occupy a photolytic sink regime above 26 km and a non-photolytic sink regime below. Paradoxically, each paradigm predicts ozone to maximize outside its altitude range of applicability, motivating a new explanation, the regime transition paradigm: the interior maximum of ozone occurs at the transition from the photolytic sink regime aloft to the non-photolytic sink regime below. An explicit solution is derived for ozone under gray radiation, which produces an interior maximum at an endogenously-determined regime transition, and elucidates the ozone response to top-of-atmosphere UV perturbations.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Aaron Match, Edwin P. Gerber, and Stephan Fueglistaler

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1552', Kris Wargan, 07 Jul 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1552', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Sep 2024
  • AC1: 'Response to reviewers for egusphere-2024-1552', Aaron Match, 21 Oct 2024

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1552', Kris Wargan, 07 Jul 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1552', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Sep 2024
  • AC1: 'Response to reviewers for egusphere-2024-1552', Aaron Match, 21 Oct 2024
Aaron Match, Edwin P. Gerber, and Stephan Fueglistaler

Model code and software

Chapman Cycle Photochemical Equilibrium Solver Aaron Match https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11264170

Aaron Match, Edwin P. Gerber, and Stephan Fueglistaler

Viewed

Total article views: 503 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
371 89 43 503 19 15
  • HTML: 371
  • PDF: 89
  • XML: 43
  • Total: 503
  • BibTeX: 19
  • EndNote: 15
Views and downloads (calculated since 06 Jun 2024)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 06 Jun 2024)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 495 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 495 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Latest update: 06 Dec 2024
Download
Short summary
Explanations for the tropical ozone maximum at 26 km have fragmented into two paradigms, shown to represent limiting regimes of ozone photochemistry with production by UV and generalized destruction by catalytic cycles and transport. Paradoxically, neither paradigm explains the observed ozone peak, motivating a new theory: peak ozone occurs precisely at the transition between these regimes. An idealized analytical ozone profile is derived, helping to interpret sensitivities to UV perturbations.