Solar UV variability and its effect on stratospheric thermal structure and trace constituents

Abstract

Observational evidence suggests the presence of solar UV variability in the spectral range 0.175 ≤ λ ≤ 0.310µ during the 11 year solar cycle. The present paper reports the results of a study using a steady‐state 1‐D radiative‐convective‐photochemical model conducted to determine the response of stratospheric temperatures and O 3 , O(¹D), O(³P), and N 2 O constituent distributions to UV variability. Results show that concentrations of constituents and the thermal structure may be altered significantly for the altitude interval between 20 and 55 km.