Atmospheric ozone-A short review

Abstract

An increased number of measurements of the vertical ozone distribution provides an explanation for the discrepancy between observed and theoretical patterns of total ozone and suggests a certain circulation mechanism to be responsible for the seasonal ozone cycle. Inclusion of ozone as a tracer in general circulation models promises to yield more quantitative results in this respect. Such tracer studies are also important in testing the validity of numerical models. However, difficulties with the photochemical theory of ozone (uncertainties about the quantitative influence of reactions with hydrogen-containing radicals) at present endanger the effectiveness of such methods.