Atmospheric Ozone and Climate

Atmospheric ozone and climate research examines how the chemical composition of the stratosphere — particularly the concentration of ozone and water vapor — shapes Earth's energy balance and surface temperatures. The ozone layer absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation, but its depletion through industrial chemicals also alters stratospheric circulation patterns, most notably the Brewer-Dobson circulation, which moves air from the tropics toward the poles and redistributes heat, moisture, and trace gases across the planet. Scientists use satellite-based remote sensing instruments and chemical transport models to track how these dynamics are evolving, especially as the ozone layer slowly recovers under the Montreal Protocol. Key open questions include how changes in stratospheric water vapor feed back into surface warming, and how natural drivers like the solar cycle interact with human-caused changes to produce long-term shifts in atmospheric composition.

Works

120,903

Total citations

1,691,452

Keywords

Stratospheric Water VaporOzone DepletionTropopause LayerClimate ImpactBrewer-Dobson CirculationAtmospheric Composition