Atmospheric Ozone and Climate

Atmospheric ozone research examines how gases in the stratosphere—particularly ozone and water vapor—regulate Earth's energy budget and shield the surface from ultraviolet radiation. The Brewer-Dobson circulation, a global pattern of air movement through the upper atmosphere, controls how these gases are distributed and how quickly human-made pollutants are transported and broken down, making it central to understanding both ozone recovery under the Montreal Protocol and longer-term climate feedbacks. Scientists rely on satellite-based remote sensing instruments and chemical transport models to reconstruct past changes and project future ones, since direct measurements of the stratosphere remain sparse and technically demanding. Active areas of inquiry include how a warming climate will alter stratospheric circulation and water vapor concentrations, and how solar cycle variations interact with chemical processes in ways that are not yet fully captured by current models.

Works

120,639

Total citations

1,685,111

Keywords

Stratospheric Water VaporOzone DepletionTropopause LayerClimate ImpactBrewer-Dobson CirculationAtmospheric Composition