Calculating the O3 Instantaneous Longwave Radiative Impact from Satellite Observations

Abstract

Ozone is a key atmospheric substance for both chemistry and climate. Being a secondary species, its concentration is controlled by a number of different factors, such as precursors’ emission, sunlight and oxidizing agents. Its impact on atmospheric chemistry and radiative balance differs with altitude: in the lower troposphere ozone acts as a toxic pollutant, in the upper troposphere as a greenhouse gas (GHG) and finally in the stratosphere as a protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Ozone is in general a radiatively active gas for both solar (shortwave, SW) and terrestrial (longwave, LW) radiation [14], therefore it’s very important to acquire and understand its radiative impact for climate related studies.