Copy of `University of Cambridge - Environmental glossary`

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University of Cambridge - Environmental glossary Category: Earth and Environment > Ozone hole Date & country: 11/12/2007, UK Words: 22

Antarctic
The South Polar region.

Arctic
The North Polar region.

Chapman reactions
So called after S. Chapman who is famous for his paper 'A theory of upper-atmosphere ozone, Mem. Roy. Meteorol. Soc.' in 1930 which set out the first theoretical explanation of the ozone layer in the stratosphere.

ChloroFluroCarbons (CFC's)
A common industrial product, used in refrigeration systems, air conditioners, aerosols, solvents and in the production of some types of packaging. Although chemically inert in the lower atmosphere (troposphere), they are taken to very high altitudes where they are broken down into their components by the stronger sunlight (UV) at these altitudes. I…

Dobson Unit
The unit of `Column (or Total) Ozone' - the amount of ozone directly above a point on the Earth's surface. More Information.

EASOE
European Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Experiment. A major European campaign, during winter 1991/92. More information. See also SESAME.

Exosphere
The layer of the atmosphere lying above 400 km altitude. More Information.

Halocarbons
A class of halide (i.e. containing Chlorine, Bromine or Iodine) compounds, including CFC's. These can break down to form various ozone-depleting radicals.

Mesosphere
The layer of the atmosphere lying between 50 - 100 km altitude. More Information.

Montreal Protocol
The crucial first step in limiting further damage to the ozone layer in the stratosphere. The Montreal Protocol was a convention signed in 1987 by many countries to greatly reduce the production and use of CFCs which had been shown to be responsible for damage to the ozone layer. Since 1987, further amendments to the protocol have imposed even grea…

Ozone
A naturally occuring trace gas, chemical formula O3. In the stratosphere, it serves to absorb many harmful solar UV rays. More Information.

Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSC's)
The medium in which reservior chlorine comounds are converted into ozone-destroying chlorine radicals. They are clouds of ice/water particles, typically found at frost point in the stratosphere. More Information.

Polar Vortex
A distinct column of cold air contained over the poles (esp. South) by meterological effects. Develops during the polar winter when the polar regions are in polar night (sunlight does not reach the poles). Wind speeds around the vortex may reach 100 metres per second. The vortex establishes itself in the middle to lower stratosphere. It's important…

Potential Temperature
The temperature that a dry air parcel would have if transported adiabatically from its ambient temperature and pressure to a pressure of 1000 mb (millibars).

Potential Vorticity
The vorticity (curl of the wind field) that an air parcel would have if moved to a reference latitude and altitude. The entire dynamical behaviour of the atmosphere can be obtained from the knowledge of the entire PV field at all altitudes.

Reservoir species
The reservoir species are those that hold ozone destroying chemicals in inactive forms. For example, HCl and ClONO2, are reservoir species for chlorine. BrCl and BrONO2 are reservoir species for bromine (Br). The reservoir species are important because their concentration tells us how many chlorine atoms are potentially available to destroy ozone i…

SESAME
Second European Stratospheric Arctic and Mid-latitude Experiment. A major European campaign, during 1994 and 1995. More information. See also EASOE.

Stratosphere
The layer of the atmosphere lying between 10 - 50 km altitude. More Information.

Thermosphere
The layer of the atmosphere lying between 100 - 400 km altitude. More information here.

THESEO
Third European Stratospheric Experiment on Ozone. See also SESAME and EASOE. THESEO runs from 1997-1999. More information can be found on the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit website.

Tropopause
The narrow region separating the troposphere and the stratosphere. More information here..

Troposphere
The layer of the atmosphere lying below 10 km altitude. More information here.