ESS101C
Prof.
Jin-Yi Yu
Other Ozone Destruction Processes
qOther atmospheric trace
constituents, such as nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapor, and freons, can also be
photolyzed. They produce highly reactive radicals that keep ozone abundances lower than
they would otherwise be.
qThese radicals include: nitric
oxide (NO), atomic chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br) radicals, and hydroxyl (OH)
radicals.
qThese radicals can destroy
stratospheric ozone through “catalytic cycles”.
qA catalytic cycle is a set of
chemical reactions facilitated by the presence of a catalyst.
qA catalyst is a substance that
increases the rate of a chemical reaction but is itself unchanged by the
reaction.
