A program of research in environmental modeling

Abstract

A theoretical framework for the interpretation of satellite measurements of stratospheric temperature and trace gases is provided. This problem is quite complicated since the distributions of trace gases are dependent on dynamics and photochemistry. Therefore, the problem was attacked with models employing varying degrees of photochemical and dynamical complexity. The relationship between dynamics and trace gas transport and wave transience, dissipation and critical levels and the net (permanent) transport of trace gases, the role of photochemistry in trace gas transport, photochemistry and dynamics and altering the mean-zonal distribution of stratospheric ozone, and approximations to simplify the interpretation of observations and General Circulation Models are discussed.