Ozone profiles and chemical loss rates in the tropical stratosphere deduced from backscatter ultraviolet measurements

Analysis of data obtained by the backscatter ultraviolet (BUV) experiment on the Atmosphere Explorer E satellite has provided equatorial ozone mixing ratio profiles for equinox and solstice conditions. The combination of these results with a pure oxygen chemical model yields the rate of odd oxygen loss due to the sum of the odd hydrogen, nitrogen, and chlorine cycles. Use of recent mid-latitude stratrospheric measurements of HO/sub x/, NO/sub x/, and ClO/sub x/ with the BUV data provides an independent calculation of the catalytic loss. Below 45 km the agreement between the two sets of loss rates is satisfactory. At higher altitudes the odd hydrogen cycle provides far more O/sub x/ loss than can be tolerated by the BUV measurements if the photodissociation of O2 is the only source and has the currently accepted magnitude. The results suggest either a tropical HO/sub x/ concentration smaller than is now believed or the presence of a very large source of odd oxygen in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere