The influence of the 9.6 micron ozone band on the atmospheric infra‐red cooling rate

The upward and downward radiation flux and the heating and cooling rate in the atmosphere have been determined for the 9.6 μ band of ozone from the absorption measurements of Summerfield. Three different ozone distribution curves as well as three different temperature‐height curves have been used for these calculations. The radiations that interact with the 9.6 μ ozone band always act to cool the atmosphere from the earth's surface to a height of several kilometres and to heat the region from there to approximately 20 km. The heating or cooling rate is never larger than a few tenths of a degree Celsius per day in this region. On the other hand, from 35 to 60 km the usual order of magnitude of the cooling is 2 to 3°C/day, but the cooling rate can be considerably larger if the upper layers have a higher temperature than normal. An increase in the ozone amount at the lower altitudes may cause the surface temperature of the earth to rise several degrees Celsius in order to restore infra‐red equilibrium, if no other factors change that produce an effect upon the heat balance. The pressure broadening and overlapping of the spectral lines have been taken into account in these calculations together with all other physical phenomena that are known to be of importance to the problem. An estimate is given for the accuracy of the results.