STRATOSPHERIC OZONE, UV AND CLIMATE CHANGE

G.R. Casale and A.M. Siani

University of Rome "La Sapienza", Physics dept.

ABSTRACT

The interest of scientific and political communities in view of the potentially impact on climate and biosphere due to the human activity has been intensively increased in the recent years. Evident examples are shown by the global mean temperature as consequence of an increasing load of greenhouse gases in atmosphere and the ozone depletion caused primarily by the chlorine compounds, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Despite the small amount of ozone respect to the other atmospheric components, it plays a crucial role for terrestrial ecosystem as it absorbs strongly UV radiation and furthermore, controlling the thermal structure of the stratosphere together with the carbon dioxide, it affects the climate of the Earth.