Solar Cycle Spectral Irradiance Variation and Stratospheric Ozone

Recent measurements from the SIM instrument on the SORCE satellite have been interpreted by Harder et al (Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L07801, doi:10.1029/2008GL036797, 2009) as implying a different spectral irradiance variation over the solar cycle than that put forward by Lean (Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 2425-2428, 2000). When we inserted this new wavelength dependent solar cycle variation into our 3D CCM we found a different solar cycle dependence of the ozone concentration as a function of altitude from that we derived using the traditional Lean wavelength dependence. Examination of these results led us to realize that the main issue is the solar cycle variation of radiation at wavelengths less than 240 nm versus the solar cycle variation of radiation at wavelengths between 240 nm and 300 nm. The impact of wavelengths less than 240 nm occurs through photodissociation of O2 leading to the production of ozone. The impact of wavelengths between 240 nm and 300 nm occurs through photodissociation of O3 leading to an increase in O atoms and enhanced ozone destruction. Thus one wavelength region gives an in-phase relationship of ozone with the solar cycle while the other wavelength region gives an out-of-phase relationship of ozone with the solar cycle. We have used the Goddard two-dimensional (2D) photochemistry transport model to examine this relationship in more detail. We calculate the altitude and latitude sensitivity of ozone to changes in the solar UV irradiance as a function of wavelength. These results can be used to construct the ozone response to arbitrary wavelength dependencies of solar UV variation.