Accuracy of Some Methods for Determining Photodissociation Rates in the Modeling of Stratospheric Ozone

Abstract

A simple model is used to estimate the accuracy of a number of methods for treating the solar zenith angle in determining photodissociation rates for the modeling of stratospheric ozone. The method of averaging the rates over the daylight hours is found to be most accurate, while various methods involving a constant solar angle are often found to be of low accuracy.