UV Data Record Release 1, daily maximum ozone photolysis rate constant - Multimission

This product gives the daily maximum value for the photolysis rate constant of the important tropospheric photolysis reaction O3->O(1D)+O2 near the Earth's surface. The reaction of the exited oxygen atom thus formed with water vapour is the main source of tropospheric hydroxyl radical, the most important oxidizer controlling the cleansing capacity of the atmosphere. The solar spectral actinic flux near the Earth's surface at a given location and time of day is multiplied by quantum yield of the reaction and ozone absorption cross section, and the photolysis rate constant is obtained upon integration over wavelength. The rate constants are calculated half-hourly intervals during the sunlit part of the day and the maximum value is reported. Input total column ozone data are obtained from GOME-2/Metop measurements while daily cloud data are collected from multiple overpasses of AVHRR/3 instrument onboard both Metop and NOAA satellites.