Photochemistry

Ozone depletion

Nitrogen dioxide

Formaldehyde

Geology

Physics

Stratosphere

Organic chemistry

Atmospheric chemistry

Environmental chemistry

Environmental science

Smoke

Astrobiology

Chemistry

Atmospheric sciences

Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer

Chlorine

Ozone

Ozone layer

Science

Large wildfires inject smoke and biomass-burning products into the mid-latitude stratosphere, where they destroy ozone, which protects us from ultraviolet radiation. The infrared spectrometer on the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment satellite measured the spectra of smoke particles from the “Black Summer” fires in Australia in late 2019 and early 2020, revealing that they contain oxygenated organic functional groups and water adsorption on the surfaces. These injected smoke particles have produced unexpected and extreme perturbations in stratospheric gases beyond any seen in the previous 15 years of measurements, including increases in formaldehyde, chlorine nitrate, chlorine monoxide, and hypochlorous acid and decreases in ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and hydrochloric acid. These perturbations in stratospheric composition have the potential to affect ozone chemistry in unexpected ways.

Wildfire smoke destroys stratospheric ozone