Atmospheric Absorption – Ozone absorption maxima (UV region) At which wavelengths does ozone show its maximum absorption of incoming solar radiation?

Introduction / Context:
Ozone in the stratosphere protects life by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation. Remote sensing of ozone and radiative transfer modelling both rely on recognizing where ozone absorption bands lie in the solar spectrum.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Solar wavelengths spanning ultraviolet to visible.
• Interest in strong ozone absorption features.

Concept / Approach:
Ozone exhibits strongest absorption in the Hartley (≈200–300 nm) and Huggins (≈320–360 nm, weaker) bands. The most intense absorption is at wavelengths shorter than 0.3 μm, greatly attenuating UV-C and part of UV-B before reaching the surface.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify Hartley band: ~0.2–0.3 μm ⇒ very strong absorption.Huggins band: ~0.32–0.36 μm ⇒ weaker but notable.Therefore “shorter than 0.3 μm” captures the maximum absorption region.

Verification / Alternative check:
Surface UV indices and satellite ozone products (e.g., TCO) hinge on the strong sub-0.3 μm attenuation by stratospheric ozone.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• “Shorter than 0.2 μm only” is too restrictive.
• “Greater than 0.3 μm” misses the main absorption peak.
• “None of these” and “~1.0 μm” contradict ozone’s UV-centric absorption.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing ozone absorption with water vapour bands in NIR/SWIR or with Rayleigh scattering that also affects the UV/blue region.

Final Answer:
Shorter than 0.3 μm (UV-C/UV-B range)