A REEXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF SOLAR HEATING IN THE O-2 ATMOSPHERIC AND INFRARED ATMOSPHERIC BANDS

The role of heating due to absorption of solar radiation by molecular oxygen (O-2) in the A, B, and gamma atmospheric bands and in the infra red atmospheric band is reviewed. Prior studies have demonstrated the importance of heating by these O-2 bands in the vicinity of the tropop ause. In the middle mesosphere, the heating associated with O-2 atmosp heric bands is shown to rival that of the numerous individual solar an d chemical heat sources. We show that heating in the O-2 atmospheric b ands increases the total diabatic (i.e., solar plus exothermic chemica l reaction) heating by 5 to 15 percent between 60 and 80 km.