The possible importance of CSO for the sulfate layer of the stratosphere

Photodissociation of CSO (and possibly CS2) may provide an interesting stratospheric source of SO2 and further conversion of this SO2 to H2SO4 may contribute significantly to the non-volcanic background sulfate layer in the stratosphere. Assuming a tropospheric background volume mixing ratio of 2-3 × 10−10, as indicated by some tropospheric measurements, the input of SO2 in the stratosphere coming from the decay of CSO is estimated to be 6 × 106 - 107 molecules cm−2s−1. Little is known about the sources and sinks of CSO. It is, therefore, clear that, as a matter of caution, a possible growth of industrial releases of CSO (and CS2) into the atmosphere, e.g., from coal combustion, should be watched carefully with regard to their influence on the stratospheric aerosol layer and the earth's radiation balance.

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