Finding that the rate of new discoveries and theories about stratospheric ozone has slowed over the past few years, Dessler (earth system science, U. of Maryland) decided it was safe to attempt a textbook that would not be out of date before it was printed. He explains the current understanding of the physical processes that regulate stratospheric ozone, assuming knowledge of the atmosphere at the level of an advanced undergraduate in atmospheric sciences, but no specialized knowledge of chemistry or the stratosphere. A glossary explains what terms mean but not how to pronounce them. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Chemistry and Physics of Stratospheric Ozone will provide an in-depth account of chemical and physical properties of stratospheric ozone, which will be valuable to a wide audience.
The research of the last decade has produced as many arguments as answers, and the author provides a good account of both the accepted and provocative resolutions.
* Focuses on the important aspects of stratospheric ozone that are needed to understand most of the literature
* Provides extensive discussion of the natural and human-induced changes to the "ozone layer"
* Includes homework problems at the end of each chapter
