Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Local Effects Of Solid Rocket Motor Exhaust On Stratospheric Ozone Concentrations, Brian K. George

Theses and Dissertations

Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) power the initial flight of the Space Shuttle and Titan IV rocket. During those first two minutes after liftoff, the exhaust plumes from these motors emit large quantities of chlorine compounds and alumina particles into the atmosphere. For years scientists have argued that such a large chlorine input, injected directly into the stratosphere, would photochemically react with the surrounding air to cause significant ozone depletion. To answer the question of whether SRM exhaust causes a significant ozone depletion, Version 7 data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument was analyzed for the 30 days prior …