A Correlated‐K Parameterization for O₂ Photolysis in the Schumann‐Runge Bands

AbstractA recent study comparing ozone column depths and methane lifetimes at varied atmospheric O2 (pO2) levels calculated in the Kasting‐group 1‐D photochemical model and the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model version 6 (WACCM6) 3‐D model (Ji, Kasting, et al., 2023; https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230056) has exposed weaknesses in both models in parameterizing photolysis in the O2 Schumann‐Runge bands, 175–205 nm. WACCM6 does a good job for Earth's present atmosphere but neglects scattering, which becomes important at low pO2. The 1‐D model includes scattering but is based on an out‐of‐date band model, and it neglects the temperature dependence of photolysis at low pO2. We have revised and improved the 1‐D photochemical model by replacing the old O2 photolysis algorithm with a new correlated‐k parameterization, which improves accuracy for all O2 levels and all temperature profiles. The WACCM6 parameterization was also included in the 1‐D model for comparative purposes. The correlated‐k and WACCM6 photolysis algorithms agree well for both the present atmosphere and for an atmosphere containing 10−3 times the present O2 level, but only if multiple scattering is included at low pO2. The correlated‐k parameterization will be made available to photochemical modeling groups who might choose to adopt it.