Creating knowledge from the confrontation of observations and models: The case of stratospheric ozone

Abstract

Through three examples taken from the history of ozone research, this paper illustrates that knowledge has been created by using simultaneously different approaches and methodologies, and by confronting the information resulting from laboratory studies, observational programs and modeling activities. New knowledge on chemical and dynamical processes in the atmosphere has been produced from detailed studies of the vertical and meridional ozone distributions in the stratosphere, and from investigations on the cause of the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole.