O2(1Δ) in the Atmosphere

The presence of large amounts of O2 excited to the α1Δg state was first shown by Vallance Jones and Harrison (1958) who detected the 0-1 band of the IR atmospheric system in the evening twilight. However, since that time the IR atmospheric emissions have been extensively studied using ground based, airborne, and rocket techniques, and have provided significant new information relating to the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere. In the present paper these measurements and the mechanisms responsible for the formation of O2(1Δ) in the atmosphere are considered.