382 MACHTA the mean residence time on the assumption that the loss is due to transfer into the troposphere. Finally, a less reliable technique, but one which is independent of stratospheric inventories, compares the observed deposition during two successive years. The decrease in the annual fallout amount suffices to fix both the mean residence time and the stratospheric content with an assumption of an exact exponential decrease in the stratospheric burden with time. This last procedure has provided anomalous results in he period 1960 and 1961 (but before the resumption of tests) when the annual fallout rate during the second year was equal to or greater thanthefirstyear. As already noted, the amount of ‘Rh increased between the first and second yearof fallout, giving rise to a negative mean residence time. Some of the deficiencies of the simple exponential model may be corrected by several empirical procedures that can incorporate fallout experience and some meteorological thinking. The first attempts to do this were made by Machta,” as illustrated in Fig. 8 to 11. In Fig. 8 the Stratosphere is subdivided into a series of boxes, each representing a characteristic removal rate. It is argued that empirical knowledge can- not justify further subdivision at this time. The time history of the lower equatorial and the lower northern-hemisphere polar stratosphere appear in Fig. 9. The vertical bars delineate the spring seasons during which the maximum fallout rates are expected. It may be noted that a much greater fraction exits from the stratosphere in the first year 200 rf o iL u 120 o “ | | 3 80 x LOWER POLAR oltt | 90PN 60°N tf | UPPER EQUATORIAL | ' A < | t ~—_—UPPER POLAR 9 Z | A | | 30°N { l UPPER POLAR | B | t| A LOWER EQUATORIA (eR EQUATORIAL | B | iis A MEAN TROPOPAUSE | of of o LATITUDE — ft LOWER POLAR ft ft 30°S jt ft tt 60°S 90°S Fig. 8—Schematic subdivision of stratosphere into regions having characteristic removal rates.