Photoabsorption cross sections necessary for calculations of the equilibrium conditions in the stratosphere fall into two distinct classes: cross sections for molecular oxygen and ozone, which control the transmission of solar radiation; cross sections for minor atmospheric species which are optically thin to solar radiation, and which are needed to calculate their rates of dissociation.The principal absorption features of molecular oxygen are absorption bands of the Schumann-Runge system between 175 and 200 nm and a weak dissociation continuun~ which extends from 175 to 260 nnl. The band structure consists of many sharp rotational lines, and it is necessary to calculate cross sections using measured band parameters. Two measurements of the line widths for these bands have obtained large line widths (-1 cm-') indicating predissociation. The agreement between the two sets of data is good for only a few I~nes. This has in~plications in the calculation of the transmission of solar radiation to the lower stratosphere. The continua have been measured by four groups. The results agree, within the respective experimental errors, near 220 nm, but disagree near 250 nm.Ozone has a continuous absorption spectrum between 175 and 300 nm with band structure above 300 nm. Four sets of data are available which agree within *2%. The cross section above 300 nni is temperature dependent. The cross sections for the minor species are in general not as well known. In nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide, band structure dominates the absorption spectrum, and cross sections have been measured at insufficient spectral resolution. Other species, such as nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen dioxide, have continua over the entire spectra range from 175 to 300 nm. Cross sections for these species have been measured; however, cross sections for many molecules, e.g., NzO;, NO,, etc., have not been studied.Ides coupes de photoabsorption ntcessaires pour les calculs des conditions d'tquilibre dans la stratosphtre se rtpartissent en deux classes distinctes: les coupes de l'oxygtne et I'ozone moltculaires qui contr6lent la transmission des radiations solaires; les coupes d'esptces atmosphtriques secondaires qui sont optiquement poreuses aux radiations solaires et qui sont ntcessaires pour le calcul cle leur vitesse cle dissociation.Les principales caracttristiques d'absorption de l'oxygbne molCculaire sont cles bandes d'absorption du systtme Schumann-Runge entre 175 et 200 nm et une faible dissociation continu qui s'ttend de 175 h 260 nm. La structure de bandes consiste en plusieurs lignes fines de rotation et il est ntcessaire de calculer les sections droites en utilisant les paramttres de bandes mesurts. Deux mesures de largeurs des lignes de ces bandes montrent d'importantes largeurs des lignes (-1 cm-') indiquant une prtdissociation. L'accord entre les deux stries de donntes est bon pour quelques lignes seulement. Ceci comporte des implications dans le calcul de la tran...