Ozone Hole is Major Contributor to Climate Change
By Carly Fiske
April 22, 2011 11:35 AM
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The ozone hole over the South Pole is leading to climate change effects all the way to the equator, according to new study.
Scientists from Columbia University found that the ozone hole has created more rainfall in the Southern equator and changes in tropical circulation there. Previous scientific work had found that the ozone hole changes high-latitude atmospheric flow.
Sarah Kang, lead author, indicated that the discovery was significant finding in understanding climate change.
"It's really amazing that the ozone hole, located so high up in the atmosphere over Antarctica, can have an impact all the way to the tropics and affect rainfall there -- it's just like a domino effect," she said.
The ozone hole has been linked to use of aerosols that contain chlorofluorocarbons, known to quickly break down the ozone layer. The hole has been located above the Antarctic ozone layer.
Since the 1989 Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to halt chlorofluorocarbon production, the ozone break down has slowed down significantly.
sbraza/iligan
April 22, 2011 11:35 AM
Click to Enlarge
The ozone hole over the South Pole is leading to climate change effects all the way to the equator, according to new study.
Scientists from Columbia University found that the ozone hole has created more rainfall in the Southern equator and changes in tropical circulation there. Previous scientific work had found that the ozone hole changes high-latitude atmospheric flow.
Sarah Kang, lead author, indicated that the discovery was significant finding in understanding climate change.
"It's really amazing that the ozone hole, located so high up in the atmosphere over Antarctica, can have an impact all the way to the tropics and affect rainfall there -- it's just like a domino effect," she said.
The ozone hole has been linked to use of aerosols that contain chlorofluorocarbons, known to quickly break down the ozone layer. The hole has been located above the Antarctic ozone layer.
Since the 1989 Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to halt chlorofluorocarbon production, the ozone break down has slowed down significantly.
sbraza/iligan
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