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Post date: Apr 23, 2011 4:44:51 PM
Antarctic ozone hole affecting weather in tropics, new study says causing rain in the southern hemisphere
Ozone depletion in the polar region influences tropical circulation and increases rainfall at lower latitudes.
The ozone hole is a big player in the climate system
The study has important implications for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) who didn't even mention the ozone hole in their last summary for policymakers, Polvani says.
"We show in this study that it has large and far-reaching impacts. The ozone hole is a big player in the climate system!"
Ozone researcher Markus Rex, who was involved in the recent report detailing record depletion of the Arctic ozone layer, welcomed the new study.
Ozone depletion over Arctic 'unprecedented' this winter 2011
"Previous studies have noted that the ozone hole for example has led to higher wind speeds in southern latitudes increasing storm intensity," Rex, an atmospheric physicist from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, said.
"This new aspect linking the dynamical changes that far north at the subtropics and rainfall patterns is really interesting and important I think."
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/04/22/antarctic.ozone.climate.rainfall
Related:
The depletion of the ozone layer shielding Earth from damaging ultraviolet rays has reached an unprecedented low over the Arctic this spring because of harmful chemicals and a cold winter, the UN weather agency said Tuesday.
Arctic's ozone thinner by 40% Boston Globe
Ozone damage sets Arctic record BBC News
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