Evidence for a continuous decline in lower stratospheric ozone offsetting ozone layer recovery

Ensemble simulations of the decline and recovery of stratospheric ozone

[1] An ensemble of simulations of a coupled chemistry-climate model is completed for 1960–2100. The simulations are divided into two periods, 1960–2005 and 1990–2100. The modeled total ozone amount decrease throughout the atmosphere from the 1960s until about 2000–2005, depending on latitude. The Antarctic ozone hole develops rapidly in the model from about the late 1970s, in agreement with obs...

Climate impact of stratospheric ozone recovery

New Directions: Stratospheric ozone recovery in a changing atmosphere

About 90% of the ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere resides in the stratosphere, forming the ‘‘ozone layer’’ which shields life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. In the mid-1970s, it was recognized that anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) could deplete the ozone layer. Observations of the ozone layer indicated that depletion was occurring due to the buildup of CFCs and Halons in th...

Stratospheric ozone and health.

BACKGROUND Stratospheric ozone is being depleted and ambient ultraviolet (UV) irradiance is probably increasing. While remedial steps have been taken through the Montreal protocols, at best it will take some 90 years for stratospheric ozone concentrations to return to the levels existing in the 1970s. METHODS The evidence that these changes may have harmful effects on health has been reviewed...

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

There is now strong evidence that a consequence of human activities is the inadvertent accumulation of a variety of trace gases in the earth’s atmosphere. In the past decade, these global-scale changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere have led to a very significant depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer over Antarctica in the southern spring months and also at northern latitude...