Effects of Ozone Depletion Found in Tropics

(University of Bern, June 13, 2017)

A study by climate researchers in Bern has now shown that the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica even affects precipitation in the tropical regions of the Pacific, 10 000 kilometers away. Simulations with a range of different climate models and statistical analyses of observed data from the past 60 years show that the hole in the ozone layer causes a ridge to the east of New Zealand. From that point, a wavy circulation pattern extends over the South Pacific and causes an increase in precipitation in the heart of the South Pacific Convergence Zone, one of the most intense rain belts on earth. The study shows that ozone depletion was in the past a key driver of climate change in the tropical regions of the Pacific, and in the same way, the recovery of the ozone layer will also affect the climate in the future.