According to new research from NASA scientists and John Hopkins University, greenhouse gases are changing the dynamics of the atmosphere relative to the ozone layer. Remember when depleting the ozone layer was an issue? Aerosol cans and refrigerants were responsible and until the ingredients in these products were changed consumers switched to pump spray bottles that are still around today and a good idea.
According to the article by ENS on sundancechannel.com, “Greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere as high as 6 miles up, but it cools the upper stratosphere from 18 to 31 miles up. This cooling slows the chemical reactions that deplete ozone in the upper stratosphere and allows natural ozone production there to outpace destruction by refrigerants and other ozone depleters.” But scientists found “accumulation of greenhouse gases also changes the circulation of stratospheric air masses from the tropics to the poles.” Again, global warming isn’t just about one process. Over and over again, global warming affects multiple events in the atmosphere depending on location.
Scientists fear the middle latitudes will over-recover ozone to even greater concentrations than before when it posed a real problem, while in the tropics, stratospheric circulation changes could prevent the ozone layer from recovering at all.
Read more:
http://www.sundancechannel.com/sunfiltered/2009/04/climate-change-complicates-ozone-recovery/