Does Ozone Depletion Cause Climate Change?
Ozone depletion and climate change are linked in a number of ways, but ozone depletion is not a major cause of climate change. Atmospheric ozone has two effects on the temperature balance of the Earth. It absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation, which heats the stratosphere. It also absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, effectively trapping heat in the troposphere. Therefore, the climate impact of changes in ozone concentrations varies with the altitude at which these ozone changes occur. The major ozone losses that have been observed in the lower stratosphere due to the human-produced chlorine- and bromine-containing gases have a cooling effect on the Earth’s surface. On the other hand, the ozone increases that are estimated to have occurred in the troposphere because of surface-pollution gases have a warming effect on the Earth’s surface, thereby contributing to the “greenhouse” effect. In comparison to the effects of changes in other atmospheric gases, the effects o
