Why is the Antarctic lower Stratosphere getting colder?
According to the met office site below the cause of temperature variation and the effect on the stratosphere can be explained as follows: “This can be due to a variety of reasons many of which are natural and not connected with ozone depletion arising from human activities. For example, in the lower atmosphere persistent anticyclonic conditions commonly lead to a reduction in ozone concentrations at heights between 8 and 12 km. This can lead to a significant decrease in the total ozone. In the lower stratosphere the passage of a cold trough is often associated with a temporary reduction in total ozone. Vertical movements associated with the trough tend to bring in air which has relatively low ozone concentrations and so total ozone is reduced.” So it can be seen that it is the temperature which affects the ozone not the ozone that affects the temperature. http://www.metoffice.gov.
