Health

Ozone may be warming the planet more than we realize: Study


The deep and rapid warming in the Southern Ocean influences its role as one of the main regions for absorbing excess heat as the planet warms.

Much of this warming is the result of increased ozone in the lower atmosphere. Ozone – one of the main components of smog – is inherently dangerous as a pollutant, but research suggests it could also play an important role in driving climate change in the years to come.

Dr Michaela Hegglin, an Associate Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and one of the study’s authors, said: “Ozone near the Earth’s surface is harmful to humans and the environment, but this study reveals it also has a major impact on the ocean’s ability to absorb excess heat from the atmosphere.”

“These findings are eye-opening and confirm the importance of regulating air pollution to prevent a further increase in ozone levels and global temperatures from continuing to rise.”

New research by an international team of scientists, led by the University of California Riverside, is published in Nature Climate change.

The team used models to simulate changes in ozone levels in the upper and lower atmosphere between 1955 and 2000, to isolate them from other influences and enhance existing understanding. poor in their impact on heat absorption in the Southern Ocean.

These simulations show that a decrease in ozone in the upper layer and an increase in the lower layer both contribute to warming 2 km above the sea at high latitudes due to increased total greenhouse gas emissions.

They revealed that increased ozone in the lower atmosphere caused 60% of all ozone-induced warming in the Southern Ocean during the period studied – far more than previously thought. This is surprising since the rise in tropospheric ozone is mainly considered a forced climate phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere because that is where the main pollution occurs.

Ozone made headlines in the 1980s when a hole was discovered in the ozone layer high in the Antarctic atmosphere, due to damage caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a gas used in industry and consumer products.

The ozone layer is important because it filters out dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the Earth’s surface. This discovery led to the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to stop the production of CFCs.

Dr. Hegglin says: “We’ve known for a long time that high-level ozone depletion in the atmosphere has affected surface climates in the Southern Hemisphere. Our study has shown that ozone is increased in the lower layers of the atmosphere as a result of air pollution. , which mainly occurs in the Northern Hemisphere and ‘leaks’ into the Southern Hemisphere, is also a serious problem.”

“There is hope for solutions, and the success of the Montreal Protocol in reducing CFC use shows that international action is possible to prevent damage to the planet.”

Ozone is created in the upper atmosphere by the interaction between oxygen molecules and UV radiation from the sun. In the lower atmosphere, it forms as a result of chemical reactions between pollutants such as vehicle exhaust fumes and other emissions.

Changes in atmospheric ozone affect westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere as well as cause contrasting levels of salt and near-surface temperatures in the Southern Ocean. Both affect ocean currents in different ways, thus affecting the absorption of heat by the ocean.

Source: Eurekalert



Source link

news7h

News7h: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button