Ozone and rainfall - a new connection

Researchers, engineers and other scientists at Columbia University released the results of a study this month on the impact of the depletion of the ozone layer above Antarctica. The findings reflect an additioanl impact on the Earth from the damage to the ozone layer caused by human activity and the increased discharge of CFCs into the atmosphere. Most data gathered has, to date, focussed on the role of ozone in the reduction of harmful UV radiation from the Sun and consequently the increased UV exposure due to the 'hole' in this atmospheric layer. The new study used two independently drawn climate models - the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model and the United States' National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model. In four experiments comparing data on sea ice, surface temperatures, precipitation and the ozone hole, the analysis showed the hole was the main driver of heavy summer rains across eastern Australia, the southwestern Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Convergence Zone.