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Science Rendezvous > 2009 Posters
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The impact of stratospheric ozone hole recovery on Antarctic climate

Perlwitz J., S. Pawson, R. Fogt, J. E. Nielsen, and W. Neff

Model experiments have revealed that stratospheric polar ozone depletion causes the increase of tropospheric westerlies in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) observed during austral summer. As the stratospheric halogen loading decreases in the future, ozone is expected to return to higher values, with the disappearance of the Antarctic ozone hole. The impact of this ozone recovery on SH climate is investigated using 21st century simulations with a chemistry climate model (CCM). The model response to the ozone recovery by 2100 shows that tropospheric circulationchanges during austral summer caused by ozone depletion between 1970 and 2000 almost reverse, despite increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. Comparison of the CCM results with multi-model scenario experiments for the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasize the importance of stratospheric ozone change for Antarctic climate.