The closing down of Antarctic ozone hole in the second half of this century will spell trouble for the rest of the globe, a recent study led by scientists from Columbia University has hinted. Countries like India could be especially vulnerable. The closing of the hole will intensify climate change near the equator. The finding is in contrast to the observations made by the report of the Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Earth’s ozone layer is in the lower stratosphere, which is just above the troposphere (from the planet’s surface to a height of about 12 km). It absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Studies in the past few years found that ozone depletion has largely halted and is expected to completely reverse. As a consequence, the climate in the southern hemisphere may change, affecting climate elsewhere.The IPCC models predict that this effect will continue, albeit at a slower pace. In contrast, the latest study predicts that, as a consequence of ozone recovery — a factor largely ignored by the IPCC models — the tropospheric winds in the southern hemisphere may actually decelerate in the high latitudes and move toward the equator, potentially reversing the direction of climate change in that hemisphere. The effects will be felt the most by countries close to the equator. India, naturally, could be affect
