Apr 22, 2011 08:01 GMT  ·  By
From September 21-30, 2006 the average area of the ozone hole was the largest ever observed, at 10.6 million square miles
   From September 21-30, 2006 the average area of the ozone hole was the largest ever observed, at 10.6 million square miles

The famous hole that exists in the ozone layer above Antarctica is apparently influencing the patterns of tropical rainfall, shifting these atmospheric phenomena ever-southwards. The correlation appears especially true in the southern hemisphere.

At this point, massive rainfalls are beginning to affect the eastern parts of Australia, as well as the southwestern portion of the Indian Ocean, which is something that did not happen before.

According to investigators in a new study, the connection between the lack of ozone and the changing atmospheric patterns took a while to figure out. But the link proved to be causal, and not indirect, circumstantial, or impossible to detect except by using statistics.

Details of the new research appear online, in the April 21 issue of the top journal Science. Figuring out complex interactions such as this one is the key towards developing more advanced computer models.

These can then be used to simulate what will happen to our planet's climate patterns as temperatures are increased, glaciers and ice caps are melting, and sea levels are rising. Having those data will make us more prepared to brave the effects of climate change.

“People thought that the ozone hole, located so high up in the atmosphere over Antarctica, wouldn’t be able to affect climate over low latitudes. But it’s like a domino effect,” explains expert Sarah Kang.

The researcher, who holds an appointment as a postdoctoral fellow with the Columbia University School of Engineering, in New York, was also the lead author of the paper, Science News reports.

According to scientists, the hole in the ozone layer developed as a direct result of the excessive use of chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). These molecules can destroy ozone, which lies between 10 and 50 kilometers above the planet's surface.

The signing of the 1989 Montreal Protocol saw these chemicals being phased out around the world. Now, experts are beginning to see the effects. Every year, the ozone layer recovers some more.

Experts estimate that the entire hole will disappear by around 2050, if the CFC ban remains in place. If this formation was the only thing that causes the shift in tropical rainfall patterns, then we could expect the latter to return to normal within the next decades.