"Strong summer thunderstorms that pump water high into the upper atmosphere pose a threat to the protective ozone layer over the United States, researchers said on Thursday, drawing one of the first links between climate change and ozone loss over populated areas."
"In a study published online by the journal Science, Harvard University scientists reported that some storms send water vapor miles into the stratosphere — which is normally drier than a desert — and showed how such events could rapidly set off ozone-destroying reactions with chemicals that remain in the atmosphere from CFCs, refrigerant gases that are now banned.
The risk of ozone damage, scientists said, could increase if global warming leads to more such storms.
'It’s the union between ozone loss and climate change that is really at the heart of this,' said James G. Anderson, an atmospheric scientist and the lead author of the study."
Henry Fountain reports for the New York Times July 26, 2012.
SEE ALSO:
"How Summer Thunderstorms Could Be Punching New Holes in the Ozone Layer (+Video)" (Christian Science Monitor)
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