Modeling evidence that ozone depletion has impacted extreme precipitation in the austral summer

Abstract

The impacts of stratospheric ozone depletion on the extremes of daily precipitation in the austral summer are explored using two global climate models. Both models indicate that stratospheric ozone losses since the late 1970s may have increased the frequency and intensity of very heavy precipitation in austral summer over southern high and subtropical latitudes, and may have decreased the frequency and intensity over southern midlatitudes. This hemispheric wide pattern of extreme precipitation response projects strongly onto a previously identified pattern of seasonal mean precipitation response, both of which are shown to be likely of dynamic rather than thermodynamic origin. Key Points: Ozone depletion has an impact on extreme rainfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Ozone depletion induced extreme rainfall change has a geographical pattern. The extreme rainfall changes caused by ozone depletion is of dynamic origin.