The ozone layer might deplete further if emission of greenhouse gases continue to increase at the same pace affecting the tropical region including several parts Asia, a top scientist said today.
Gufran Beig, a senior scientist with Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, said until now higher and lower lattitude regions were mostly affected by the depletion of ozone, but the trend may change by the end of the century if emissions continue at the same pace and affect the tropics. India falls under tropical region.
Beig's remarks come after a UN report stated that the depleting ozone layer is well on track to recovery in the next few decades because of "concerted international action".
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He was part of the UN Enviornment Programme and World Meterological Organisation which prepared the report that also said that CO2, Nitrous Oxide and Methane will have an increasing influence on the ozone layer.
"Based on model projections, we feel that the advantage gained in ozone recovery may be reduced by the end of this century due to increase in greenhouse gases viz carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide if business as usual scenario of climate change continues," Beig said.
The stratospheric ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
"What happens to the ozone layer in the second half of the 21st century will largely depend on concentrations of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide - the three main long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Overall, CO2 and methane tend to increase global ozone levels.
"By contrast, nitrous oxide, a by-product of food production, is both a powerful greenhouse gas and an ozone depleting gas, and is likely to become more important in future ozone depletion," the report said.
However, all this will have an impact on the tropics because of the air pattern and deplete the ozone endangering the region.
"Particularly in tropics, circulation changes due to climate change are going to be most significant due to Hadley Cell circulation and will help in future ozone depletion which is going to be a challenge for tropical countries by the end of this century if global climate change continue to go unabated," Beig said.
