Influences of Antarctic Ozone Depletion on Southern Ocean Aerosols

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2022)

Studies performed in the 2000s suggested that the Antarctic ozone hole would lead to increased marine biogeochemical activity, increasing the concentration of phytoplankton-produced dimethyl sulfide, and therefore sulfate aerosol. Our analysis shows that this feedback is not significant in a range of state-of-the-art Earth System Models. However, because the ozone hole influences the summertime near-surface westerly jet, the impact of wind-driven aerosol formation has increased by up to 24% over the Southern Ocean since stratospheric ozone depletion began. The Southern Ocean is typically considered a pristine environment for aerosols, especially during summer months. Our results imply that, far from being pristine, the Southern Ocean has experienced significant human-induced change ever since Antarctic ozone depletion began.