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Ozone depletion by hydrofluorocarbons
Author(s) -
Hurwitz Margaret M.,
Fleming Eric L.,
Newman Paul A.,
Li Feng,
Mlawer Eli,
CadyPereira Karen,
Bailey Roshelle
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl065856
Subject(s) - ozone depletion , ozone layer , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , ozone , troposphere , atmospheric chemistry , atmosphere (unit) , tropospheric ozone , global warming , atmosphere of earth , climatology , climate change , meteorology , physics , geology , oceanography
Atmospheric concentrations of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are projected to increase considerably in the coming decades. Chemistry climate model simulations forced by current projections show that HFCs will impact the global atmosphere increasingly through 2050. As strong radiative forcers, HFCs increase tropospheric and stratospheric temperatures, thereby enhancing ozone‐destroying catalytic cycles and modifying the atmospheric circulation. These changes lead to a weak depletion of stratospheric ozone. Simulations with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 2‐D model show that HFC‐125 is the most important contributor to HFC‐related atmospheric change in 2050; its effects are comparable to the combined impacts of HFC‐23, HFC‐32, HFC‐134a, and HFC‐143a. Incorporating the interactions between chemistry, radiation, and dynamics, ozone depletion potentials (ODPs) for HFCs range from 0.39 × 10 −3 to 30.0 × 10 −3 , approximately 100 times larger than previous ODP estimates which were based solely on chemical effects.