This month has seen a flood of alarming news about warming in the Arctic regions, but a report last week revealed a potential silver lining.
Ozone created in the lower atmosphere–the troposphere–as air pollution is now believed to contribute substantially to warming in the Arctic, especially in the winter months. (That’s because ozone is destroyed by higher temps during the summer before it circulates to the northern pole.)
This means that if ozone the air pollutant can be regulated–as it already is by the EPA–as much as a third of Arctic warming could be eased, according to Drew Shindell, the lead author of a recent survey from the GISS (Goddard Institute of Space Studies). Said Shindell:
"We now see that reducing ozone pollution can not only improve air quality but also have the added benefit of easing climate warming, especially in the Arctic."
I’m continuing to research this one…here are different graphs of trophospheric ozone in the Arctic, courtesy of the Earth Observatory:
Kit Stolz 