A really interesting paper has been recently published by McKenzie et al. in Photochem. Photobiol. Sci.. This article presents a well documented review of the relationship between ozone depletion and climate change and its influence on the UV radiation at Earth’s surface. The paper indicates that because of the success of the Montreal Protocol, increases in UV-B radiation during the last two decades have been small outside regions affected by the Antarctic ozone hole. In addition, other atmospheric factors (mainly clouds and aerosols) also play an outstanding role on the variability of UV radiation at surface. Thus, the influence of the ozone depletion (and its recovery) on the UV radiation has been difficult to detect at mid-latitudes. The authors state that “without the Montreal Protocol, peak values of sunburning UV radiation could have been tripled by 2065 at mid-northern latitudes.”.
Regarding the interactions between ozone and climate change, the paper analyses both the effects of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol on climate change, and the influence of the increasing greenhouse gases on ozone recovery.