An Empirical Test of the Chemical Theory of Ozone Depletion

Abstract

The overall structure of changes in total column ozone levels over a 50-year sample period from 1966 to 2015 and across a range of latitudes from -90° to 71° shows that the data from Antarctica prior to 1995 represent a peculiar outlier condition specific to that time and place and not an enduring global pattern. The finding is inconsistent with the Rowland-Molina theory of chemical ozone depletion.

Keywords: pollution, environment, ozone, ozone hole, ozone depletion, Antarctica, Montreal Protocol