The effects of subtle changes in Earth's climate on the ozone layer will be explored in two free, public lectures entitled "The Changing Ozone Layer: A Greenhouse Gas Connection?" at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Thursday, April 18, and at Pasadena City College Friday, April 19.
Dr. Ross Salawitch, a research scientist in the atmospheric chemistry group at JPL, will discuss how industrial emissions of chlorofluorocarbons deplete the ozone layer and how recent research by JPL and elsewhere reveals subtle climate changes may also cause ozone depletion.
Salawitch's past research focused on measuring how human activities affect stratospheric ozone levels. His research contributed to ratification of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and subsequent amendments; agreements that led to the international ban and phase-out of chlorofluorocarbon production. He also authored a chapter for the 1998 World Meteorological Organization Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, which proved conclusively the link between the industrial build-up of chlorine and ozone depletion. His current research is focused on understanding how the ozone layer will evolve as chlorine levels recede and climatic change affects stratospheric humidity and temperature.
Salawitch came to JPL in 1994 from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., where he was a research associate and postdoctoral fellow in atmospheric chemistry. He is currently a visiting research associate at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and he has authored nearly 100 research papers.
Both lectures begin at 7 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The JPL lecture will be webcast live and will also be available after the event at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures/apr02.html .
The lecture at JPL, located at 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, off the Oak Grove Drive exit of the 210 (Foothill) Freeway, will be held in the von Karman Auditorium. The Friday lecture will be held in Pasadena City College's Vosloh Forum at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.
For more information, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures/apr02.html or call (818) 354-0112. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.