On the relationship between the thermal structure of the stratosphere and the seasonal distribution of ozone

An attempt is made to put the phenomenon of Antarctic ozone hole in a global perspective by pointing out that there is a much larger and more persistent 'hole' over the tropics. The thermal structure of the Antarctic lower stratosphere in winter is more similar to the tropical lower stratosphere than the Arctic lower stratosphere in winter. The dynamical transport that is responsible for creating the two column ozone minima has similar relationships to the thermal structure in the lower stratosphere in the two regions.