It was the first study to link greenhouse gases to increased ozone depletion over populated areas. Water and ozone. Climate models show cooler stratospheric temperatures happen when there is more water vapor present. Water vapor also leads to the breakdown of ozone molecules. The stratosphere is the dry layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, where temperatures increase with height.
More water is transported from the lower atmosphere.
Warmer air holds more water vapor than colder air, so the amount of water vapor in the lower atmosphere increases as it is warmed by the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, may enhance the transport of water into the stratosphere. The increased transport of water vapor to the stratosphere seems likely to have been induced by human activities. Rising greenhouse gas emissions account for all or part of the water vapor increase, which causes stratospheric ozone destruction. When more water vapor works its way into the stratosphere, the water molecules can be broken down, releasing reactive molecules that can destroy ozone.