New research from NASA suggests that the greenhouse gases are changing the dynamics of the atmosphere and will continue to alter the earth's ozone layer well into the future.

Increasing greenhouse gases actually cool the upper stratosphere, which is about 18-31 miles above the earth's surface. This cooling slows the chemical reactions that deplete ozone in the upper stratosphere and allows natural ozone production in that region to outpace destruction by CFCs, according to the ScienceDaily article.

This accumulation of greenhouse gases also changes the circulation of stratospheric air masses from the tropics to the poles.

In the mid-latitudes, ozone will most likely "over-recover" through the end of the century (bad news for the sun block lotion business), while in the tropics, ozone may not fully recover or see no recovery.

The findings are based on a detailed computer model that includes atmospheric chemical effects, wind changes, and solar radiation changes.

Based on the model, recovery in the Arctic is expected by 2025, while globally averaged and Antarctic concentrations of ozone are expected to recover by 2040.

The recovery in the middle and polar latitudes might have some benefits such as lower levels of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth's surface and correspondingly lower rates of skin cancer. On the other hand, it could have unintended effects, such as increasing ozone levels in the troposphere, the layer of atmosphere at Earth's surface.

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Latest update on the ozone hole

The ozone hole over the Antarctic peaks during the month of September. As of September 2008, the size of the hole was 8.5 million sq/m. The record size was 10.03 million sq/m. For more detailed information on the ozone hole, click here.

NASA also has a nice forecast animation of the Antarctic ozone hole through 2065 right here.