NASASize of the ozone hole form 1979 to 2016
One upside to a warming planet is the gradual shrinking of the ozone hole over Antarctica. NASA measurements found that the ozone hole is approximately the same size that it was in 1988 and 1.3 million square miles smaller than it was last year.
The reason behind the significant decrease in the ozone layer is unusually warm weather conditions in Antarctica's stratosphere, which helped push away ozone-depleting chemicals. However, the overall trend of a shrinking ozone hole is a result of the global effort to eliminate ozone attacking chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons, previously used in refrigerants.
The global effort was put in place by the Montreal Protocol On Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which regulated ozone-depleting chemicals from manufacturing. While the use of harmful compounds for the ozone has decreased dramatically, chlorofluorocarbons remain in the atmosphere for quite a long time and estimates are that the ozone hole won't fully recover back to 1980 levels until the 2070s.
The ozone hole reached its maximum extent in 2017 on September 11th, at 7.6 million square miles or approximately 2.5 times the size of the United States. While the ozone hole still remains large, NASA indicates it is much smaller than the ozone hole's peak in 2000 at 11.5 million square miles.
However, the extent to which the ozone hole decreases due to warmer weather can just as easily swing the other direction if the stratosphere over Antarctica were to experience a cooler than normal year. This year's unusually warm weather caused a warm Antarctic vortex to minimize stratospheric cloud formation. This cloud formation is required in order for chlorine-catalyzed and bromine-catalyzed reactions to deplete the ozone.
In 2016 the ozone hole reached its maximum extent of 8.9 million square miles, yet that was still significantly lower than the average of about 10 million square miles the ozone hole had been since the late 1990's.
NASASize of the ozone hole over Antarctica through time.
The reduction in the ozone hole in the last couple years is largely due to natural variability in temperature and does not indicate the sudden "healing" of the ozone hole. However, recent upticks in the slope of average global temperatures could help play a role in the short term diminishing of the hole.
NASAGlobal Land-Ocean Temperature Index
The ozone layer helps protect humans, animals, and plants from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Depletion of the ozone layer causes an increased risk of skin cancer, cataracts, suppresses the immune system and can damage plants. While we'll have to wait until the 2070s to get back to pre-1980s conditions, it's good to see progress and positive news.
">NASASize of the ozone hole form 1979 to 2016
One upside to a warming planet is the gradual shrinking of the ozone hole over Antarctica. NASA measurements found that the ozone hole is approximately the same size that it was in 1988 and 1.3 million square miles smaller than it was last year.
The reason behind the significant decrease in the ozone layer is unusually warm weather conditions in Antarctica's stratosphere, which helped push away ozone-depleting chemicals. However, the overall trend of a shrinking ozone hole is a result of the global effort to eliminate ozone attacking chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons, previously used in refrigerants.
The global effort was put in place by the Montreal Protocol On Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which regulated ozone-depleting chemicals from manufacturing. While the use of harmful compounds for the ozone has decreased dramatically, chlorofluorocarbons remain in the atmosphere for quite a long time and estimates are that the ozone hole won't fully recover back to 1980 levels until the 2070s.
The ozone hole reached its maximum extent in 2017 on September 11th, at 7.6 million square miles or approximately 2.5 times the size of the United States. While the ozone hole still remains large, NASA indicates it is much smaller than the ozone hole's peak in 2000 at 11.5 million square miles.
However, the extent to which the ozone hole decreases due to warmer weather can just as easily swing the other direction if the stratosphere over Antarctica were to experience a cooler than normal year. This year's unusually warm weather caused a warm Antarctic vortex to minimize stratospheric cloud formation. This cloud formation is required in order for chlorine-catalyzed and bromine-catalyzed reactions to deplete the ozone.
In 2016 the ozone hole reached its maximum extent of 8.9 million square miles, yet that was still significantly lower than the average of about 10 million square miles the ozone hole had been since the late 1990's.
NASASize of the ozone hole over Antarctica through time.
The reduction in the ozone hole in the last couple years is largely due to natural variability in temperature and does not indicate the sudden "healing" of the ozone hole. However, recent upticks in the slope of average global temperatures could help play a role in the short term diminishing of the hole.
NASAGlobal Land-Ocean Temperature Index
The ozone layer helps protect humans, animals, and plants from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Depletion of the ozone layer causes an increased risk of skin cancer, cataracts, suppresses the immune system and can damage plants. While we'll have to wait until the 2070s to get back to pre-1980s conditions, it's good to see progress and positive news.
Read Again https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2017/11/03/a-warming-planet-is-helping-shrink-the-ozone-hole-to-smallest-since-1988/Bagikan Berita Ini
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