The hole in the ozone layer that develops annually is “quite larger than usual” and is currently larger than Antarctica, according to the scientists responsible for monitoring it.
Researchers at the Copernican Atmosphere Monitoring Service say this year’s hole is growing rapidly and exceeds 75% of ozone holes at this stage of the season since 1979.
Ozone exists between 11 and 40 kilometers (11 to 40 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface, in the stratosphere, and acts as a sunscreen for the planet, protecting it from ultraviolet radiation. Each year, a hole is formed in late winter in the southern hemisphere, as the sun causes ozone-depleting reactions, which involve chemically active forms of chlorine and bromine derived from man-made compounds. In a statement, Copernicus said this year’s hole “has evolved into one of greater strength than usual.”
Vincent-Henri Peuch, the director of the service, told The Guardian: “We can’t really say at this stage how the ozone hole will evolve. However, this year’s hole is very similar to that of 2020, which was one of the deepest and longest (closed around Christmas) on our records since 1979.
“The 2021 ozone hole is now one of the 25% largest on our records since 1979, but the process is still ongoing. We will continue to monitor its development in the coming weeks. A large or small ozone hole in a year does not necessarily mean that the overall recovery process is not progressing as expected, but it may indicate that special attention needs to be paid and research may be directed to study the reasons for a specific ozone hole. .
Scientists agree that ozone depletion is caused by man-made gases called CFCs, which were first developed in the 1930s for use in refrigeration systems and later deployed as to propellants in aerosol cans. Chemicals are stable, so they can travel from the Earth’s surface to the stratosphere. But then, at the altitude where stratospheric ozone is found, they are broken down by high-energy UV radiation. The following chemical reactions destroy ozone. CFCs have been banned in 197 countries around the world.
Since the ban on so-called halocarbons, the ozone layer has shown signs of recovery, but it is a slow process and will take until the 2060s or 70s until the complete elimination of depleting substances. In recent years with normal weather conditions, the ozone hole has typically grown to a maximum of 20 million square kilometers (8 million square miles).
The 2020 Arctic ozone hole was also very large and deep and peaked at about three times the size of the continental US.
The Antarctic ozone hole usually reaches its peak between mid-September and mid-October. When temperatures begin to rise in the stratosphere in the late spring of the southern hemisphere, ozone depletion decreases, the polar vortex weakens and eventually decomposes, and in December ozone levels usually return. to normal.