Ozone hole 2019 as small as for three decades, not more

The ozone hole over the Antarctic this year is so small as for about 30 years. The maximum extent of the ozone hole fraud in 2019, about ten million square kilometres, the European space Agency ESA announced on Friday.

it was less than half the extent reached by the ozone hole, normally, in the past decades. In addition, will close the hole this year. Normally, at the end of November or beginning of December passing, this year will see more of it.

The ozone layer envelops the earth like a protective shield. Since the beginning of the 80s, scientists have observed a decrease of ozone in the stratosphere (15 to 50 km altitude). Over the Antarctic, they showed, in 1985, for the first time, an ozone hole that forms in the South polar Winter. Strong fluctuations in the polar vortex and the temperatures in the stratosphere cause ozone holes of different Size.

The ozone hole is formed each year in August. In 2019, it was smaller than usual. Video: ESA

"These record-breaking Size and duration of the small ozone hole in the year 2019 was caused by a warming of the stratosphere over the South pole," said Claus Zehner ESA, according to the memo. However, it is important to note that this was an unusual event and not a sign that the global ozone recovery is accelerating.

The ozone layer acts as a Filter for the skin cancer-causing ultraviolet rays. For the decomposition of ozone into oxygen industrial chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). A number of countries have committed to in the 1987 Montreal Protocol for the protection of the ozone layer and the production of ozone-depleting chemicals, particularly CFCs, is stopped. (anf/sda)

Created: 08.11.2019, 13:02 PM