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Geneva / UNI: Depletion of the ozone layer, the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation, reached an unprecedented level in large parts of the Arctic this spring, the World Meteorological Organization said on Saturday.
The statement attributed this improved ozone depletion to the continued presence of ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere and a very cold winter in the stratosphere (the atmosphere layer between around 10 km and around 50 km altitude) .
The spring of 2011 also witnessed strong ozone depletion in the Arctic, although the depletion is even more intense this year confirmed by the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch ozone observing stations, NASA and the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service. implemented by ECMWF.
The ozone hole closed in April with an increase in stratospheric temperatures that culminated in an influx of ozone-rich air from the lower atmosphere.
Depletion would have been even worse had it not been for the successful international agreement: the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This agreement led to the gradual elimination of substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), although they are still present in the atmosphere, they remain in the atmosphere for several decades and their concentrations are still high enough to cause severe ozone destruction.
“The Arctic stratosphere remains vulnerable to ozone-depleting substances linked to human activities,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
“The degree of ozone loss experienced in a particular winter depends on weather conditions. The 2020 ozone loss shows that we must remain vigilant and maintain continuous observations, “he added.
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