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Scientists at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) used data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite to record an unusual form of ozone hole over the Arctic. (Credit: Copernicus data (2020), processed by DLR / BIRA / ESA)
Without the ozone layer, life will not be able to survive on the planet. Should this layer thin or continue to form holes, it will increase the chances of diseases like skin cancer and cataracts
- News18.com
- Last update: April 9, 2020, 10:38 a.m. IST
Just as we had overcome the glee at reports that the ozone hole over Antarctica was apparently healing, we have some bad news. It turns out that a massive hole has been cut in the ozone layer over the Arctic. The reason this time seems to be the climate change that Earth has been enduring for a while. Apparently, the atypically colder temperatures in the atmosphere above the north pole, for this time of year, have led to this rapid depletion of ozone in that region.
“Scientists using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite have noted a sharp decline in ozone concentrations in the Arctic. Unusual weather conditions, including freezing temperatures in the stratosphere, have caused ozone levels to plummet, causing a “mini hole” in the ozone layer, “says the European Space Agency, in an official statement. They say that while small ozone holes were also observed over the North Pole this year, depletion over the Arctic is far greater than ever. Scientists at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) report this unusually strong ozone depletion in the northern polar regions. “Using data from the Tropomi instrument on the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, they were able to monitor this form of Arctic ozone hole in the atmosphere,” they add.
Ozone is critical to maintaining life on earth. It is a protective shield in Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Without this layer, life will not be able to survive on the planet, and if this layer becomes thin or continues to form holes, it will increase diseases such as skin cancer and cataracts, as well as extensive environmental damage.
