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April 30, 2020 08:37 PM EDT
Scientists have recently observed that a hole has been closed in the Arctic Circle ozone layer. It was a large, massive, and unusual hole that opened this spring.
the CAMS or the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service First took note of the hole early This April, saying the area’s ozone column values recently hit an all-time low, with most ozone, it was found that approximately 11 miles above the stratosphere was depleting.
It was in the spring of 2011 when the last hole as strong as the current hole was opened in the cape. The ozone layer can be found above Earth’s stratosphere. It works by absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
However, CAMS tweeted last week how this year’s “unprecedented” big hole in the northern hemisphere was mysteriously closed. CAMS explained that the Polar Vortex has split and allowed ozone-rich air to enter the Arctic. CAMS also added that even if the Polar Vortex has not yet finished and could still be reformed in the coming days, ozone values in the area will not return to the extremely low levels seen in early April.
However, CAMS scientists were quick to point out that the closure of the hole probably had nothing to do with the levels of air pollution that plummeted caused by the closings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CAMS tweeted that the closure of the hole was driven by the unusually persistent and strong Polar Vortex, and is unrelated to the changes that have been observed in global air quality.
CAMS explains that holes in ozone are unusual in the Arctic area. However, the situation is different in the southern hemisphere. Holes have developed above Antarctica each year for the past three and a half decades. These holes are caused by the accumulation of chemicals like bromine and chlorine during the winter. They accumulate within the Polar Vortex and remain in the area.
According to CAMS, they are chemically inactive during winter due to lack of sunlight. When spring begins, they again become chemically active.
CAMS also explained that the Antarctic stratosphere is generally more isolated than the Arctic stratosphere due to its proximity to mountain ranges and land masses, disrupting weather patterns in the north. This does not happen in the southern hemisphere. CAMS further adds that this is why the Northern Hemisphere Polar Vortex is more disturbed and much weaker than in Antarctica, and why temperatures in the North do not reach such low levels. However, CAMS has noted that the 2019 Polar Vortex was one of the smallest currently on record.
According to Britannica, ozone occurs naturally in small amounts and forms a layer in Earth’s stratosphere. The stratosphere is a layer in the planet’s atmosphere that occurs between the mesosphere and the troposphere. It contains the ozone layer, which works by absorbing UV radiation that could otherwise cause severe damage to all living creatures on the planet’s surface.
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