A record-breaking ozone hole arose over the Arctic: what threatens the inhabitants of the Earth

In a rare phenomenon, a record-breaking ozone hole has appeared over the Arctic, which scientists say was the result of unusually low temperatures in the atmosphere above the North Pole, writes The Guardian. It is estimated that she will disappear soon.

Photo: Shutterstock

The hole, which was observed during observations from space and from the Earth over the past few days, has reached record sizes, but is not expected to pose a danger to people if it does not move further south. But if this movement occurs and the hole is over populated parts of the planet, for example, southern Greenland, people will be at increased risk of sunburn. However, with current trends, the hole is expected to disappear in just a few weeks.

Cold temperatures in the northern polar regions have led to an unusually stable polar vortex, and the presence of ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorine and bromine in the atmosphere from human activity have all contributed to the hole's formation.

“The hole is mainly a geophysical rarity,” said Vincent-Henri Peuch, director of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service. “We were tracking the unusual dynamic conditions that drive the process of chemical ozone depletion. [These dynamics] accounted for cooler temperatures and a more persistent than normal vortex over the Arctic, which then caused the formation of polar stratospheric clouds and catalytic ozone destruction."

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This hole is not quarantined due to Covid-19, which dramatically reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It is also too early to talk about whether unusually stable Arctic polar vortex conditions are related to the climate crisis or are part of the normal stratospheric variability of the weather.

Peukh said that the hole did not create direct climate effects. The temperature in the region is already rising, slowing the depletion of ozone, and the hole will recede when the polar air mixes with ozone-rich air from lower latitudes. The last time such conditions were observed in the spring of 2011.

A larger hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has been a major cause for concern for more than four decades. Under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, production of ozone-depleting chemicals has been sharply reduced, but some sources appear to still be operating—in 2018, unauthorized releases were discovered in eastern China.

The ozone hole over the Antarctic was the smallest in 35 years in November last year, which indicates the success of efforts to reduce the production of harmful pollutants. The ozone layer protects the earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet solar radiation.

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According to Peukh, new sources of ozone-depleting chemicals were not a factor in the hole formation observed over the Arctic.

“However, this is a reminder that the Montreal Protocol should not be taken for granted, and that observations from Earth and from satellites are key to avoiding a situation where the levels of chlorine and bromine in the stratosphere can rise again.”

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