Study: Antarctic Ozone Hole Starting To Heal
- 8 years ago
The Antarctic ozone hole may be starting to heal, finds a new study.
The Antarctic ozone hole may be starting to heal, finds a new study.
As a press release issued by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology states, “The team found that the September ozone hole has shrunk by more than 4 million square kilometers — about half the area of the contiguous United States — since 2000, when ozone depletion was at its peak.”
The ozone layer located in the Earth’s upper atmosphere can help to shield the planet from damaging ultraviolet rays, but a hole in the system was identified in the 1950s.
In the past, scientists typically examined the gap in October, but this team decided to focus on September.
According to the BBC, "Normally measurements are taken in October when the ozone hole is at its largest. But this team believed they would get a better picture by looking at readings taken in September, when temperatures are still low but other factors that can influence the amount of ozone, such as the weather, are less prevalent."
After analyzing data from 2000 to 2015, the team was able to determine that the hole has become significantly smaller and that “more than half the shrinkage was due solely to the reduction in atmospheric chlorine.”
As such, the lead author Susan Solomon has said that she could envision the hole shrinking and disappearing by midcentury.
The Antarctic ozone hole may be starting to heal, finds a new study.
As a press release issued by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology states, “The team found that the September ozone hole has shrunk by more than 4 million square kilometers — about half the area of the contiguous United States — since 2000, when ozone depletion was at its peak.”
The ozone layer located in the Earth’s upper atmosphere can help to shield the planet from damaging ultraviolet rays, but a hole in the system was identified in the 1950s.
In the past, scientists typically examined the gap in October, but this team decided to focus on September.
According to the BBC, "Normally measurements are taken in October when the ozone hole is at its largest. But this team believed they would get a better picture by looking at readings taken in September, when temperatures are still low but other factors that can influence the amount of ozone, such as the weather, are less prevalent."
After analyzing data from 2000 to 2015, the team was able to determine that the hole has become significantly smaller and that “more than half the shrinkage was due solely to the reduction in atmospheric chlorine.”
As such, the lead author Susan Solomon has said that she could envision the hole shrinking and disappearing by midcentury.