The largest ozone hole is closed

The largest ozone hole is closed

The largest ozone hole is closed

The Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service announced that the largest hole observed in the ozone layer over the North Pole has closed, as scientists discovered signs of its formation in late March, and it is believed that it was the result of low temperatures in the Arctic.

Ozone hole hazards

The ozone hole produces many harmful effects on different life forms on the surface of the earth, and these effects are: Harming human health: The ozone hole increases the ultraviolet rays that humans are exposed to, which causes non-melanoma skin cancer, and increases the development of malignant melanomas. Dye cell cancer, according to epidemiological studies and laboratory studies, as it causes cataracts, and weakens the immune system. Plant damage: When plants are more exposed to ultraviolet light, they are exposed to changes that include shape, food distribution, secondary metabolism, growth and development times, as well as changes in the competitive balance between different species and disease plants, leading to damage to animals that feed on them. The biogeochemical cycles, that is, the biogeochemical cycle that occurs in nature, change. Damage to marine ecosystems: The ozone hole increases the exposure of phytoplankton - which is the basis of water food webs - to ultraviolet rays, which affects their distribution and their ability to move, and consequently leads to a decrease in their productivity, and reduces their chances of survival, and from On the other hand, exposure of small living organisms such as fish, shrimp, crabs, and amphibians to ultraviolet rays leads to serious damages such as low reproductive capacity and weak larvae. Disruption of biogeochemical cycles: Increased ultraviolet rays change the biological, geological, and chemical factors that affect the circulation of materials on land and in water, which leads to a change in the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases and important trace gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonyl sulfide, Ozone, which in turn increases or decreases the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere. Polymers are damaged: UV rays affect some commercially important substances such as industrial polymers and natural biopolymers, which are poured H is more perishable, and its shelf life is shorter when used outdoors, so special additives are added to these materials that protect them somewhat from the harmful effects of UV rays.

The importance of ozone

Ozone is one of the necessary elements for life on the surface of the earth, as it is no less important than oxygen and water, because it absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet rays that reach us from the sun, and thus protects known forms of life on the surface of the earth, and despite the importance of the ozone layer for humans, human activities The damage themselves to the ozone layer where the release of human-made chemicals such as CFCs and halons, knowing that the ozone hole means the thinning of the ozone layer in the stratosphere, and does not mean the presence of an actual hole, which changes seasonally, at some times of the year it is The hole is bigger while at other times the opposite.

The ozone layer protects the Earth from most ultraviolet sunlight, which is a major cause of skin cancer, and this hole could have posed a direct threat to humans if it moved south to populated areas, but on Thursday (April 23), Copernicus - European Union program announced Earth observation - the hole is now closed.

The shutdown has nothing to do with reducing pollution caused by closings in much of the world due to COVID-19. Instead, it is due to the polar vortex, which high currents usually bring cool air to the polar regions, giving the Arctic a relative heat wave. , With temperatures up to 20 ° C above normal at this time of year.

The most famous ozone hole is located over the Antarctic and occurs during the Australian spring (from July to September) when the stratosphere is naturally cooler. In general, ozone destruction conditions do not occur on this scale in the Arctic, but this year, the strong and stable polar vortex has caused In concentrating more ozone-depleting chemicals than usual, which added to the severe cold, created the conditions for this unprecedented hole.

The first time that an ozone hole was observed in the Arctic was in 2011, but it was smaller and it was during January.