From August to October, during the Southern Hemisphere’s late winter as the returning sun’s rays start ozone-depleting reactions, the ozone hole increases in size, reaching a maximum between mid-September and mid-October .
What season is the ozone hole the largest?
During the Southern Hemisphere spring season (August – October) the ozone hole over the Antarctic increases in size, reaching a maximum between mid-September and mid-October (NASA Ozone Watch image of 2020 ozone hole at its September peak pictured left).
What time of year is the ozone hole most noticeable?
The ozone hole now occurs every year in Antarctica between the months of September and November , which is the South Pole’s springtime. During this time, ozone levels over most of Antarctica are reduced by about 60% of their usual amount.
In which months is ozone depletion The worst?
The ozone hole occurs during the Antarctic spring, from September to early December , as strong westerly winds start to circulate around the continent and create an atmospheric container. Within this polar vortex, over 50 percent of the lower stratospheric ozone is destroyed during the Antarctic spring.
Is the ozone hole seasonal?
By summertime, stratospheric air from lower latitudes is able to penetrate the polar latitudes, and thereby replenish the ozone layer above Antarctica. Hence, there is a seasonal cycle to the ozone hole over Antarctica with the lowest ozone levels recorded in late September and early October.
Is the ozone hole getting smaller?
Due to an environmental agreement called the Montreal Protocol, the amount of chlorine and bromine in the atmosphere has been greatly reduced, which has resulted in the overall shrinking of the ozone layer hole. Levels have fallen 16% since 2000. ... According to NASA, the smallest ozone hole on record was in 2019 .
Is there a hole in the ozone layer 2021?
“The 2021 ozone hole is now among the 25% largest in our records since 1979, but the process is still under way . ... Since the ban on so-called halocarbons the ozone layer has shown signs of recovery, but it is a slow process and it will take until the 2060s or 70s for a complete phasing-out of the depleting substances.
Where is the thinnest ozone layer?
The ozone layer is thinnest near the poles .
How big is the hole in the ozone layer 2021?
This year, the ozone hole already covers an area of 8.5 to 8.8 million square miles (22 to 23 million square km) , just 700,000 square miles (2 million square km) short of the 2006 record level of 9.7 million square miles (25 million square km).
When was the ozone hole the smallest?
The 2019 ozone hole is the smallest ever recorded. Abnormally warm temperatures in the stratosphere over Antarctica dramatically limited ozone loss in September and October, resulting in the smallest ozone hole observed since 1982, NOAA and NASA scientists reported today.
Where is harmful ozone located?
Ozone occurs in two layers of the atmosphere. The layer closest to the Earth’s surface is the troposphere . Here, ground- level or “bad” ozone is an air pollutant that is harmful to breathe and it damages crops, trees and other vegetation. It is a main ingredient of urban smog.
How big was the ozone hole in 1985?
The maximum depth of the hole that year was 194 Dobson Units (DU)—not far below the previous historical low. For several years, the minimum concentrations stayed in the 190s, but then the minimums rapidly grew deeper: 173 DU in 1982, 154 in 1983, 124 in 1985.
Who discovered ozone hole?
The discovery of the annual depletion of ozone above the Antarctic was first announced by Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin , in a paper which appeared in Nature on May 16, 1985.
What is the current state of the ozone layer 2021?
The Antarctic ozone hole — one of the deepest, largest gap in the ozone layer in the last 40 years — has closed ,according to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) January 6, 2021.
Does ozone cause global warming?
Ozone (O 3 ) depletion does not cause global warming , but both of these environmental problems have a common cause: human activities that release pollutants into the atmosphere altering it.
Why the ozone hole is over Antarctica?
In the Southern Hemisphere, the South Pole is part of avery large land mass (Antarctica) that is completely surrounded by ocean. ... This chlorine and bromine activation then leads to rapid ozone loss when sunlight returns to Antarctica in September and October of each year , which then results in the Antarctic ozone hole.
